Rob Reiner appeared in the second episode of HBO Max's 'Life, Larry, and the Pursuit of Unhappiness: An Almost History of America' in his final performance before his death. The scene cast him as George Washington delivering remarks on preventing concentrated executive power, whilst Larry David portrayed an increasingly agitated colonist raising concerns about hypothetical future scenarios—including a president enriching himself through office, compromising the courts and legislature, persecuting critics, and disregarding constitutional constraints. Written by David and Jeff Schaffer, the sequence built to mounting social disorder before Reiner broke the fourth wall to offer a blunt assessment to the audience.

The episode constructed detailed parallels between historical constitutional warnings and recognisable modern governance failures, using comedy to illustrate democratic vulnerabilities. Reiner's closing moment—addressing viewers directly following the staged chaos—served as emphasis to the episode's broader meditation on institutional decline, gaining additional weight through his established credibility and the presence of other entertainment figures.