Tributes have been pouring in for Rob Reiner, the iconic American filmmaker, actor, and political activist, who passed away. Reiner was found dead alongside his wife, Michele Singer, in their Brentwood home in Los Angeles, California on Sunday.
One of Hollywood’s most versatile directors, Reiner was best known for directing movies “Misery,” “Stand by Me,” “When Harry Met Sally,” “The Bucket List, ” and the movie “LBJ” which brought to life both the complexity and the humanity of former U.S. president Lyndon B. Johnson.
In “The Magic of Belle Isle,” a movie with an unassuming warmth, which starred Virginia Madsen, Reiner reunited with Morgan Freeman whom he previously directed in “The Bucket List.” It was Reiner who cast Freeman in his first romantic movie, and he shared with Trendy Africa, while promoting that film, that he wanted Freeman specifically for the role. Freeman also had compliments for the director whom he called a teddy bear.
“Rob is a teddy bear. He is a really good director and is just a great person and a great soul. The only other person I hold in the same esteem is Clint Eastwood.”
In 2018, Rob Reiner received the Stanley Kramer Award for Social Justice from the African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA), the nation’s premiere group of Black film critics.
SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin said, “Rob Reiner is one of the most significant figures in the history of film and television. The impact he made on American culture simply can’t be overstated. Tributes will pour in and the impossibly long list of genre defining films and indelible performances will play in our minds and hearts. Rob Reiner was a member of our union for nearly 60 years. We send love and warmth to Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner’s families, friends and colleagues. Our entertainment community and audiences around the world will mourn deeply. On a personal note, so many of Mr. Reiner’s films and performances made me think, made me emotional and especially they made me laugh really hard. That’s how I will remember him.”
SAG-AFTRA is a U.S based labor union that represents actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists, influencers and other entertainment and media professionals.
Samantha Ofole-Prince is a journalist and movie critic who covers industry-specific news that includes television and film. She serves as the Entertainment Editor for Trendy Africa.
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