Billy Crystal Details Final Conversation with Rob Reiner Ahead of His Death: ‘Profound Loss for Humanity’

Billy Crystal is opening up about his late best friend Rob Reiner, who was found stabbed to death, alongside his wife Michelle Singer Reiner, in their California home last December.

Crystal — who starred in Reiner’s famous 1989 classic When Harry Met Sally — reflected on his late friend while appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Tuesday, April 14, describing Rob as “hilarious,” “devoted” and “opinionated in the best way.”

“Fighting for the truth for our country. And the greatest comedy taste. We could talk about everything. He was an uncle to my kids. It’s, you know, there’s so many moments that when something good happens … I want to pick up the phone,” Crystal, 78, said in a clip shared on the show’s YouTube channel.

Rob and Michelle were confirmed dead on December 14, just one day after Crystal spent time with the couple and their Hollywood pals at a holiday party hosted by Conan O’Brien.

The late couple’s son Nick Reiner is awaiting trial and is being held at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles. He pleaded not guilty on Monday, February 23, to two counts of first-degree murder for their deaths.

Crystal went on to call Rob’s passing a loss felt far beyond his inner circle.

“It’s a profound loss for humanity because he was the most human person that I ever met,” he shared.

Crystal also discussed the tribute that took place for the Reiners at this year’s Academy Awards, which was hosted by O’Brien. Crystal confirmed he came up with the idea to reunite cast members from some of Rob’s most iconic films, including Stand By Me, This is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride, and more.

The idea stemmed from what would become one of Crystal’s final conversations with Rob.

“And we had spent the night before together and talking about our careers together,” Crystal said during his appearance. “It was Conan’s Christmas party, we were talking about the movie business and how it’s changed and how people don’t go to theaters like they used to.”

“And we talked about the fact that you can’t control how a movie is going to do. What you can control is the experience of making it. And the experiences that we had together and that he had with his casts of his other movies were so extraordinary,” he added. “He said that’s something you always have. Hits are great to have but it’s the people that you hold onto. So I kept that in my heart and I called Conan shortly after, and I said, I have an idea for a tribute to them.”