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Cary Elwes is navigating the grief of losing his longtime friend Rob Reiner.
On Monday (December 29), the actor, 63, penned an emotional tribute to Reiner on Instagram, looking back at how the late director "[gave] me the keys to the castle" when he was cast in Reiner's 1987 fantasy film The Princess Bride and reflecting on the kind and compassionate man he was both on and off set.
"Enough time has passed that I can finally put my grief into words," he said, also sharing a video from set of the beloved movie. "I was 24 when I first met Rob Reiner on The Princess Bride. And from that very first meeting I fell in love with him. I was already a fan of his work so meeting him in person was a dream come true. As we began spending more time together I knew this was someone I wanted in my life."
Elwes said that the first thing he noticed about Reiner was how he "wore his heart on his sleeve."
"This was a man who felt deeply. Whose heart was filled with love and compassion," he said. "He wasn't impressed by how much money you had or if you had a privileged upbringing. He just wanted to know if you were a 'good guy.'"
The Twister actor also praised Reiner as a "brilliant filmmaker" whose love of making movies left an impression during his "beyond great" time filming The Princess Bride.
"I can't remember a single day without laughter," he wrote. "The movie is about love, loyalty and sacrifice. Things that Rob held dear. Which is among the many reasons he was the perfect person to direct it."
Elwes also praised Reiner's wife Michele Reiner as an "incredibly loving, intelligent person" and "gifted photographer" who was "deeply passionate about her family and lifting others up," adding, "To say they were a great team would be an understatement."
He concluded his heartfelt tribute with a message of gratitude to Rob and Michele "for sharing your life and art" with the world.
"Because my heart still aches every time I think of you, I know the grief of losing you too soon will likely never go away," he said, before paraphrasing a quote from his character in The Princess Bride. "Sure, death cannot stop true love but life is pain without you."
Rob and Michele Reiner, who were married for 36 years, were found dead in their Brentwood, California, home on Sunday (December 14). Rob was 78 and Michele was 70. Their son Nick Reiner, 32, has been charged with two counts of first degree murder in connection with their stabbing deaths.
In addition to Elwes, other stars have shared their own tributes to Rob and Michele, including When Harry Met Sally stars Meg Ryan, who mourned the "incredible tragedy," and Billy Crystal, who was part of a touching tribute signed by many of the couple's friends.