‘Lost a friend’: Today hosts mourn death of Sam Rubin on-air

The Today Show is in mourning after the death of a beloved member of the team over the weekend, as Hollywood also pays tribute.

The hosts of The Today Show have this morning paid tribute to veteran US showbiz reporter Sam Rubin, who died on Friday at the age of 64.

Rubin, a frequent guest on Today, reportedly suffered a heart attack at his home in Los Angeles.

Today host Karl Stefanovic said on-air this morning that he had “lost a friend,” calling Rubin a “beautiful man.”
Fellow entertainment guru Richard Wilkins was also on-air to pay tribute, revealing he’d seen Rubin in person just weeks ago during a visit to LA.

“He was always so generous. He was he was such a beautiful man, such a great broadcaster … Generosity is the word that I think of,” said Wilkins.

Karl Stefanovic and Richard Wilkins on Today this morning.

Stefanovic also revealed some sage advice the TV veteran had given him back when he first started on Today: “You’ve just got to be yourself. And then some years later, he said: ‘There’s such a thing as being too much of yourself’,” he said with a laugh.

Stefanovic called Rubin “a guy who was just exactly the same off camera as on. And who had all the time in the world for you, no matter what you were and what he was doing – and he had a lot on.”

Wilkins said that viewers should remember Rubin as “a person who found his groove, found a job that he loved and aspired to be the best in the world at it,” as the hosts noted that they’d all “lost a friend.”

Rubin's death has sparked tribute from many a Hollywood A-lister.

Jamie Lee Curtis shared this photo of herself with Rubin.

The on-air tribute comes after stars in all corners of Hollywood spoke out to pay their respects to Rubin, a stalwart of red carpets and TV and movie junkets for decades now.

A-lister Ryan Reynolds wrote on Twitter that “even if I was on my 85th interview that day, I was always happy to see Sam. Even if HE was on his 85th interview that day, he always brought genuine kindness, curiosity and an outside the box question.”

Happy Days star Henry Winkler called Rubin’s death “a terrible loss. for Sam’s family, his co workers, friends and his fans. IT WAS ALWAYS a pleasure to be on set with Sam. He will be Sorely missed.”

Jamie Lee Curtis shared a photo of the two together on Instagram, writing that “there was no one more enthusiastic about his job than Sam Rubin. I’ve known Sam for most of my career, and he had a light in his eyes every early morning as he started his daily work.”

Ben Stiller called Rubin a “consummate pro. I did my first interview with him in something like ‘93, and countless times over the years. He loved actors and movies. He made everyone feel comfortable and it was always fun and easy. He was an institution. We have lost him way too soon.”

Rubin is survived by his wife Leslie and four children.