The pastrami sandwiches at Katz’s Delicatessen are iconic, but Meg Ryan’s impassioned exclamations at the deli in “When Harry Met Sally” may be even more iconic.
That scene from the 1989 rom-com is immortalized forever, not only by a sign hanging above “their table” in Katz’s Delicatessen, but by the countless references to the film and that scene in subsequent pieces of entertainment. It even made its way to a Super Bowl ad last year, and it is just one of the many ways the entertainment industry will remember Rob Reiner.
The 78-year-old filmmaker and actor was found dead alongside his wife, Michele, in their Brentwood home Sunday.
In the wake of this news, Katz’s Deli owner Jake Dell spoke about his experiences with Reiner filming “When Harry Met Sally.”
“Rob Reiner really was a friend of Katz’s Deli in so many ways,” Dell said to The Hollywood Reporter. “The staff and everyone at Katz’s, we all just remember him very fondly and have all these amazing memories.
Dell’s family has owned the iconic eatery for five generations, it’s a place everyone who visits New York has on their list of must-sees, but Reiner made it feel just like any other neighborhood deli.
“He was a regular customer who would come in whenever he was in town — a Brooklyn guy who would come and grab a sandwich,” said Dell.
Reiner was featured in a “60 Minutes” episode earlier this year where he spoke about directing that scene in the deli with Meg Ryan. At first, Reiner didn’t feel that Ryan was going far enough, so he stepped in…
“I’m pounding the table, ‘Yes! Yes! Yes!’ And I’m realizing I’m having an orgasm in front of my mother, you know? There’s my mother over there,” Reiner told “60 Minutes.”
His mother played the older woman who wants what Ryan’s character Sally is having.
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The “60 Minutes” episode reflects on Reiner’s decades-long career, but it was largely meant to promote his latest film “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues,” which came out in September. His career is now book-ended by Spinal Tap. The original 1984 film, “This is Spinal Tap,” was Reiner’s directorial debut and shot him to fame when people found out it was created with no script.
Robert and Michele were found by their 28-year-old daughter, Romy Reiner. The couple’s son, Nick, has been charged with two counts of murder in connection with their deaths.
Nick Reiner has been open about his struggles with addiction. He previously said he was in and out of rehab and addiction treatment centers starting at just 15 years old. Nick and his father worked together on his semi-autobiographical film “Being Charlie,”which follows a troubled teen who struggles to have a relationship with his famous father.
Reiner leaves behind a legacy of great films, many have stood the test of time like “The Princess Bride,” “Stand By Me” and (of course) “When Harry Met Sally.” His films already hold a special place in the hearts of many and they will continue to do so long after his death.
“It’s amazing that we’re still talking about it nearly 40 years later,” says Dell, “That’s incredible, in and of itself. There aren’t that many movies that stand the test of time like that. So, for this movie and this one particular scene to still be relevant and still hold weight for so many people is special for the creators of the movie. We’re just lucky to be a part of that.”
