05/13/2026
Celebrity entertainment critic and columnist Rex Reed passed away yesterday at the age of 87. I used to read his work in several New York publications when I started getting into films reviews and journalism in my early 20s. He had a style that was unique … almost self-congratulatory. He loved being in the spotlight as much as the celebrity he was interviewing. However, Reed did have this way about him that was oddly entertaining. I wouldn’t call it charisma. It was more performance-like. It says a lot about a person that one of the most well-known things in his resumé was being a judge on The Gong Show.
He loved talking to legends of cinema’s past: Bette Davis, Alice Faye, Marlene Dietrich, Mike Nichols, and hundred more. They gravitated towards him. He spoke their language.
Personally, as a film critic, I honestly try to learn a lot from those who preceded me in this medium. I learned both what to do AND what not to do from Rex Reed. He really was one of a kind.
