Rob Reiner has a new ally in the fight against smoking in Hollywood: screenwriter Joe Eszterhas.
Four years ago, Reiner led the successful campaign to boost cigarette taxes to support programs for California children. Now the actor and director has drawn the support of Eszterhas, who recently announced he has throat cancer and apologized for glamorizing smoking in his scripts for films including "Basic Instinct."
"Rob Reiner, who in my smoking days I used to nearly loathe, I think is a hero on this turf because he almost single-handedly until now has led this battle in Hollywood — not just in Hollywood, but on a personal level with things like the California Tax Initiative," Eszterhas said Monday on CNN's "American Morning."
The 57-year-old is urging other writers, as well as directors and actors, to cut out cigarette use in films.
"I really think if people start banding together and saying no to this, that it could snowball and they could really help," Eszterhas said.