We Have This ‘Halloween’ Star, 66, To Thank for This Cameo on ‘The Bear’ Season 4

The Bear has now become known for its cameos. It started with brief appearances from Jon Bernthal throughout Season 1 as Michael Berzatto. Then the list grew and included stars like Jamie Lee Curtis, who plays Donna Berzatto on the series, and the role got Curtis an Emmy Award for her work. But while Donna and the Berzatto clan, which does include actors like Sarah Paulson, John Mulaney, Bob Odenkirk, and more, are great, we have Curtis to thank for a completely different cameo in the series as well. Albert (Rob Reiner) joined the show in Season 4 and gave fans of The Beef of Chicagoland a little bit of hope.

Reiner, who recently did an interview PEOPLE to talk about the anniversary of his mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, revealed that Curtis is why he ended up taking on the role in the first place. “She had told me she was on the seasons before, and then when I was asked to do it, I said, ‘I don’t know,’ and she said, ‘No, you’ve got to do it! It’s really fun!‘” Reiner said. While Reiner and Curtis didn’t work together on The Bear, the two have a long history together, including Reiner working with Curtis’ husband, Christopher Guest.

He shared that he didn’t have any regrets about doing the show. Reiner starred in three episodes of Season 4 as Albert, a business advisor who Ebraheim (Edwin Lee Gibson) turns to when trying to grow The Beef. The crux of their storyline leads to Ebraheim contemplating franchising out The Beef. While we don’t know if we’ll see Albert again, the two have a good working relationship. “It was so much fun to do,” Reiner said of The Bear. “It’s fun to act, and I love acting because it’s no worries. You just show up and do your work.”

Rob Reiner Has a Different Approach to Acting vs. Directing

Reiner is known for a lot of things. His role in All In the Family made him a household name, he directed The Princess Bride, and he has bounced back and forth between the two professions throughout his career. During his conversation with PEOPLE, he said that he sees acting as a different kind of beast compared to directing. He shared a story about how Ron Howard called him to be in the movie EDtv. “I said, ‘Yeah, okay, I’ll do it.’ He says, ‘Well, let me send you the script, and see if you like it,'” he said. “I said, ‘Ah, you don’t have to send me the script.’ I said, ‘If it stinks, it’s not my fault. I’m just acting.'” For Reiner, he just loves to act. “So, to me, I love to act, and it’s fun to do and you don’t have the headaches.”

You can see Reiner in Season 4 of The Bear.

The Bear

Release Date

June 23, 2022

Network

Hulu

Showrunner

Christopher Storer

Directors

Ramy Youssef

Writers

Catherine Schetina, Alex Russell, Karen Joseph Adcock, Sofya Levitsky-Weitz, Stacy Osei-Kuffour

Source: PEOPLE