Carl Reiner, Who Always Left Them Laughing, Dies at 98

After starting out with Sid Caesar, he did the ‘2000 Year Old Man’ routine with pal Mel Brooks, created ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show’ and directed such films as ‘The Jerk.’

Carl Reiner, the quintessential straight man for Sid Caesar and Mel Brooks who based the beloved sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show on his own life and jump-started Steve Martin’s big-screen career, has died, his assistant Judy Nagy confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 98.

The influential writer, director, actor, author and 12-time Emmy Award winner died Monday night at his Beverly Hills home of natural causes, Nagy said.

Son Rob Reiner, the actor, writer, director and Oscar-nominated producer, said in a tweet Tuesday morning: “Last night my dad passed away. As I write this my heart is hurting. He was my guiding light.”