Carl Reiner, American comedy pioneer, dead at 98

By
Reuters
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LOS ANGELES: Carl Reiner, a driving force in American comedy as a writer for television pioneer Sid Caesar, partner of Mel Brooks and creator and co-star of the classic sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show, has died at age 98 of natural causes, his assistant said on Tuesday.

His career spanned seven decades and every medium from theater and recordings to television and movies, including directing Oh, God!, three collaborations with Steve Martin and a role as an elderly con man in the revived Ocean’s Eleven series.

Reiner passed away on Monday night at his home in Beverly Hills, his assistant Judy Nagy told Reuters on Tuesday.

He was still taking voice roles in his 90s and had a key role in If You’re Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast, a documentary about people who keep busy into their 90s.

Reiner is survived by three children, including Rob Reiner, director of several hit movies and known for playing Archie Bunker’s son-in-law Meathead in the hit TV comedy All in the Family. Reiner’s wife of 64 years, Estelle, died in 2008.

Rob Reiner on Twitter mourned his father’s passing, saying, “As I write this my heart is hurting... He was my guiding light.”

His father was also active on Twitter. His final tweet on Monday was in praise of British playwright and composer Noel Coward, whom he lauded as “the single most prolific writer of musical comedies, plays, songs and films.”

Tributes to Reiner poured in from across the show business spectrum.

Comedian Sarah Silverman noted the comedy legend’s accomplishments as well as his generosity. “Never left his house empty handed - book, space pen, Swiss Army knife. RIP to a man that embodies the word mensch,” she wrote on Twitter.