Billy Crystal reflects on friend Rob Reiner's prolific legacy after his tragic death

Billy Crystal and more prominent figures are mourning the tragic deaths of Rob Reiner and Michelle Singer Reiner!

Two days after the Spinal Tap director and his wife were found dead at their home in LA, Billy released a joint statement with his wife Janice Crystal, Martin Short, Larry David, Albert Brooks, Marc Shaiman, and Barry Levinson.

In a lengthy statement provided to the Associated Press on December 16, Rob's friends reflected on the late filmmaker’s prolific legacy.

“Going to the movies in a dark theater filled with strangers having a common experience, laughing, crying, screaming in fear, or watching an intense drama unfold is still an unforgettable thrill. Tell us a story audiences demand of us,” the statement began.

“Absorbing all he had learned from his father Carl [Reiner] and his mentor Norman Lear, Rob Reiner not only was a great comic actor, he became a master story teller," the statement continued. "There is no other director who has his range. From comedy to drama to ‘mockumentary’ to documentary he was always at the top of his game. He charmed audiences. They trusted him. They lined up to see his films."

Calling Rob “a great comic actor," the filmmaker's friends added, “For the actors, he loved them. For the writers he made them better. His greatest gift was freedom. If you had an idea, he listened, he brought you into the process. They always felt they were working as a team. To be in his hands as a film maker was a privilege but that is only part of his legacy."

“There is a line from one of Rob’s favorite films, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’ ‘Each man’s life touches so many other lives, and when he isn’t around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?’ You have no idea," the statement concluded.

For those unversed, Rob and his wife Michelle were found unresponsive at their home in LA on December 14.