AARP Hearing Center
Donna Freydkin has spent 10-plus years interviewing celebrities for major publications, and has written for a variety of outlets such as USA Today, Allure, Yahoo! and CNN covering topics such as films, family and favorite meals.
Billy Crystal, 78, on Grieving Friend Rob Reiner: ‘It’s Too Big’
The pair made three films together. Now the comedian is finding comfort in a show the director helped name
2-minute read
Rob Reiner and Billy Crystal, seen here on Sept. 9, 2025, in Los Angeles, were longtime friends and frequent collaborators.
Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images
Key takeaways
- Billy Crystal and Rob Reiner met in 1975, starting a friendship that lasted five decades.
- Crystal’s new Broadway show, 860, opens Oct. 21 and takes its name from the address of his former home.
- Reiner helped choose the title of Crystal’s new Broadway show, which the actor says has helped him cope with his losses.
Rob Reiner helped Billy Crystal choose the title of his new Broadway show. Now, Crystal, 78, says that performing it has helped him cope with the loss of his home and one of his closest friends.
In an interview that aired Oct. 11 on CBS Sunday Morning, Crystal spoke about Reiner and his wife, Michele, who were killed in their Los Angeles home in December 2025.
More Ways to Benefit
- Related Benefit 1
- Related Benefit 2
- Related Benefit 3
- Related Benefit 4
- Related Benefit 5
“No, it’s too big,” he said. “It’s so insane, because we were together the night before. We said goodbye, like, late that night, 10:30 or something, at the party we were at together for the holidays, and then … what?!”
The two met in 1975 on the set of the TV show All in the Family, according to People. Reiner went on to direct Crystal in the films This Is Spinal Tap (1984), The Princess Bride (1987) and When Harry Met Sally (1989).
Finding support after a loss
Grief can disrupt sleep, diminish appetite and leave people less interested in socializing, Dr. Adam Rosenbluth writes in his AARP column. He suggests therapy or a support group, which a local hospital, hospice organization or community center may offer. Read his advice on how grief can affect your health and where to find support.
Crystal’s new one-person show, 860, takes its name from the street address of the Pacific Palisades home he shared with his wife, Janice. The house burned down in January 2025. When Crystal was weighing titles, he ran his choices by Reiner.
“He went, ‘That’s the one. I love that. I like that,’” Crystal recalled.
The show, now in previews, opens Oct. 21 on a set that recreates Crystal’s home office. He was asked in the CBS interview whether 860 could help him heal.
“It already has, ’cause I’m doing it, and I’ve been doing it,” he said. “I’ve absorbed the biggest pains that people couldn’t go through — the loss of home, dearest of friends. And I’m OK.”
Asked how he finds humor in painful experiences, Crystal said: “It’s a healer. It always has been that way. You know, we say when life gets tough, all you can do is laugh.”
Despite his losses, Crystal said on CBS that he still looks forward to what comes next.
“I’m 78 now, and I feel really good,” he said, “and I’m optimistic for what life is going to bring. And if we’ve gotten through this in the way that we’ve gotten through it, we’re doing OK.”
More From AARP
Ben Affleck, 54, on What He Won’t Put Off
Two deaths two months apart brought a new urgency to the time he has left with loved ones
Pierce Brosnan, 73, Breaks Out of the Bond Mold
His ‘MobLand’ role has been liberating, and he still has a romantic lead on his wish list
Alan Alda, 90, on Life With Parkinson’s
Putting socks on by himself was cause to celebrate for the ‘M*A*S*H’ actor