TV legend Carl Reiner dead at 98
SANTA MONICA, CA - AUGUST 03: Carl Reiner attend the special screening and Q&A "Rose Marie: Wait for Your Laugh" at Aero Theatre on August 3, 2017 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by John Wolfsohn/Getty Images)
NEW YORK - Carl Reiner, the ingenious and versatile writer, actor and director who broke through as a “second banana” to Sid Caesar and rose to comedy’s front ranks as creator of “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and straight man to Mel Brooks’ “2000 Year Old Man,” has died. He was 98.
The Bronx native passed at his home in Beverly Hills Monday night surrounded by family, according to industry publication Variety. He died of natural causes.
Reiner was active into his later years even apparently posting tweets about a fellow actor only hours before his death.
Reiner was probably best known for playing the temperamental comedian Alan Brady on The Dick Van Dyke Show. Reiner cast a new actress at the time- Mary Tyler Moore- to play Van Dyke's wife.
“The Van Dyke show is probably the most thrilling of my accomplishments because that was very, very personal,” Reiner once said. “It was about me and my wife, living in New Rochelle and working on the Sid Caesar show."
His acting and directing credits were extensive including roles in "Summer Rental" with John Candy, "Summer School" with Mark Harmon, "That Old Feeling" with Bette Midler and "Sibling Rivalry" with Kirstie Allie and Carie Fisher.
Films he directed included “Oh, God!” starring George Burns and John Denver; “All of Me,” with Steve Martin and Lily Tomlin; and the 1970 comedy “Where’s Poppa?” He was especially proud of his books, including “Enter Laughing,” an autobiographical novel later adapted into a film and Broadway show; and “My Anecdotal Life,” a memoir published in 2003. He recounted his childhood and creative journey in the 2013 book, “I Remember Me.”
At nearly 80 years old, Reiner shared the screen with some of Hollywood's biggest stars in 2001′s “Ocean’s Eleven,” opposite George Clooney and Brad Pitt. He continued to appear in 'Ocean's' sequels and had a long string of guest-staring credits in TV shows.
Reiner and his wife, Estelle, were parents to three children including actor and director Rob Reiner.
HOLLYWOOD, CA - APRIL 07: Carl Reiner and Rob Reiner are honored with Hand and Footprint Ceremony, part of the 2017 TCM Classic Film Festival at TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX on April 7, 2017 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMa
With the Associated Press