Mandy Patinkin says only one word came to mind after Rob Reiner
Mandy Patinkin has shared his raw and emotional reaction to Rob Reiner‘s death, and it may affect the next time you watch one of your most beloved movies.
On Sunday, News aired “Rob Reiner – Scenes from a Life,” in which celebrities close to the late filmmaker shared stories about Reiner and how he affected their lives.
The legendary director and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead at his home in Brentwood, California, on December 14. His son Nick, 32, was accused last week with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of his parents.
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Patinkin, who played Inigo Montoya in Reiner’s 1987 film “The Princess Bride,” told News that when he heard about Reiner’s passing, only one word came to mind.
“Inconceivable,” the “Homeland” alum said, referring to the catchphrase of Vizzini, Wallace Shawn’s character in the film.
After making this revelation, Patinkin explained his initial response to the tragedy.
“I heard this news around 11 or so Sunday night. I was in bed. I was in shock,” Patinkin said. “I didn’t sleep at all. I kept crying and crying. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know how to process it. I still don’t know how to process it and I’m not looking to process it.”
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Patinkin admitted to News that when he started working on “The Princess Bride,” he didn’t know how Reiner was going to pull it off.
“If I had to convince someone to watch ‘The Princess Bride,’ I would say exactly what Rob told me when I questioned him,” Patinkin said, recalling Reiner telling him: “‘It’s very simple: Grandpa comes to see his sick grandson to read him a story that says the most important thing in life is true love.'”
However, Patinkin hinted that he was still skeptical about the film’s execution, until he was invited with the rest of the cast to the film’s first cut.
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“We were sitting in this screening room and the movie was over,” Patinkin said, pausing briefly as he began to cry. “And I said, ‘I never dreamed I would be in something like this.’ I didn’t even have time to dream it and he made that dream for me.”
He went on to emphasize how this particular role changed the trajectory of his life.
“And I don’t go anywhere,” Patinkin said, “where a child or an adult or a grandparent comes up to me and says, ‘Say the phrase.’”
The phrase he refers to is Íñigo’s most famous, and possibly one of the most iconic in the entire film: “Hello. My name is Íñigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”
The “Criminal Minds” alum concluded with some heartfelt words about the late director, actor and his friend.
“Rob worked hard to try to make me the best human being I could be,” Patinkin said through tears. “He once said to me, ‘I just wish you could get out of your own way,’ and I haven’t been able to do that to this day. But I won’t stop trying. He cared about my nature. He showed me that over and over again.”