USA TODAY reports on the court appearance where Nick Reiner appeared briefly.
Nick Reiner made his first court appearance in Los Angeles, charged with murdering his parents Rob Reiner and Michelle Singer Reiner.
Gerry O’Connell has paid a touching tribute to the man who launched his career.
The 51-year-old actor appeared on CBS’ Rob Reiner special, which aired on December 21, and gave a powerful insight into what the late director meant to him. Reiner directed the first film of O’Connell’s career, 1986’s “Stand by Me.”
In the “Rob Reiner – A Lifetime” special, O’Connell broke down in tears while talking about Reiner’s kindness.
“Rob Reiner heard I was in Los Angeles and took me out to lunch,” he said. “He didn’t have to do that. You know what I’m saying? It’s been a few months since the movie came out, and he’s been a busy guy. He took me out to lunch when I was 12 years old, just to say, ‘Thank you so much.’
In a choked voice, he added, “That lunch meant a lot to me. It’s all about the things I want my kids to hear.”
Elsewhere in the special, O’Connell described Reiner as “the greatest director of all time” and said, “I owe everything in my life to being on ‘Stand by Me,'” and recalled how Reiner encouraged him to be himself on set.
O’Connell starred as Vern in the classic coming-of-age film Stand by Me, co-starring Wil Wheaton, Corey Feldman, and River Phoenix. He was 11 years old when he shot this film, and this was his film debut.
O’Connell previously told People magazine in 2017 that making “Stand by Me” was “one of the best experiences of my life,” adding, “We spent a summer just walking around in the woods and goofing around. Rob was really good at rehearsing with us. I didn’t even know we were rehearsing. I thought we were playing a game.”
Mr. Reiner, who also directed a string of classic films including “When Harry Met Sally” and “The Princess Bride,” was found dead in his California home with his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, on December 14. Their son, Nick Reiner, 32, was charged with murder in connection with their deaths.
There was an outpouring of grief in Hollywood following the death. O’Connell previously shared a throwback childhood photo of herself and Reiner on Instagram, writing: “I love you, Rob. From the bottom of my heart.” The actor also reflected on Reiner’s influence on his life on “CBS Mornings” last week.
“He was like a father to me,” he said. “It’s just surreal.”
The CBS special also featured a number of other interviews with Reiner’s past collaborators, including “The Princess Bride” star Mandy Patinkin. After seeing the film for the first time, Patinkin broke down in tears as he recalled telling Reiner that he “never dreamed I would be able to be in something like this” and that Reiner “gave me that dream.”
Reiner was honored again over the weekend during the Christmas episode of “Saturday Night Live.” Near the end of the show, photos of the actors and director appeared on the screen. Reiner became the third host of “SNL” in October 1975.
