NEWSMel Brooks Reflects on Heartbreaking Final Night With Carl Reiner Before His Passing
Mel Brooks opened up about the final moments he spent with pal Carl Reiner in a new documentary.
Jan. 16 2026, Published 3:35 p.m. ET
Mel Brooks shares a poignant memory in the new HBO documentary Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! about being with his dear friend and collaborator Carl Reiner on the night he passed away in 2020.
“I just didn't want him to go. I just couldn't — I wouldn't accept it,” Brooks recalls as he describes the moment Reiner collapsed in the bathroom of his Beverly Hills home. “I loved him so much.”
Mel Brooks shared an emotional memory of Carl Reiner’s final night together.
Rob Reiner, Carl's son, who passed away in December 2025, said, “I always thought even though Mel was only like four years younger than my dad, I think he looked to my dad as a father figure.”
The Reiner family has faced immense tragedy in recent years. But during the final moments of patriarch Carl's life, Mel was right by his side.
The story appears in the new HBO documentary about Mel Brooks’ life and career.
In the documentary, which premieres on January 22, Mel recounts the last night he spent with Carl. The duo worked together for nearly seven decades, growing closer after their respective spouses passed away — Estelle Reiner in 2008 and Anne Bancroft in 2005.
“Mel was there when my dad died,” confirmed Rob in the film. Carl passed away at his home in Beverly Hills in June 2020. Tragically, Rob and his wife, Michele, were found dead in their California home the following December 2025.
Mel Brooks recalled being by Carl Reiner’s side when he suddenly collapsed at home.
“He just collapsed in the bathroom, and Mel came back and realized, 'Uh oh, something's wrong,'” Rob explained in an interview recorded before his death, noting that his father died shortly after collapsing.
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Mel vividly remembers the scene, recalling, “I was still hoping that they would put the stuff on him and boom, get him up. I kept yelling at them, 'Keep it up, keep it up,' and they thought I was crazy after an hour of yelling.”
With a heavy heart, Mel expresses, “I just didn't want him to go. I just couldn't — I wouldn't accept it. I loved him so much.”
The remarkable friendship between Carl and Mel began in 1950 on the set of the NBC variety series Your Show of Shows. Together, they created the iconic “2000 Year Old Man” sketch, which led to several comedy albums over the years. In 1998, they earned a Grammy for The 2000 Year Old Man in the Year 2000.
The pair's friendship spanned nearly 70 years.
Following Carl’s death, Mel continued to honor their bond.
Rob recalls, “After my father died, he would come to the house, sit there, watch television and have dinner, and he did that for months. He was that close to my dad, where he wanted to be close to him even when my dad was gone… I always thought even though Mel was only like four years younger than my dad, I think he looked to my dad as a father figure.”
In a touching tribute, Carl praised Mel, stating, “Whatever he decides to do, when he decides to do it, it was going to work. He hates the word genius... and I use the word genius not lightly. I understand the word. Genius has to not only produce something really good, but a volume of it. And Mel, look at the volume he has produced. And if somebody wants to argue, they can, but they won't win.”
