Rob Reiner was awarded Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance as Albert in “The Bear” at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards Sunday.
This is the late actor’s third Emmy Award, but his first in nearly 50 years. Reiner’s first two wins were both for his role as Michael “Meathead” Stivic in “All in the Family.” He was awarded as the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1974 and 1978.
The posthumous award comes months after he and his wife Michele Reiner were found dead with stabbing wounds in a double homicide this past December. Their son Nick Reiner has pleaded not guilty to the crimes, but he was charged with two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances. Nick Reiner is set to appear in court next on Sept. 15.
Reiner appeared as a guest actor in the fourth season of “The Bear” as Albert Schnurr, a businessman who helps Ebraheim (Edwin Lee Gibson) formulate a new strategy for the titular restaurant’s beef sandwich window. His advice helped inpsire Ebra to pitch the idea to franchise the Beef, which became a key storyline of the final season.
Though Reiner did not appear in the fifth and final season of “The Bear,” the FX series subtly paid tribute to the guest star in its finale which aired earlier this summer.
It is unclear whether Reiner would have reprised his role for Season 5 prior to his death, but Ebra calls Albert in the finale to share the news that he will actually franchise the Beef. At the end of the call, Ebra says “as you wish,” referencing Reiner’s iconic film “The Princess Bride.”
The Emmys will have another chance to recognize Reiner during next year’s awards season, as the actor appeared in HBO’s Larry David and Jeff Schaffer historical sketch series “Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness” in a guest appearance as George Washington.
The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will air Monday, Sept. 14 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. Reiner will likely be honored in the In Memoriam segment of the televised program.
