Jimmy Kimmel, Jennifer Aniston, Rita Moreno, And More Celebrities Mourn Norman Lear
“I loved Norman Lear with all my heart. He was my second father. Sending my love to Lyn and the whole Lear family,” Rob Reiner said on Twitter.
Norman Lear, the prolific TV creator and activist, died at the age of 101 on Tuesday, his family announced on his website the next day.
In the ’70s, Lear created, developed, or produced a series of groundbreaking TV shows, including All in the Family, Maude, Good Times, The Jeffersons, One Day at a Time, and Diff’rent Strokes.
Following this success, he didn’t slow down and went on to produce films like The Princess Bride (1987) and Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), as well as TV shows like The Powers That Be (1992–1993) and One Day at a Time (2017–2020).
Norman was also an activist and philanthropist, as his family noted in their statement on Wednesday. In 1980, he founded People for the American Way, a progressive advocacy group.
Thanks to his cultural contributions, Norman received numerous awards and honors during his lifetime, including six Emmys, two Peabodys, and a Kennedy Center Honor in 2017.
In response to Norman’s death, an outpouring of remembrances and tributes came from numerous celebrities, including some who starred on his shows and others inspired by his life and work. Here are 32 celebrities (though there are many more) who paid tribute to Norman:
Many posted their tributes or condolences to his family on Twitter:
1. Rob Reiner, who starred on All in the Family: “I loved Norman Lear with all my heart. He was my second father. Sending my love to Lyn and the whole Lear family.”
I loved Norman Lear with all my heart. He was my second father. Sending my love to Lyn and the whole Lear family.
— Rob Reiner (@robreiner) December 6, 2023
@robreiner/Twitter / Via Twitter: @robreiner
2. Rita Moreno, who starred on One Day at a Time: “I am cut to the quick and already lonesome for my dear friend, Norman. Our nation has lost a treasured looking glass. By his reflected wit we were disarmed enough to see our wrinkles. And he wasn’t promoting makeup but heart transplants.”
3. Barbra Streisand: “Just heard about Norman Lear. He was 101. What a long life in television and film as well as being an activist and philanthropist. What an extraordinary man he was! Brilliant, kind, and funny.”
Just heard about Norman Lear. He was 101. What a long life in television and film as well as being an activist and philanthropist. What an extraordinary man he was! Brilliant, kind and funny.
— Barbra Streisand (@BarbraStreisand) December 6, 2023
@BarbraStreisand/Twitter / Via Twitter: @BarbraStreisand
“He made the world a better place — now he’ll make heaven a better place, too. Love you Norman. Barbra,” she added in a follow-up tweet.
4. Billy Crystal: “We have lost a giant…a man of great humor and dignity. What an amazing life that has given so much to us all. He used laughter as a way to look at ourselves. A blessing to have been his friend for almost 50 yrs.”
5. Mark Ruffalo: “One of the all time great Humanists changed the world by being honest about the love, laughter, and troubles we all share. RIP Norman Lear, progressive King.”
6. Wanda Sykes, who has appeared on the recurring TV special series Live in Front of a Studio Audience which honored shows from the ’70s and ’80s, wrote: “Farewell to the incomparable Norman Lear, a trailblazer who challenged norms and shifted the paradigm through the laughter and lessons you’ve shared. It was an honor to be a small part of your impact and to witness it in my lifetime. To a legacy and life well-lived, thank you…”
Farewell to the incomparable Norman Lear, a trailblazer who challenged norms and shifted the paradigm through the laughter and lessons you’ve shared. It was an honor to be a small part of your impact and to witness it in my lifetime. To a legacy and life well-lived, thank you… pic.twitter.com/lL5LCZgfb4
— Wanda Sykes (@iamwandasykes) December 6, 2023
@iamwandasykes/Twitter / Via Twitter: @iamwandasykes
8. Albert Brooks: “The greatest of the greats. R.I.P. Norman Lear. You were loved.”
9. Ben Stiller: “What an incredibly influential & brilliant man. He was a champion for social justice. I feel fortunate to have grown up in the time his shows became the standard for comedy on television. Also he was so humble & generous. Respect. Rest in peace.”
11. Billie Jean King: “Norman Lear was a creative trailblazer, far ahead of his time, who combined comedy with social commentary in a way no one else could. He was also one of the kindest people I’ve ever met, and a WWII veteran. Sending our love to his family. Norman will never be forgotten.”
Norman Lear was a creative trailblazer, far ahead of his time, who combined comedy with social commentary in a way no one else could.
He was also one of the kindest people I’ve ever met, and a WWII veteran.
Sending our love to his family.
Norman will never be forgotten. pic.twitter.com/epMP89HQ2K
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) December 6, 2023
@BillieJeanKing/Twitter / Via Twitter: @BillieJeanKing
12. Marc Maron: “RIP Norman Lear. He truly changed the world with comedy, fought the good fight and had an amazing life! It was an honor to talk to him.”
RIP Norman Lear. He truly changed the world with comedy, fought the good fight and had an amazing life! It was an honor to talk to him. https://t.co/2PYU7A3Wta
— marc maron (@marcmaron) December 6, 2023
13. John Cusack: “RIP to the great Norman Lear — Proud to call him a friend.”
RIP to the great Norman Lear –
Proud to call him a friend.— John Cusack (@johncusack) December 6, 2023
14. Jane Lynch: “How lucky are we? How lucky are we to have crossed timelines with Norman Lear? How lucky am I to have grown up with All in the Family, Sanford and Son, Good Times, Maude, and all the rest? #Blessed. Rest now, Norman.”
15. Al Gore: “Few people have had as unique and positive an impact on our culture as Norman Lear. He brought an incredible diversity of stories about American life into our living rooms, and in doing so, brought us together to laugh — not at one another, but with one another. His enduring sense of kindness and compassion meant that even at 101 years old, he never stopped working to make sure he left the world better off than when he found it, and I have no doubt that he succeeded. He was a dear friend, and I am holding Lyn and the rest of the Lear family in my heart at this difficult time.”
Few people have had as unique and positive an impact on our culture as Norman Lear. He brought an incredible diversity of stories about American life into our living rooms, and in doing so, brought us together to laugh — not at one another, but with one another. His enduring…
— Al Gore (@algore) December 6, 2023
16. William Shatner: “Condolences to the family of Norman Lear. He contributed so much to American Television over the years.”
Condolences to the family of Norman Lear. He contributed so much to American Television over the years.
— William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) December 6, 2023
@WilliamShatner/Twitter / Via Twitter: @WilliamShatner