Jerry O’Connell remembered filmmaker/father figure Rob Reiner after his untimely death.
ICYMI, Rob and his wife, Michele, were murdered on December 14 in their Brentwood home.
In an interview with PEOPLE, the Stand By Me actor honored Rob Reiner.
Sharing love and gratitude:
Jerry, who was in the ensemble cast of 1986’s coming-of-age classic, opened up about his reaction to the horrific news.
“We’re all shocked. I can’t speak for them [Wil Wheaton or Corey Feldman], but for myself, I feel like a parent has passed.”
Calling the news “really devastating,” the Bravo TV aficionado added, “Everything I have in my life is because of Rob Reiner. Everything I have, my children, my wife. Just everything.”
Remembering Rob:
Jerry was 11 years old when he worked with RR on Stand By Me. He explained how Rob “protected” the young cast on set.
“We have no idea how he herded a bunch of like 11, 12, and 13-year-olds for this movie. It also wasn’t like a teacher or an authority figure. He was just a special, human being.”
“He is just a kind soul, really. A kind soul.”
“I was always getting in trouble for speaking out loud in class and not being able to keep my mouth shut,” he explained. “And my mother would always say, ‘Just sit on your hands and shut up.’ I would get in trouble with teachers.”
Rob Reiner was different.
Jerry thought, “Oh boy, here we go. He’s gonna [yell at me]. Why didn’t I sit on my hands and shut up?”
“Instead, he goes, ‘Jerry, Keep going, man. That’s what I’m talking about right there. Keep going. More.’”
