The late actor and filmmaker Rob Reiner made his final screen appearance in the second episode of Larry David’s HBO series, Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness, which premiered on July 3. Reiner, who passed away in December 2025, portrayed George Washington in a historical sketch that was kept secret until its broadcast.
Directed by Jeff Schaffer, the sketch features Reiner’s Washington discussing the importance of a peaceful transfer of power, serving as a vehicle for sharp political commentary directed at contemporary leadership. Larry David, appearing in 18th-century attire, engages in a dialogue with Reiner’s Washington about the dangers of a hypothetical future president who refuses to follow the Constitution. The scene includes cameos from Jimmy Kimmel and culminates in a chaotic debate among the colonists, with Reiner’s final line being, “We’re fucked.”
According to Variety, the sketch was filmed on November 13, 2025, just one month before Reiner and his wife, Michele, were killed. Their son, Nick Reiner, was subsequently arrested and charged with the murders. Schaffer noted that the production team was editing the footage only two days before the tragedy occurred.
Schaffer shared that Reiner was initially reluctant to shave his signature beard for the role, but ultimately complied at David’s insistence that Washington be clean-shaven. The producers deliberately withheld the cameo from the series’ Los Angeles premiere, opting to release it during the Fourth of July weekend to coincide with the country’s 250th anniversary. The episode concludes with an “In Memoriam” card dedicated to Reiner.