Zooey Deschanel is speaking out after the death of Rob Reiner, who played her dad on the Fox hit New Girl.
“My heart is broken. Rob Reiner was the absolute warmest, funniest, most generous of spirits,” the actress wrote via Instagram on Monday, December 15. “A truly good human being. An incredible artist and such a playful and fun collaborator. I cherish the time we spent working together and the many films he made that have shaped who I am.”
Deschanel, 45, continued: “Rob and his lovely wife Michele were always so kind and it brought me so much joy any time I was lucky enough to see them. I’m absolutely devastated. Sending so much love to their family and friends. 💔.”
Alongside her tribute, Deschanel included several photos of herself with Reiner on the show’s set. One pic showed Deschanel standing between Reiner and Jamie Lee Curtis, who played her mom. (Deschanel’s character, Jess, famously tried to pull a Parent Trap-style scheme to get her mom and dad back together.)
News broke on Sunday, December 14, that Rob and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were killed in their Los Angeles home.
“It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner,” a spokesperson for the Reiner family told Variety in a statement. “We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time.”
A source told Us Weekly there was speculation that a family member was involved in the incident before the Los Angeles Police Department Parker City Jail confirmed the couple’s son Nick Reiner was arrested. His bail was set at $4 million.
Rob and Michele had been married since 1989. Along with Nick, the couple shared son Jake and daughter Romy. The family made a rare appearance together at the Los Angeles premiere of Spinal Tap II: The End Continues in September.
Before meeting Michele while filming the iconic rom-com When Harry Met Sally, Rob was married to the late Penny Marshall from 1971 to 1981. He adopted her daughter, Tracy Reiner, during their marriage. (Marshall died in 2018 at age 75.)
“I came from the greatest family ever,” Tracy, 61, told NBC News on Sunday, reacting to Rob and Michele’s deaths. “I don’t know what to say. I’m in shock.”
While best known as a prolific movie director, Rob’s acting performances will go down in Hollywood history. Deschanel previously opened up about working alongside legends like him and Curtis, 67, in a 2012 interview.
“I’m really excited … We talked about a bunch of people and these were just beyond my wildest dreams,” she said of the casting for her New Girl parents. “They’re people that I think would be just so perfect. I can’t wait to start shooting with them.”
Showrunner Elizabeth Meriwether was equally starstruck by Rob, telling The Hollywood Reporter in 2012, “Having him on set for the week — I was trying to play it cool, but every time I was around him, I was shaking a little bit! The things that he’s done are so unbelievable. One of those moments where I know I’m gonna be thinking back to this, years from now.”
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