• Carl Reiner died at the age of 98 on Monday night of natural causes.
  • Reiner is best known for his decades-long work in comedy that included creating “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and directing movies like “Oh God” and “The Jerk.”
  • Reiner also played the character Saul Bloom in the “Ocean’s Eleven” franchise.
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Carl Reiner – the writer, producer, director, and actor who over decades was one of the most groundbreaking figures in comedy – died on Monday night.

Reiner died of natural causes at his home in Beverly Hills, according to TMZ. Variety confirmed the news from Reiner’s assistant, Judy Nagy.

Over his career that spanned seven decades, Reiner won nine Emmys, was the creator of “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” and played the memorable Saul Bloom character in the “Ocean’s Eleven” franchise in the early 2000s.

Reiner first gained notice in the 1950s when he wrote and acted for the TV show “Your Show of Shows” starring Sid Caesar. That notice (and Emmy wins) led to his friendship with fellow comedy legend Mel Brooks. The two formed a successful comedy duo and created the popular “2000 Year Old Man” comedy sketches through the 1960s.

The Jerk Univerasl Getty

Foto: (L-R) Steve Martin and Carl Reiner on the set of "The Jerk." Source: Universal/Getty

Reiner also directed hit comedy movies like "Oh God" (starring George Burns) and "The Jerk," which started a string of Steve Martin movies he would direct, including "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid," "The Man with Two Brains," and "All of Me."

Through the 1980s and 1990s, he also appeared on TV shows like "Frasier," "Mad About You," "Two and a Half Men" and "Hot in Cleveland."

When social media started up Reiner became a presence on Twitter, showing that even in his 90s he still displayed his comedic wit. He also used the platform to speak out about social injustice.

Like this tweet in 2017:

And days ago, he was pictured wearing a Black Lives Matter shirt with his daughter Sylvia Anne and Mel Brooks at Brooks' 94th birthday party:

Reiner was born in the Bronx, New York, in 1922 and studied acting in his youth including performing in summer stock. He entered the Army during World War II and after that found work on Broadway, leading to his career in entertainment.

Reiner's wife, Estelle, died in 2008. He's survived by his son, director Rob Reiner, his other son, Lucas, and daughter, Sylvia Anne.

Rob Reiner sent out this tweet about the loss of his father on Tuesday:

And reactions from Hollywood are pouring in through Twitter on the loss of this legend: