A revealing interview with the Reiner family has resurfaced in which Rob’s younger daughter, Romy, lovingly refers to her brother, Nick, as “my best friend.” Attention was recently called to the decade-old interview by The Hollywood Reporter’s Steven Zeitchik, who says he almost passed up an invitation to meet with the Reiners due to his busy schedule at the 2015 Toronto Film Festival.
Zeitchik says the dinner, which he agreed to after a publicist assured him, “You won’t regret it,” took place on Nick’s 22nd birthday. The focus of discussion was “Being Charlie,” a drama about an accomplished actor and his drug-addicted son that heavily mirrors the experiences of Rob and Nick. The father-son duo wrote the project together, and Rob directed.
GettyThe Reiner Family Discussed ‘Being Charlie’
Zeitchik recalls that Rob smilingly declared, “Can you believe this boy?” as the meal kicked off, while Nick stayed quiet. He says Rob went on, “Iâm so proud; itâs incredible. Heâs been through everything; itâs so hard, youâre in this position of no control. And how heâs sober, here on his 22nd birthday, and he wrote this movie.”
Though Zeitchik says Nick talked less, he does say the screenwriter eventually shared, “It was tough at first, to think, âAm I actually going to do this?â I really wasnât sure I wanted to do this. Am I really going to get it out there?â
Zeitchik says the Reiners’ daughter Romy, who is four years younger than Nick, also chimed in with her thoughts on the film, telling him, “This is my best friend, and I was there for all of it. It’s weird but good to see it on the screen.”
GettyRob Reiner Hinted at Rehab Regrets
Zeitchik says he was told by the Reiners that after 18 rehab trips that began in his early teenage years, Nick “was sober now.” Describing his rehab experiences, he explained, “I just couldnât get by in these programs. I had resistance every time they tried to reach me.”
The interviewer’s account of the conversation says Rob admitted there were times he failed to listen to his son, explaining, “When Nick would tell us that it wasnât working for him, we wouldnât listen. We were desperate, and because the people had diplomas on their wall, we listened to them when we should have been listening to our son.” Rob also acknowledged, “The program works for some people, but it canât work for everybody,” per the story.
In a May 2015 “Inside Out with Paul Mecurio” podcast appearance, Rob hinted at regrets about “throwing” Nick into rehab. He acknowledged, “There’s a punitive aspect.” He then mused on alternative ways he and Michele could have addressed Nick’s struggles. “We could’ve maybe just worked with him with a therapist, and been a little more active with him in that way. I think we just overreacted.” Reiner did not elaborate on the nature of the programs Nick was sent to.
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