Can't let the day go by without wishing a happy 97th birthday to one of my heroes, Carl Reiner. Carl's kind of an amazing guy because he started working rather actively in show business around 1947 and he has never been unemployed since, except by choice. He is an actor, a writer, a director, a producer and even at times, a game show host. Since '47, he has never not been involved in some creative endeavor and they have usually been very good creative endeavors…the kind where even if it flopped, people said, "Hey, nice try." And many of them did not flop and were very successful.
He is a star but apparently one with very little ego as so much of his career has been devoted to making others look good. When he worked for Sid Caesar, he made Sid Caesar look good. Then he made Dick Van Dyke look good and Mel Brooks look good and Steve Martin look good and so many more. A performer who does not hog the spotlight is a rare and impressive thing. And I've never heard anyone say he was not the nicest guy around. I always thought his role as Alan Brady on The Dick Van Dyke Show was an example of an actor playing everything he himself was not.
It is great that he is not only still with us but still writing and even posting on Twitter. I salute him on his 97th birthday and hope this means he is only middle-aged.