Harry Connick Jr. credits Rob Reiner for his big break
Harry Connick Jr. credits his career to the late Rob Reiner, thanks to their collaboration on “When Harry Met Sally” — an experience he says ultimately changed his life.
Less than a week after the beloved director was found brutally murdered along with his wife, Michele, Connick Jr. wrote a tribute for Rolling Stone, remembering Reiner as a “brilliant and generous gentleman” during their work on the 1989 classic.
Connick Jr., 58, remembers that he was just 21 when Reiner invited him to Los Angeles to “play solo piano for the movie” — something he admits he didn’t understand at the time.
Arriving at the Los Angeles studio, Reiner told him to sit at a piano in front of a screen and play “whatever you want” when the film started rolling. As a scene began to play, the young musician realized, “There was no music. Holy shit. That was my job.”
“I performed improvised plays scene after scene. Mr. Reiner guided me through each one, pushing and pulling me to connect with what was unfolding on the screen,” he wrote. “I was afraid of him – he was so precise in his vision – but he was also kind, patient and clear.”
Connick Jr. marveled that Reiner not only entrusted him with the soundtrack and score, but also gave him autonomy for both.
“Who was this man? He let me sing and act whatever I wanted. Were all movies like that? Did all directors work that way? Turns out not. He was the rarest of the rare,” he shared.
The soundtrack, for which Connick Jr. sang and played every song, catapulted his career and earned him his first Grammy for Best Male Jazz Vocal Performance.
He also recalled some sage advice he received from Reiner: “If you ever want to do something in this business, do it yourself. Don’t wait for anyone to do anything for you.”
“That’s true, unless it involves Rob Reiner,” Connick Jr. wrote. “He did something for me – he changed my life – and I will be forever grateful.”
Nick Reiner, Rob and Michele’s 32-year-old son, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with their deaths. He remains in solitary confinement and is on suicide watch, with sources saying he “suffers from mental health issues.”
Nick – who is said to suffer from schizophrenia, exacerbated by his long-standing drug addiction – is currently scheduled to be arraigned on January 7.
