Mel Brooks pays tribute to 'best friend' Carl Reiner: 'I loved him'

Mel Brooks paid tribute to his good friend and fellow comedy legend Carl Reiner, who passed away Monday at age 98.

Reiner’s assistant Judy Nagy confirmed to Fox News he died Monday night of natural causes at his home in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Brooks released a statement released on Tuesday addressing the loss of his former colleague.

"Carl was a giant, unmatched in his contributions to entertainment," Brooks wrote. "He created comedy gems like 'The Dick Van Dyke Show,' 'The Jerk,' and /Where's Poppa?' I met him in 1950 when he joined Sid Caesar on 'Your Show of Shows,' and we've been best friends ever since. I loved him."

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He continued, "When we were doing 'The 2000 Year Old Man' together there was no better straight man in the world. So whether he wrote or performed or he was just your best friend -- nobody could do it better. He'll be greatly missed. A tired cliché in times like this, but in Carl Reiner's case it's absolutely true. He will be greatly missed."

Throughout his legendary career in show business, Reiner earned countless awards, including several Emmys and a Grammy for best spoken comedy album alongside Mel Brooks for their album “The 2000 Year Old Man in the Year 2000.”

Best known for creating "The Dick Van Dyke Show," Reiner has 100 acting credits on both the big screen and small screen over the years including "Mad About You," "Two and a Half Men," "Toy Story 4," and the "Ocean's Eleven" trilogy.

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“When asked, ‘Of all the theatrical projects you’ve done in your life, what are you most proud of?’ I always say, hands down, it’s creating and producing ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show.’ It was a labor of love,” Reiner told Fox News in a statement in 2019.

Tributes from Hollywood have been pouring in to honor the comedy legend.

"Last night my dad passed away. As I write this my heart is hurting. He was my guiding light," Reiner's actor-filmmaker son Rob Reiner tweeted.

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"Very sad to awake to the news that @carlreiner has passed.  There will forever only be one of him. May his memory be forever blessed.  He leaves us with so much laughter. My heart goes out to @robreiner and the entire Reiner family," wrote Ed Asner.

"My friend Carl Reiner died last night. His talent will live on for a long time, but the loss of his kindness and decency leaves a hole in our hearts. We love you, Carl," Alan Alda said.

Fox News' Tyler McCarthy contributed to this report.