Rob Reiner 'Did Everything He Could' as a Human Being, Says 'Heartbroken' Friend: 'He Was the Real Deal'
- - Rob Reiner 'Did Everything He Could' as a Human Being, Says 'Heartbroken' Friend: 'He Was the Real Deal'
Benjamin VanHooseDecember 19, 2025 at 2:59 AM
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Rob Reiner on April 25, 2025 -
Dennis Maguire, first assistant director on 1990's Misery, paid tribute to Rob Reiner, recalling he was "always grateful and generous" on set
Reiner and his wife Michele were killed in their Los Angeles home, and their son Nick has been charged with murder
"It's just a terrible, tragic thing," said "heartbroken" Maguire
Rob Reiner's legacy as a thoughtful, caring Hollywood director is being honored by a crew member from his 1990 film Misery.
"He was always grateful and generous about acknowledging things [on set]," Dennis Maguire, Reiner's first assistant director on the Oscar-winning movie, said in an essay published by Business Insider on Dec. 17.
Maguire added, "People liked Rob, and Rob liked people. He enjoyed life, and I know he gave back. Rob wasn't really flashy. Yes, he was born into royalty in Hollywood, but he wasn't pretentious at all, at least not in my experience with him. He was the real deal."
Reiner got his start as a beloved sitcom actor on All in the Family before transitioning to directing. He went on to direct classic movies like Stand By Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men and more.
In the Business Insider essay, Maguire, who also contributed to Stand By Me, described Reiner as a "big, gregarious guy with a big personality — and he was funny, of course."
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Rob Reiner with Kathy Bates and James Caan on the set of 'Misery'
Maguire, who said he hadn't seen Reiner in "a number of years," shared that he and other crew members from Misery "have been texting, calling and emailing back and forth since we found out" about Reiner, 78, and his wife Michele's deaths.
"We all want to commiserate. I couldn't sleep the first night because my mind was racing — I'm heartbroken," said Maguire. "It's just a terrible, tragic thing."
He added, "Rob, as a human being, did everything he could. I'm happy I had the opportunity to work for somebody like him."
Kathy Bates, who won an Oscar for her performance in Reiner's Misery, paid tribute to the "brilliant and kind" filmmaker in a statement. "I’m horrified hearing this terrible news. Absolutely devastated. I loved Rob,” said Bates, 77.
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Rob and Michele Reiner on March 30, 2019
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Reiner and Michele, 70, were killed inside their Los Angeles home, and their son Nick, 32, has been charged with murder.
In PEOPLE's latest cover story, one insider close to the family said the Reiners "were such a tight-knit family" who "did everything together." Still, “they could never reach stability with Nick," who had dealt with addiction since he was a teen. "They tried everything — giving him space, keeping him close — but his struggles are so deep."
Their other two kids, Jake, 34, and Romy, 28, spoke out about the "horrific and devastating loss of our parents" in a statement shared Dec. 17. "Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day," the siblings added. "They weren't just our parents; they were our best friends."
"We are grateful for the outpouring of condolences, kindness, and support we have received not only from family and friends but people from all walks of life," their statement added.
"We now ask for respect and privacy, for speculation to be tempered with compassion and humanity, and for our parents to be remembered for the incredible lives they lived and the love they gave."
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
