Hollywood has lost another legend. News has just come in that Carl Reiner, whose contributions to television comedy is arguably rivaled by few others, has died at the age of 98. Reiner passed at his Beverly Hills home of natural causes last night.
Reiner, who is the father of famed director Rob Reiner, is the name you think of when recalling individuals who pioneered and shaped comedy during an era that set the template of what the genre would become. Along with Mel Brooks, Larry Gelbart, Neil Simon, and Woody Allen, Reiner co-wrote and appeared on the Sid Caesar programs Caesar's Hour and Your Show of Shows which really set the tone for sketch comedy that inspired the likes of Saturday Night Live and late-night talk show humor.
Reiner's talents have certainly not been overlooked over the years. His time with The Dick Van Dyke Show led to nine Emmy Award wins and he received the Writers Guild's Laurel Award for lifetime achievement for a career in TV writing. Reiner remained an active presence in guest roles on television and in supporting roles in films during the 1990s and 2000s. Reiner won another Emmy in 1995 for playing Alan Brady on Mad About You and also guested on several other sitcoms and dramas from the time period such as Frasier, Ally McBeal, Boston Legal, and House.
Reiner also remained in the public eye for a new generation of audiences that may have discovered him for playing Saul Bloom beginning in 2001's OCEAN'S ELEVEN. He would go on to reprise the role in 2004's OCEAN'S TWELVE and 2007's OCEAN'S THIRTEEN. Reiner also had recurring roles on sitcoms Two and a Half Men and Hot in Cleveland while he also did voice work for shows including Family Guy, American Dad, King of the Hill, and Bob's Burgers.
It's never easy to write about the passing of someone who truly left his mark on the industry. I wanted to cap this off with a tweet from Carl Reiner that was posted only three days ago on his official Twitter page because it really captures the love of his family and seemingly validates a life that was truly rewarding and fulfilled. In addition to Rob Reiner, the comedy legend is survived by his daughter Sylvia Anne and his son Lucas. Reiner's wife Estelle, to whom he had been married to since 1943, passed in 2008.