
I first noticed Rob Reiner when I was flipping through channels and landed on “The Partridge Family” in 1971. He played this surprisingly sweet biker dude, all tough looking with tattoos, but he was a poet and totally fell for Susan Dey’s character! It was such a funny, unexpected role. Looking back, it really hinted at the heart and kindness that would show up in everything he did – his writing, directing, and acting. Apparently, he started in comedy pretty young, writing for “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” with Steve Martin, which is amazing! Before that, like a lot of actors starting out, he did a bunch of guest spots on shows like “That Girl,” “Gomer Pyle, USMC,” “Batman,” and even “The Andy Griffith Show” and “Room 222.” But that “Partridge Family” role always stuck with me as a sign of the genuinely good person he seemed to be, and the kind of warmth he’d bring to all his future work.