Billy Crystal says 'When Harry Met Sally' phone scenes inspired by calls with Rob Reiner, calls his death "profound loss"

Los Angeles [US], April 16 : Actor-comedian Billy Crystal has reflected on his long-standing friendship with filmmaker Rob Reiner, revealing that some of the most memorable moments in their film 'When Harry Met Sally' were inspired by their real-life conversations, according to People.

Crystal appeared on the recent episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. During their conversation, he talked about Rob, who directed Crystal in both 1987's The Princess Bride and 1989's When Harry Met Sally. Rob and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, died at their Brentwood home in Los Angeles on Dec. 14. Rob was 78, and Michelle was 70.

Crystal recalled that the iconic phone call sequences between Harry and Sally were drawn from his frequent conversations with Reiner during a difficult phase in the latter's personal life.

"In Harry and Sally, there are a lot of moments that Meg and I are really Rob and I," Crystal said, referring to co-star Meg Ryan, according to People.

"When something good happens, or 'Isn't that crazy?' I want to pick up the phone and call and say, 'Did you see?' because that's what we would do," he added.

The duo eventually became real-life best friends, and Crystal called him "hilarious, devoted, opinionated, in the best way." He had "the greatest comedy taste," Crystal said. "We could talk about everything. He was an uncle to my kids.

Crystal remembered, "He was going through a tough divorce from Penny Marshall at the time, and we were on the phone constantly. And there were moments of, we'd be watching a movie together, like Casablanca, and we would do that and go back and forth." In When Harry Met Sally, the title pair end up in their separate bedrooms, both watching Casablanca on their TV sets as they bicker and argue about the meaning of the movie, according to People.

Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, passed away at their Los Angeles home in December. Remembering his friend, Crystal said, "It's a profound loss... for humanity, because he was the most human person that I ever met," according to People.

Released in 1989, When Harry Met Sally, written by Nora Ephron, is widely regarded as one of the greatest romantic comedies, earning both critical acclaim and commercial success.

Crystal is now set to return to Broadway with his autobiographical play 860, which reflects on personal loss and resilience following the destruction of his home in the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, according to People.

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