Seth Meyers broke format on Late Night with Seth Meyers Monday night to memorialize Rob Reiner, who was killed alongside his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, at their Los Angeles home this weekend.
Abandoning jokes entirely for more than seven minutes, Meyers spoke plainly and at length, reflecting on Reiner’s life, his work, and the qualities that defined him both professionally and personally.
To illustrate Reiner’s reputation as a collaborator, Meyers shared an anecdote from Norman Lear’s 100th birthday celebration. When Lear struggled to answer a question about how his career began, Reiner—long associated with Lear through All in the Family—prompted him from the back of the room, steering him into a series of familiar stories that energized the gathering.
“Rob had this reputation for getting the best out of people,” Meyers said, adding that Reiner “loved being an audience, and he loved making things for an audience,” often laughing hardest at stories he already knew.
Reiner’s most recent late-night appearance came in September, when he visited Late Night with Seth Meyers for the first time. Referencing that appearance, Meyers said he “could have talked to him for hours” about his work and career.
The segment also turned briefly to President Trump’s social media post following the killings, which Meyers criticized for lacking basic humanity and for injecting politics into the immediate aftermath of the tragedy.
Meyers closed by returning to Reiner’s creative impact, recalling watching This Is Spinal Tap as a child and realizing what comedy could be. He ended the segment by offering condolences to the Reiner family and thanking viewers for allowing him the time to speak.
Watch the full segment at the top of this post.
Beautiful and heartfelt tribute to the Reiners.