Carl Reiner has spent over half a century in show business working as an actor, director, producer, writer, novelist, recording artist and comedian. He began his acting career in Broadway musicals and in 1950 was cast in Sid Caesar's Your Show of Shows, appearing on air in skits while also working alongside writers Mel Brooks and Neil Simon. In 1959 he developed and starred in the television pilot Head of the Family, based on his experience with Caesar shows, but the network didn't like Reiner in the lead role. In 1961, it was recast and retitled, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and became an iconic series, making stars of lead actors Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore. After it ended its run in 1967, Reiner's first film feature was an adaptation of Joseph's Stein's play Enter Laughing, which in turn was based on Reiner's semi-autobiographical 1958 novel of the same name. He then directed the 1970 cult comedy Where's Poppa? starring George Segal and Oh, God! starring George Burns. Reiner played a large role in the early career of Steve Martin directing and co-writing four films for the comedian: The Jerk in 1979, Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid in 1982, The Man with Two Brains in 1983, and All of Me in 1984. He has been awarded nine Emmy Awards, has been inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame, is one of only a handful of recipients of the prestigious Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor and is an honoree of The Paley Center for Media. As a recording artist, he created the infamous 2000 Year Old Man character, and with Mel Brooks, recorded the Grammy Award winning album "2000 Years with Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks".
Carl Reiner, at age 21 married 29 year old Estelle Lebost. Their marriage lasted 64 years until Estelle's death at age 94 in 2008. Estelle is probably best remembered for her one line — "I'll have what she's having" — in the deli scene in their son Rob's 1989 hit, When Harry Met Sally. Their three children include actor-turned-director, Rob Reiner; poet, playwright and author Sylvia Anne Reiner; and painter, actor, and director Lucas Reiner.
Mr. Reiner has penned numerous books including MY ANECDOTAL LIFE, CONTINUE LAUGHING, JUST DESSERTS, and the beautifully illustrated storybooks for children, TELL ME A SILLY STORY and TELL ME A SCARY STORY ... BUT NOT TOO SCARY! both of which hardcover editions are packaged with an audio cd of the book read by the author.
