Mel Brooks reflected on the final moments he shared with his longtime friend and creative collaborator Carl Reiner and revealed that he was present when Reiner collapsed shortly before his death in 2020.
The revelation comes in the upcoming HBO documentary Mel Brooks: The 99-Year-Old Man!, which chronicles Brooks’ life and career as he approaches his centennial birthday. In the film, Brooks recounts being with Reiner when the comedy legend collapsed in his bathroom after suffering a heart attack. Reiner died at age 98.
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According to the documentary, Brooks immediately realized something was wrong and rushed to help his friend. Emergency responders were called, but Reiner died shortly afterward. Brooks recalls desperately urging paramedics to continue their efforts to revive him.
“I was still hoping that they would put the stuff on him and boom, get him up," Brooks said, per People. "I kept yelling at them, ‘Keep it up, keep it up,’ and they thought I was crazy after an hour of yelling.”
The moment marked the end of the Spaceballs director and Reiner’s decades-long friendship. Brooks later said he had difficulty accepting Reiner’s death.
“I just didn’t want him to go. I just couldn’t — I wouldn’t accept it. I loved him so much,” he continued.
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Brooks and Reiner maintained a close friendship that extended beyond their professional collaborations. Over the years, they worked together on multiple projects and spent much of their time together socially, including regular dinners and daily conversations. Their partnership included the long running “2000 Year Old Man” comedy sketches.
The documentary also includes reflections from Reiner’s son, Rob Reiner, who discussed the depth of his father’s friendship with Brooks and the role Brooks played in Reiner’s final moments.
“He was that close to my dad, where he kept, he wanted to be close to him even when my dad was gone,” Rob said in the documentary. “I always thought even though Mel was only like four years younger than my dad, I think he looked to my dad as a father figure.”
In December 2025, Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead in their Los Angeles home. Authorities later charged their son, Nick Reiner, in connection with the killings. Rob Reiner’s comments in the documentary were recorded prior to his death.
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Carl Reiner’s death in June 2020 was met with widespread tributes across the entertainment industry, with many crediting him as a foundational figure in modern comedy. His work as a writer, actor, director, and producer helped launch the careers of countless performers and left a lasting mark on television and film.
Mel Brooks: The 99-Year-Old Man! premieres January 22 on HBO and HBO Max.
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