“He’s in a really good place,” the director said in a resurfaced interview from September, just three months before Nick would be accused of murdering his parents.
A few months before Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, were tragically murdered, the beloved director had given a positive update on their son, Nick, regarding his years-long battle with addiction.
32-year-old Nick Reiner is suspected of killing parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, over the weekend. They were found dead on Sunday afternoon, before Nick was arrested on Sunday night. On Monday, the Los Angeles DA announced he’ll be charged with two counts of first-degree murder, which comes with a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, or even the death penalty.
In a resurfaced interview with NPR’s Fresh Air in September, Rob shared that he thought his son was doing well.
“He’s been great … hasn’t been doing drugs for over six years,” he said at the time. “He’s in a really good place.”
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During his conversation with NPR, Rob — who was promoting Spinal Tap II: The End Continues — also looked back at the 2015 film, Being Charlie, which he and Nick worked on together, and Rob directed. The semi-autobiographical film focused on Nick’s real-life struggles with heroin addiction and homelessness. Nick co-wrote it with a friend from rehab, with Nick Robinson playing a version of Nick, the titular Charlie Mills, in the project. Cary Elwes — who starred in Rob’s The Princess Bride — played Charlie’s father, David Mills.
Rob noted that a difference between his and Nick’s father-son relationship in real life and that on-screen was that he always made time for his son, despite his own career goals.
“I was never, ever too busy,” Rob explained at the time. “I mean, if anything, I was the other way, you know, I was more hands-on and trying to do whatever I thought I could do to help. I’m sure I made mistakes and, you know, I’ve talked about that with him since.”
This is just one of the now-several interviews of the When Harry Met Sally director’s that have resurfaced following his and his wife’s murders.
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Being Charlie ends with an apology from the father for how he may have treated his son’s addiction at times, while emphasizing that he does love him. Charlie replies by saying he doesn’t “hate” his dad before hugging him, telling him “take good care” of himself and then leaving.
The apology was something Rob did in real life too.
“When Nick would tell us that it wasn’t working for him, we wouldn’t listen. We were desperate and because the people had diplomas on their wall, we listened to them when we should have been listening to our son,” The Princess Bride director told the L.A. Times at a dinner with his family, including Nick, who said he was sober at the time.
Michele then added: “We were so influenced by these people. They would tell us he’s a liar, that he was trying to manipulate us. And we believed them.”
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Rob and Michele Reiner were tragically found dead on Sunday. Reiner was 78, his wife was 68. According to TMZ, one of the couple’s daughters found them dead from apparent stab wounds last night, telling police a family member killed them. Nick was later arrested.
Many stars took to social media to share heartfelt tributes to the couple, including Nick Robinson, who, as previously mentioned, played Nick’s character in Being Charlie.
“RIP Rob Reiner,” Robinson shared in an Instagram Story on Monday. “He showed me so much kindness and grace as a young actor. An incredible artist with such a capacity for empathy and warmth.”
He also shared a number of photos of the late director in his tribute.
