Rob Reiner Had an Unexpected Reaction to His ‘New Girl’ Co-Star’s ‘All in the Family’ Joke
- - Rob Reiner Had an Unexpected Reaction to His ‘New Girl’ Co-Star’s ‘All in the Family’ Joke
Nicole MooreJanuary 3, 2026 at 11:06 PM
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Photo by FOX Image Collection via Getty Images
Late actor and director Rob Reiner wasn't impressed with an All in the Familyjoke made by his New Girl co-star Lamorne Morris.
TV Insiderreported that New Girl stars Morris, who played Winston Bishop, and Hannah Simone, who played Cece Parikh, recently uploaded a clip on social media, which they recorded for a past episode of their podcast, The Mess Around. The podcast clip showed Morris and Simone speaking about filming alongside Reiner. Reiner was featured in several episodes of the Fox sitcom as Jessica Day's (Zooey Deschanel) father, Bob Day.
While recording the podcast episode, Morris explained that Bob insults Winston while he's eating cake in New Girl Season 2, Episode 24 ("Winston's Birthday). Morris said he decided to ad-lib a line where Winston gives a retort by calling Reiner a "meathead." He explained that Reiner appeared in the beloved '70s sitcom, All in the Family, where his character, Mike Stivic, was often called "Meathead" by his father-in-law, Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor).
“I remember during that time, I said, ‘I’m gonna do it, I’m gonna call him a Meathead in response. I just have to do it.’ And here I was thinking like, this is about to be something that he has never heard before. I said, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah, ya Meathead,’ and he didn’t blink. In fact, when they called cut, he goes, ‘Let me ask you, do you think that’s the first time I’ve heard that?'" recalled Morris on his podcast.
Morris then said he offered an explanation as to why he referenced Reiner's All in the Family character.
"I said, 'No. But it's the first time I've ever said it to you. And I may never get this opportunity again to call you a Meathead,'" said Morris.
Morris said Reiner responded by saying, "That’s fair."
Zooey Deschanel Shared Kind Words About Rob Reiner Following His Death
Reiner and his wife, Michele Reiner, were pronounced dead on December 14, 2025, as reported by People magazine.
Deschanel opened up about sharing scenes with Reiner on New Girl, which had a seven-season run until 2018, in an interview with People, published on December 19.
"My heart is broken. Rob Reiner was the absolute warmest, funniest, most generous of spirits," said Deschanel to the publication. "He was just one of those people where you think, 'I cannot believe I get to work with this person.' He was so kind. He was fatherly to all of us. Everybody in the New Girl community loved him. Actors from the show— everyone from the show is devastated."
According to Deschanel, Reiner was a positive figure on the New Girl set.
“He wanted everyone to do their best. He was playful and up for anything. His character had a barbershop quartet on the show and we sang some Christmas carols with them. He had a really good voice. He was just like, 'Yeah, let's do it,'" recalled Deschanel while speaking to People. “He gave great advice. He had this thing about him where he really wanted everyone to succeed. He was very encouraging, always interested in what I was doing, and I remember, happy to hear about my kids [Elsie, 10, and Charlie, 8].”
Deschanel also complimented Reiner's ability as a director, referencing his beloved movies, This Is Spinal Tap, When Harry Met Sally..., Stand by Me, and The Princess Bride.
"He was a true storyteller. Broad comedy and serious dramas and everything in between. If he had just done one of them, it would've been career-making, and he didn't have an ego about it. He wasn't full of himself in any way," said the (500) Days of Summer star.
This story was originally published by Parade on Jan 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
