Entertainment
Rob Reiner’s close friends and colleagues share fond memories of the late Hollywood legend
Rob Reiner’s circle was wide and eclectic, spanning comedians honing punchlines and Oscar-winning actors and filmmakers shaping Hollywood itself.
As the son of comedy legend Carl Reiner, he entered the world of entertainment early – but went on to make a name for himself as a director, filmmaker, and actor in his own right.
He’s perhaps best known for his breakout role at age 23 as Archie Bunker’s liberal son-in-law, Michael “Meathead” Stivic in the hit 1970s sitcom “All in the Family,” though others may know him more recently as Bob Day, the father of the quirky Jess Day in “New Girl.” Reiner also directed iconic films such as “The Princess Bride,” “When Harry Met Sally…,” “This is Spinal Tap,” “Stand By Me” and “A Few Good Men.”.
Friends and colleagues who worked with Reiner through the years sat down with CBS News to share their personal anecdotes and fond memories of him following the news of his tragic death. Reiner and his wife, Michele, were found dead in their Los Angeles home on Dec. 14 and their son, Nick, was charged in their murders.
Here’s a look at some tributes from those who knew Reiner best, featured in “CBS News: Rob Reiner – Scenes from a Life,” a one-hour special that will be broadcast Sunday at 8:30 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.
Albert Brooks
Albert Brooks said he’s still in disbelief over the death of his good friend, who he’s known since the pair attended drama class together at Beverly Hills High School more than 60 years ago.
“Rob was my oldest friend. It’s that simple. He’s the person that I’ve known the longest. I met him when I was 14 years old. So I’m still in that not believing it stage,” he told CBS News.
Brooks said he still finds himself dialing his pal’s number to chat, and then freezes when he realizes what he’s done.
“I know it happened, but, you know, I’m driving around and all of a sudden – I actually two days ago, I called his number,” he recalled.
Kathy Bates
Oscar-winning actress Kathy Bates has credited Reiner with changing “the course of [her] life” by directing her unforgettable performance as Annie Wilkes in “Misery” in 1990.
“If I hadn’t done ‘Misery,’ it would be like George Bailey going back and seeing what his life would have been like if he had never been there,” she said. “I wouldn’t have had some of the friends that I have now. I wouldn’t have had the richness in my life. I quite frankly probably would have stayed in the theater and I doubt I would have had a movie career. I might have dropped out altogether.”
Kiefer Sutherland
Kiefer Sutherland who played Lt. Jonathan Kendrick in the 1992 legal drama “A Few Good Men” said Reiner had an unforgettable presence on set as director. He recalled the tense courtroom scene where Jack Nicholson – Colonel Nathan Jessup – had to deliver his now famous line, “You can’t handle the truth!”
After the first moving take, Sutherland recalled Reiner asking Nicholson if he wanted to go again.
“No one said a word, and Rob went up to Jack Nicholson and whispered in his ear, ‘Do you want to do another one?’ And Jack Nicholson said, ‘Well, we’re here,'” Sutherland recalled. “So they did another one, and it was just as extraordinary.”
The actors planned a marathon filming day, but Sutherland said Reiner was so blown away by Nicholson’s performance that day that he sent everyone home early.
“They had planned to shoot the whole day, and Rob looked at everybody and said, ‘I couldn’t ask for anything more, so you guys all have the rest of the day off,” Sutherland said.
Entertainment
Keith Urban gets new gig to ‘pay the bills’ after divorce
Keith Urban has reportedly taken on a cruise ship performance to help cover costs following his high-profile divorce from Nicole Kidman, the kind of booking, sources say, he would never have considered during their 19-year marriage.
The country star performed at the Top Shelf Country Cruise, sailing from Florida to the Bahamas between 27 February and 6 March.
An insider told New Idea that the gig was very much a practical decision.
“Cruise ships are not exactly the dream gig, but they pay the bills — and it gives Keith something to focus on,” the source said.
“It’s the kind of gig that Keith would have turned his nose up at during his marriage to Nicole Kidman. He’s trying to stay busy now that his divorce is finalised.”
Urban, 58, has a reported net worth of $75 million, but those close to him have suggested that divorce lawyer fees may have put a dent in his cash flow.
With Kidman’s reported net worth sitting at $250 million, the financial stakes of the split were considerable.
“When there’s that much money involved in a split, the lawyers don’t come cheap, regardless of the outcome,” the source explained, adding that smaller bookings help keep things ticking over in the meantime.
Longer term, though, the picture is said to be more positive.
Urban is reportedly working on “exciting plans” for the second half of 2026, with the source saying he “has every intention of ending 2026 the exact opposite of how it started, on a total high.”
Page Six confirmed in September that Urban and Kidman had separated after nearly two decades together.
Kidman filed for divorce the day after the news broke, citing irreconcilable differences.
The divorce was finalised in January, with both parties waiving rights to child and spousal support.
Kidman was approved as the primary residential parent for their two daughters, Sunday Rose, 17, and Faith Margaret, 14.
Kidman has spoken briefly about the situation, telling Variety earlier this month: “We are a family, and that’s what we’ll continue to be.”
Entertainment
Space company plans bold landing on fast-moving asteroid passing near Earth
Scientists from a private space company are planning a controversial yet daring move to land on a dangerous asteroid as it leaps past Earth in three years’ time.
The space rock, dubbed Apophis, was first discovered in 2004 and is expected to make a close pass by Earth in 2029.
Previous calculations suggested a 2.7 percent chance of the asteroid colliding with Earth and potentially destroying an area nearly the size of a city.
However, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) scientists ruled out the potential risk of any impact for the foreseeable future.
The United States (U.S.)-based company ExLabs announced ambitious plans to send two landers to attempt a touchdown on the space rock as it passes nearly 32,000km from Earth.
Co-founder and Chief Science Officer Miguel Pascual said: “The main goal is to gain images from the surface of the asteroid,” adding, “There’s some really exciting science that can happen.”
ExLabs said that its mothership spacecraft, scheduled for launch in 2028, will carry 10 spacecraft, including two landers.
The space company plans to deploy a lander the size of a shoe box, which will continue taking pictures as it descends at a speed of 10 centimeters per second. The lander is expected to attempt a touchdown within an hour of deployment.
For context, a lander is a type of spacecraft designed to descend from orbit, pass through an atmosphere (if present), and make a soft, controlled landing on the surface of a celestial body.
To ensure Earth’s safety and no change in the asteroid’s orbit, ExLabs plans to execute the mission a week after Apophis’s flyby of Earth.
Entertainment
Kensington Palace shares Prince William’s latest video with major update
Prince William and Princess Kate’s office released a heartwarming video of the future monarch as he honoured loved ones on Tuesday during the investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle.
On Tuesday, March 24, the Palace issued update on the event hours after the Prince and Princess of Wales’ trusted nanny received a special royal honour from William.
The video, shared on the Prince and Princess of Wales’ official Instagram account, shows William honouring the loyal companions.
The video was captioned: “Loved ones receiving honours at Windsor Castle.”
Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis’ lifelong nanny, Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, was rewarded with the silver Royal Victorian Medal for her loyalty and service to the Waleses.
TV writer Sir Roy Clarke and tennis umpire James Keothavong were also among the honourees of Tuesday’s investiture ceremony at the castle.
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