Donnell Rawlings Describes Rob Reiner's Impact on Industry, Hopes for Family Healing

Rob Reiner and his wife Michele’s deaths have sent shockwaves through Hollywood ... and Donnell Rawlings is opening up to TMZ about the tremendous impact Rob had on the entertainment industry, and how profound the loss of the couple is.

We caught up with the comedian at LAX Monday morning, and he told us that while it’ll be incredibly tough, he hopes Rob’s family and friends can eventually find some understanding of how this tragedy happened.

Catch the full clip -- Donnell looks back on Rob’s groundbreaking career, talking about how he embraced change when others wouldn’t and used his platform to open doors for people along the way.

We even put him on the spot to pick his favorite Reiner-directed movie ... you gotta watch to see what he chose.

As we reported, Rob and Michele were found dead inside their Los Angeles home Sunday, both with their throats slit. Their son, Nick, has since been arrested in connection with the killings and is currently being held without bail.