Iconic Comedian Carl Reiner Dead at 98

Carl Reiner, the man who entertained millions of people around the world as a writer, producer, actor and director over several decades, died Monday at 98, TMZ reported Tuesday morning.

Reiner was with his family at his home in Beverly Hills, California, when he passed away from natural causes, according to the report.

His son, writer, director, Rob Reiner, took to Twitter Tuesday morning to mourn his father's passing.

"Last night my dad passed away," Reiner wrote. "As I write this my heart is hurting. He was my guiding light."

Born in The Bronx, New York in 1922, the iconic comedian was nominated for 17 Primetime Emmy Awards with ten wins over the course of his career. He won seven awards for his work as one of the writers and creators of "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1999.

Reiner first developed his interest in writing and performing after attending a government-funded drama class sponsored by the Works Progress Administration. Reiner credited the program in helping him decide to pursue a career in comedy, joking that President Franklin D. Roosevelt was one of the people who'd helped him break into show business.

He was also a talented director responsible for comedy hits like "The Jerk" with Steve Martin in 1979 and "Oh God" starring George Burns in 1977. Reiner also sold millions of comedy albums acting as the straight man to Mel Brooks' 2000 Year Old Man and was also known for writing novels, children's books and memoirs.

He first came to prominence as a regular cast member of Sid Caesar's "Your Show of Shows,'' where he won two Emmys in 1956 and 1957 in the supporting category. During his time with Caesar, he met another legendary comedian, Mel Brooks, and the two went on to have a long-running friendship and comedy partnership.

He was also known for "The Dick Van Dyke Show," which he wrote and produced with producer Sheldon Leonard, ran for five seasons and won 15 Emmys before Reiner and company decided to end the show.

Hollywood mourned the loss of the iconic comedian, as dozens of celebrities took to social media to express their condolences and what Reiner meant to them and their careers.

Even later in life, Reiner refused to slow down and avoided retirement. He took a role in 2001's "Ocean's Eleven" opposite George Clooney and Brad Pitt when he was 79-years-old and later appeared in both sequels. He was also known for his voice work in shows like "Family Guy," "American Dad," "King of the Hill" and "Bob's Burgers."

Reiner's wife Estelle, who he had been married to for more than 60 years, died in 2008. He's survived by writer, director Rob Reiner, his daughter Sylvia Anne and son Lucas.

Photo: Getty Images


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