Several actors who worked with U.S. filmmaker Rob Reiner have expressed their grief at the passing Sunday of the director and his wife, with brief but heartfelt messages: Cary Elwes said he was “speechless”; Kathy Bates, “devastated”; and John Cusack, “in shock”.
These are among the reactions to the death of the couple, who were found stabbed to death in their Brentwood home late Sunday night, a crime whose prime suspect is their middle son, Nick.
Elwes, who starred with Robin Wright in one of Reiner’s best-remembered films, ‘The Princess Bride’ (‘The Princess Bride’, 1987) posted on his Instagram account a black and white photo of the two chairs he and the director used during filming, along with the message “Speechless”. And his profile picture is an image characterized as Wesley, his character in the film.
While Bates, who starred opposite James Caan in ‘Misery’ (1990), for which she won an Oscar, said in a statement sent to The Hollywood Reporter that she is “absolutely devastated” by the news.
“I am horrified,” assured the actress, who expressed her love for the filmmaker, whom she described as “brilliant and kind,” a man “who made films of all genres to challenge himself as an artist,” as well as fighting “courageously for his political convictions.”
“It changed the course of my life,” sentenced Bates, who also had a memory for the director’s wife, Michele, “a talented photographer” who was in charge of taking pictures of the actress for the ‘Misery’ ad campaign. “My heart hurts for both of them,” he added.
Actors react to director Rob Reiner’s murder
John Cusack, who led the cast of ‘The Sure Thing’ (‘College Love Games’, 1985), said at X he was “in shock” and had no meaningful words for the passing of the director and his wife.
One of his co-stars on the film, Daphne Zuñiga, posted a photo from the shoot and recalled that Reiner made sure in every scene that the actors, all very young, understood the rhythm, but also listened to them “with those big, bright eyes and a smile.”
“He would listen to us, the new guys, to see what we had to bring to the table at any given time,” he added.
And Jerry O’Connell, one of the four friends from ‘Stan by Me’ (‘Stan by Me’, 1986) has remembered Reiner with a photo with the director at the time they made the film.
Not only the actors who worked with the filmmaker expressed their grief. Ben Stiller highlighted that he was one of his favorite directors who made some of the most important films for his generation.
Eric Idle of Monty Python called the death of Reiner, with whom he had been talking for more than an hour the day before about his plans for the future, “horrible,” while Virginia Madsen noted that the director’s life and talent were “always on point.”
His colleague Joe Russo, responsible for the last two Avengers features, made a pun on the title of one of Reiner’s films and lamented the loss of “one of the few good men,” noting that “one of the greatest filmmakers of all time” has gone.
Reiner’s passing has also been mourned by the artists and entertainment professionals union SAG-AFTTRA, whose president, Sean Astin, said in a statement that the filmmaker “was one of the most significant figures in the history of film and television.”
“His impact on American culture is undeniable. The tributes will be countless and the endless list of genre-defining films and his unforgettable performances will remain in our minds and hearts,” he added, reported Agencia EFE.
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