Sam Rubin and Scott Mantz
Courtesy of Scott Mantz
Over the nine years I’ve been contributing to KTLA-TV in Los Angeles, I’ve been asked the same question over and over again by people who recognize me from the channel: “What’s Sam Rubin? truly Love?” The short answer is simple: With Sam, what you saw is what you got. As energetic, enthusiastic and charming as he was in front of the camera, that was exactly who he was in person, too.
What a talented professional he is. After 33 years as the face of KTLA entertainment news, he’s calling it quits, and you can tell how much he loves doing it. He maintained the same level of cheerful energy from his first daily newscast at 6:15 a.m. until his last newscast at 10:45 a.m. — and when I would see him later in the day at shows, parties, premieres, and award shows, he was. Still going strong. I don’t really know how he did it, but he did it every time.
It wasn’t until I started filling in for Sam on occasion that I began to truly appreciate how difficult his job was and how much responsibility that came with it.
By December 2015, I had already been a producer at Access Hollywood for about 15 years. I had some experience in front of the camera at that point but not much. So I was surprised when Sam called me and asked me to fill in for him on a very important morning in the world of entertainment: the morning of the Golden Globe nominations announcement. It took a really early start as the nominations were announced just after 5am. It was KTLA’s Christmas party the night before, and Sam really wanted to go to that and he also wanted the peace of mind of being able to celebrate with his family at KTLA without having to. Worry about waking up early the next day.
By that point, Sam’s was already an established Los Angeles institution. After numerous red carpet premieres, award shows, and pre-shows for the Oscars and Emmys (with his gorgeous host, Jessica Holmes) — not to mention more celebrity interviews than anyone can count — he has earned a stellar reputation as a respected professional and respected businessman. Class action. So, more than anything else, I was very honored that he trusted me with this important mission.
Sam must have been happy with the way I did it because this was the first of many times I’d filled in for him over the years. KTLA Morning NewsAnd the last one is on Friday.
The morning went extremely smoothly, thanks to the producers in the best entertainment news department I’ve ever worked with, not to mention the sheer generosity of legendary morning anchors Frank Buckley, Jessica Holmes, Mark Kreski, Megan Henderson, Eric Spielman, and Henry DiCarlo. . I finished work at 11, left the studio at 11:30, and just 20 minutes later I heard the news that Sam had died. I was in complete shock. I couldn’t believe it. As I write this the next morning, I’m still in shock.
Like many who knew Sam and who felt they knew Sam, I have lost a dear friend.
Whenever I saw Sam, I always greeted him with, “Here’s the Godfather of Entertainment News,” and got a big smile in return. I will remember that smile, and I will also remember how much support Sam gave me, especially when I needed it most.
A few years ago, I was feeling extremely frustrated after being hit with a double whammy of personal and professional turmoil, which is precisely when Sam and his amazing entertainment producer, Grace Mendoza, asked me to start contributing to KTLA on a more regular basis, usually once a week. This continued even during the pandemic lockdown (when everything went virtual) and the double whammy of last year. I can’t tell you how much that meant to me.
Furthermore, Sam encouraged me not only to fill in for him, but also to join him on the air for special events, such as KTLA’s Oscar and Emmy pre-shows and Academy Award nomination morning. Those days were particularly fun, as Sam and I played well off each other.
And Sam was gracious enough to recommend another, unforgettable party in 2021, when Skirball Cultural Center unveiled a brand new exhibit, “Star Trek: Exploring New Worlds,” which featured props, costumes and models from around the world. Star TrekIts history is 55 years. He needed someone with the knowledge to program special screenings of classic TV episodes and movies, followed by hosted Q&A conversations with him. Star Trek Actors and historians. Sam knew I was a lifelong traveler, so when they asked him if he knew anyone who could help, he immediately said, “I know the guy.” To this day, this remains one of the most professional and personal experiences I have ever had, and I have Sam to thank for that.
So, when people ask me, “What is Sam Rubin?” truly Likes?” I always give the short answer I shared above but also make it clear to say that Sam was generous, and his generosity was unconditional. As anyone who works in this field will tell you, that kind of generosity is extremely rare. I never took it for granted And I will never do that.
Moving forward, I have no idea what the world of entertainment news would look like without Sam, and I don’t know what my life would be like without Sam’s support and guidance. But every time I hear the “ding ding ding” music noise that begins a KTLA “Entertainment News” report, I’ll think of him. I will miss him very much.