When Harry Met Sally composer Marc Shaiman says Rob Reiner prevented him from becoming an ‘inveterate pothead’

Marc Shaiman has opened up about his working relationship with the late filmmaker Rob Reiner in a new memoir.

The 66-year-old composer and lyricist collaborated with Reiner on several popular movies including When Harry Met Sally, Misery and A Few Good Men.

His new memoir, Never Mind the Happy, was written before Reiner was tragically killed alongside his wife Michele earlier this month. Reiner’s son Nick has been charged with both murders.

In an extract from the book published by People, Shaiman recalls that When Harry Met Sally star Billy Crystal introduced the musician to Reiner after the director said he was looking for someone “who knew all the standards from the Great American Songbook.”

Shaiman writes: “Billy, mensch that he is, told him, ‘Have I got the guy for you!’ Billy likes to call me ‘Rain Jew,’ comparing me to Dustin Hoffman’s character in Rain Man for my ability to somehow remember and play just about every song that has ever been written.

“Some people have a photographic memory, but I guess mine is phonographic. I’m not even sure how I do it; I just somehow retain every song I hear. What can I say? I am a human Spotify.”

After successfully working together on the soundtrack for When Harry Met Sally, which did not require original compositions, Reiner asked Shaiman to write a score for the psychological thriller Misery.

Shaiman reflects that taking on that work led him to make a significant life change, writing: “Up to this point in my career, I was an inveterate pothead... most of all, I smoked before arranging or writing music and lyrics. I truly couldn’t conceive being creative without getting a little high first.

“But suddenly I was scoring this movie, which involved getting to work right after breakfast and working throughout the day and into the night. Film scoring requires finding the right tone, rhythm, notes and harmonies to play the emotions and plot of the movie, while figuring out the complex mathematics all of it involves.

“Not to mention it was the birth of using synthesizers and sequencers to write music directly into the computer, all of which I was learning at the same time.

“By Wednesday of the first week, I realized there was no way I could score a movie after smoking a joint before 10 in the morning, which would make me want to quit for the day by noon.

“So, I decided to try to write music, and do all that math and press all those buttons, without smoking first. And I got through the first day! Then I figured I’d try another day, which led to the next day, and then suddenly it was the weekend. And I thought, Well, let me keep on this path.

“Therefore, it’s thanks to Rob Reiner that I quit pot cold turkey and freed myself from the misconception that I had to get high before creating.”

Many other stars have paid tribute to Reiner in recent weeks, with Jerry Seinfeld saying the filmmaker “saved” his hit sitcom.