Carl Reiner ‘Never Could Have Survived’ Rob Reiner’s Murder

Mel Brooks is “glad” his late best friend Carl Reiner did not live long enough to have to cope with the murder of his son Rob Reiner.

At the Los Angeles premiere of the two-part HBO documentary Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! on Jan. 20, the legendary filmmaker, 99, briefly reflected on the death of Rob, who was allegedly killed by his son Nick, along with his wife Michele Singer Reiner, in December.

At a Q&A following the premiere at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in L.A., moderator Judd Apatow, who co-directed the documentary with Michael Bonfiglio, told Brooks that “many people” have cited him and Carl — and specifically, their famous “2000 Year Old Man” comedy sketches — as their reason for pursuing careers in comedy.

In response, Brooks said, “Oh, very sweet. Anyway, Carl, with what’s happened, I’m glad that he passed away when he did.” He added, “I mean, he never could have survived this terrible, terrible thing,” the Young Frankenstein director added, referring to Rob’s untimely death.

Brooks also shared a few more words about his close friendship with Carl, who died in 2020 at age 98.

“I loved him. I loved Carl,” Brooks said. “And I used to really… There was no fake laughter. I used to really break him up. He’d grab his belly and sometimes he’d fall down.”

Carl, the documentary subject added moments later, was the “sweetest guy that ever lived.”

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Brooks also reflects on Carl’s death in The 99 Year Old Man!, along with Rob, who sat down for an interview for the documentary before his death on Dec. 14 at age 78.

“Mel was there when my dad died,” Rob said of Brooks, who spent nearly every evening at Carl’s house following the deaths of their wives in the 2000s. (Carl’s wife Estelle Reiner died in 2008, and Brooks’ second wife, Anne Bancroft, died in 2005.)

“He just collapsed in the bathroom,” Rob recalled of his father, “and Mel came back and realized, ‘Uh oh, something’s wrong.’ ”

Remembering the moment himself in the documentary, Brooks says, “I was still hoping that they would put the stuff on him and boom, get him up. I kept yelling at them, ‘Keep it up, keep it up,’ and they thought I was crazy after an hour of yelling.”

“I just didn’t want him to go. I just couldn’t — I wouldn’t accept it,” Brooks added of his late best friend. “I loved him so much.”

Rob also remembered watching how his father’s death affected Brooks in the new documentary, which premieres Jan. 22 and 23.

“After my father died, he would come to the house, sit there, watch television and have dinner, and he did that for months,” the late Princess Bride director recalled. (TV dinners and movies were a staple evening activity for Carl and Brooks after the deaths of their wives.)

Brooks’ frequent visits following his friend’s death, Rob said, were a testament to the strength of their bond.

“He was that close to my dad, where he kept… he wanted to be close to him even when my dad was gone,” Rob said. He added, “I always thought even though Mel was only like four years younger than my dad, I think he looked to my dad as a father figure.”

Brooks says he keeps his tie to Carl alive by having dinner with Carl’s daughter Annie “once a month, once a week.”

The first part of Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! premieres at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Jan. 22 on HBO, and the second part premieres at the same time on Jan. 23. Both parts will be available to stream on HBO Max on Jan. 22.