Sam Rubin, longtime KTLA entertainment reporter, dies at 64

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Sam Rubin, the longtime entertainment reporter at KTLA-TV in Los Angeles, died Friday, the news station said. He was 64.

Rubin's death was confirmed on air by Rubin's colleague Frank Buckley, who fought back tears as he made the announcement.

"Sam was KTLA," Buckley said. "We don't know exactly what happened because he was here yesterday, just 24 hours ago."

Word of Rubin's death prompted an immediate and widespread outpouring of condolences from co-workers and viewers.

"I'm in absolute shock. RIP, Sam," KTLA's technology reporter, Rich DeMuro, wrote on X. "Thinking the most of your family right now. So sorry. Morning News in Hollywood will never be the same without you."

Ben Stiller called Rubin a "consummate pro" in a post on X.

"I did my first interview with him in something like '93, and countless times over the years. He loved actors and movies," Stiller wrote. "He made everyone feel comfortable and it was always fun and easy. He was an institution."

Rubin, a winner of multiple Emmy awards, had been a beloved mainstay of local television since joining the KTLA Morning News in 1991.

Rubin is survived by his wife Leslie and four children.