Rob Reiner wins posthumous Emmy for The Bear nearly 50 years after last win
Rob Reiner received a posthumous Emmy for his guest role as Albert in The Bear. The award returned him to Emmy recognition nearly 50 years after his last win and followed the show's tribute in its finale.
Late actor 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 on Sunday. The win was posthumous and marked the late actor’s third Emmy Award, and his first in nearly 50 years.
Reiner’s first two Emmy wins came for playing Michael Meathead’ Stivic in All in the Family. He won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1974 and again in 1978. The latest award came months after Reiner and his wife, Michele Reiner, were found dead with stabbing wounds in a double homicide in December.
Their son, Nick Reiner, has pleaded not guilty, but he has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances. He is due to appear in court next on September 15.
In the fourth season of The Bear, Reiner appeared as Albert Schnurr, a businessman who helps Ebraheim, played by Edwin Lee Gibson, work out a new strategy for the restaurant’s beef sandwich window. His advice helped inspire Ebra to pitch franchising the Beef, which became a key storyline in the fifth and final season.
Reiner did not appear in the fifth and final season, but the FX series paid tribute to him in its finale, which aired earlier this summer. It is unclear whether he would have returned for Season 5 before his death, but in the finale Ebra calls Albert to share that he will franchise the Beef. At the end of the call, Ebra says, “as you wish”, a reference to Reiner’s film ‘The Princess Bride’.
The Emmys may have another chance to recognise Reiner next year, as he also appeared as George Washington in HBO’s Larry David and Jeff Schaffer historical sketch series Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness. The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will be held on Monday, 14 September, at 8 pm ET, where Reiner will likely also be honoured in the In Memoriam segment. His latest Emmy win for The Bear marked a return to the awards nearly five decades after his earlier victories for All in the Family.