Topics: Conan O'Brien, Rob Reiner, Crime, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Celebrity, Film and TV
Conan O’Brien has been reflecting on the legacy of one of Hollywood’s most recognisable directors following their death, opening up about how Rob Reiner’s work shaped his own sense of humour and storytelling long before the pair became close friends.
The late-night host recently spoke about the filmmaker’s influence, describing how movies like Spinal Tap, A Few Good Men, and When Harry Met Sally stood out as defining cultural moments. Over the years, O’Brien and his wife grew increasingly close to Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, often spending time together at industry events and gatherings in Los Angeles.
During a recent interview with The New Yorker, O’Brien found himself revisiting the director’s extraordinary creative run, explaining why Reiner’s filmography of movies continues to resonate with audiences decades later.
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O’Brien said: “I think it’s seven movies that Rob Reiner made, in quick succession, that are classics. Now, if you can make one great movie, that’s impressive. It’s an almost impossible feat. To make two means that you’re one of the greats. To make seven – in, like, a nine-year, 10-year, 11-year period – is insanity.”
He also looked back on the cultural impact of Spinal Tap, adding: “If that’d been the only thing [Reiner] ever did, he influenced my generation enormously. When ‘Spinal Tap’ came out, I was in college, and it was like a splitting-the-atom moment. You have those moments where you see something truly remarkable.”
However, the comedian’s reflections come in the wake of director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, being tragically killed just hours after attending a holiday party at O’Brien’s Los Angeles home.
Reports claim the couple was found dead the following morning, with authorities investigating the case as a homicide. Their son, Nick Reiner, 32, was later charged with the double murder and is due to appear in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, February 23.
Opening up about the moment he learned what had happened, O’Brien said: “They were just such lovely people. And to have that experience of saying good night to somebody and having them leave and then find out the next day that they’re gone. … I think I was in shock for quite a while afterward. I mean, there’s no other word for it. It’s just very – it’s so awful. It’s just so awful.”
He added that the sudden loss has left a noticeable gap in public conversations, explaining: “I think about how Rob felt about things that are happening in the country, how involved he was, how much he put himself out there—and to have that voice go quiet in an instant is still hard for me to comprehend.”
