In a heartfelt tribute, Jerry O’Connell expressed deep sorrow over the loss of Rob Reiner, the esteemed director of Stand by Me, following the tragic news of Reiner’s passing. Appearing on the December 15 episode of CBS Mornings, O’Connell, at 51, confessed to being in a state of “shock” upon learning that Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, had been found dead in their Los Angeles residence.

During the interview, O’Connell described Reiner as a paternal figure, saying, “I don’t mean any disrespect to my parents who are still with us, but Rob was like a father to me.” He added, “It’s just surreal,” underscoring the profound impact Reiner had on his life and career.

O’Connell recounted the unsettling way the tragic news emerged on Sunday, December 14, noting how details about the couple’s demise “sort of trickled out.” Initially, TMZ reported that two individuals—a man and a woman—were discovered deceased at Reiner’s Brentwood home. While the victims were not immediately identified, their ages corresponded with those of Rob and Michele.

Hollywood is collectively mourning the loss of Rob Reiner, a celebrated director, and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, who were found dead in their home on December 14. According to TMZ, both had “suffered lacerations consistent with a knife.” As the heartbreaking news spread, the Reiner family released a statement late Sunday, expressing their grief and asking for privacy during this difficult time.

Hollywood is mourning the loss of acclaimed director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner. The couple were found dead inside their home in Brentwood, Los Angeles, on Sunday, December 14, with TMZ reporting that Rob, 78, and Michele “suffered lacerations consistent with a knife.” Rob and Michele’s family broke their silence late Sunday […]

A spokesperson for the family later confirmed their “sudden” deaths in a statement to Variety.

Multiple outlets reported that the pair’s son Nick Reiner was a person of interest in the case, with a source telling Us Weekly there was speculation about a family member’s role in Rob and Michele’s deaths. The Los Angeles Police Department Parker City Jail told Us on Monday that Nick is in custody. His bail is set at $4 million.

While reflecting on Rob’s legacy on the CBS morning show, O’Connell looked back on filming the 1986 movie Stand by Me, which also starred Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix and Corey Feldman.

“I worked with [Rob] when I was 11, and at that point in my life, you know, I wasn’t getting into trouble criminally, but I was always getting in trouble for speaking out loud in class and not being able to keep my mouth shut. My mother would always say, ‘Sit on your hands and shut up.’ … And I got to that set of Stand by Me and I ad-libbed a scene one day early on in shooting and he was like, ‘Cut! Jerry!’ And I thought, ‘Oh boy, here we go. Why didn’t I sit on my hands and shut up?’” O’Connell recalled. “And he went, ‘Hey, Jerry, keep going, man. That’s what I’m talking about right there. Go, more.’”

The actor summed up Rob’s impact on his life with one simple message. “I’m not making a joke, I know my house is dark, [but] everything I have is because of Rob Reiner. … It’s just a sad, shocking day,” he said.

Rob Reiner‘s daughter Tracy Reiner is speaking out after the director and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead in their home on Sunday, December 14. “I came from the greatest family ever,” Tracy, 61, told NBC News. “I don’t know what to say. I’m in shock.” Tracy — who was adopted by Rob […]

O’Connell also pointed out that as the son of “huge comedy star” Carl Reiner, Rob was an early Hollywood “nepo baby” — but he “did the work.”

“I can tell you as someone who worked with him, it was someone who had done the work and he had so much experience by the time he was directing Stand by Me … He would just feed us lines and new lines that weren’t written, ad-libbed lines, and that was just from hundreds of hours of television, thousands of hours of working there,” O’Connell said. “The guy did the work.”

Along with his televised tribute, O’Connell shared a throwback photo of himself and the filmmaker from the set of Stand by Me via Instagram. “Love you, Rob. Sincerely,” he wrote.