The Princess Bride star Cary Elwes took to social media today to pen a heartfelt tribute to late director Rob Reiner and wife Michele Reiner, both of whom were allegedly killed by their son Nick Reiner earlier this month.
“Enough time has passed that I can finally put my grief into words. I was 24 when I first met Rob Reiner on The Princess Bride. And from that very first meeting I fell in love with him. I was already a fan of his work so meeting him in person was a dream come true. As we began spending more time together I knew this was someone I wanted in my life. I also knew that by casting me as Westley he was giving me the keys to the castle,” he began.
Elwes, who was joined by his co-stars in sharing touching tributes to the filmmaker shortly after his death, continued: “The first thing I noticed about Rob was that he wore his heart on his sleeve. This was a man who felt deeply. Whose heart was filled with love and compassion.”
“He used to say, ‘Once the movie is released it belongs to other people. But while you are making it, that’s your time on the planet, so you wanna make it good.’ And boy was my time with him on The Princess Bride beyond great,” the actor added. “I can’t remember a single day without laughter. The movie is about love, loyalty and sacrifice. Things that Rob held dear. Which is among the many reasons he was the perfect person to direct it.”
Elsewhere in the post (below), Elwes praised the couple’s dedication to philanthropy and “helping those who were marginalized. In a town where many talk the talk, they truly walked it. Whenever we got together we would talk about family, life, movies and politics. But without fail Rob would always find a way to make us laugh. That was important to him. Finding the joy.”
He concluded in the post, which featured behind-the-scenes footage from the 1987 romantic adventure comedy film and an anniversary conversation between himself, director Rob Reiner and co-star Robin Wright: “And if I could make him laugh in return, I felt like I had won the lottery. His laugh was one of the greatest sounds I’ve ever known — so heartfelt it still rings in my ears. Thank you Rob and Michele for sharing your life and art with us. Because my heart still aches every time I think of you, I know the grief of losing you too soon will likely never go away. Sure, death cannot stop true love but life is pain without you. ⚔️💔”
