Princess Bride’s Cary Elwes Pays Tribute to Late Rob Reiner on His Birthday: ‘Still Hard to Believe’

“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,” the actor wrote via Instagram at the time. “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. I also knew that by casting me as Westley he was giving me the keys to the castle.”

Elwes continued, “The first thing I noticed about Rob was that he wore his heart on his sleeve. This was a man who felt deeply. Whose heart was filled with love and compassion. 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.’ He always tried to find the best in people. And if that person had problems he felt bad for them. He loved his family and friends immensely.”

In the lengthy post, Elwes went on to describe how painful the loss of Rob and Michele was and shared his gratitude for what they brought to the world when they were alive.

“Thank you Rob and Michele for sharing your life and art with us,” he added. “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. Sure, death cannot stop true love but life is pain without you.”