Carl Reiner is the writer and producer who created “The Dick Van Dyke Show” (1961-66), in which he played the star’s tyrannical boss, Alan Brady. Before that, Reiner had made a name for himself on the New York stage and in Sid Caesar’s “Your Show of Shows” (1950-54) and “Caesar’s Hour: (1954-57), where he won two Emmy Awards for his work as a comic actor.
Reiner has had success in feature films also, directing comedies including “Enter Laughing” (1966-67, based on his autobiographical book and starring Alan Arkin), “Oh, God” (1977) and four movies with Steve Martin: “The Jerk” (1979), “Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid” (1982), “The Man With Two Brains” (1983) and “All of Me” (1984). Reiner is also known for his long-running comedy routine with Mel Brooks, “The 2,000 Year-Old Man,” which they continue to perform to this day.
In 2008, Reiner lost his wife after 64 years of marriage. She was 94 years old, and best remembered for her one-line in their son Rob’s hit movie, “When Harry Met Sally,” when she said, “I’ll have what she’s having!”
As he approaches his 88th birthday, Carl says he’s still going strong and his passion helps keep his mind alert. He talks about his legendary career and his flourishing writing career, including his latest book for children, “Tell Me Another Scary Story.”