Rob Reiner (1947-2025)
Rob Reiner, a famous director and actor who first gained recognition in "All in the Family" and went on to direct such classic films as "This is Spinal Tap," "Stand by Me," "The Princess Bride," "When Harry Met Sally...," "Misery," and "A Few Good Men," was reportedly found dead alongside his wife in their home. He was 78. Their cause of death was apparent homicide, as they received multiple stab wounds.
Born in the Bronx, New York, in 1947, Reiner is the son of the legendary comic actor Carl Reiner and singer Estelle Rebost. In the 1960s, he began his acting career, taking minor roles in television shows such as "Batman," "That Girl," "The Beverly Hillbillies," and "The Partridge Family." In 1971, Reiner landed his first notable role as the countercultural Michael "Meathead" Stivic in the CBS sitcom "All in the Family," which ran for nine seasons. He received two of the five Emmy nominations for his performance and five further Golden Globe nominations for the same role.
In 1984, Reiner transitioned from television acting to film directing with the renowned mockumentary "This is Spinal Tap," which satirised the excesses of the wildly popular heavy metal scene at the time. He built on his success with a string of hits, including "Stand by Me," "The Princess Bride," "When Harry Met Sally...," "Misery," and "A Few Good Men," the latter of which earned an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. Reiner's box-office success began to wane in the late 1990s as the writer-director turned to more topical subject matter, such as "Ghosts of Mississippi," which dealt with the civil rights movement of the 1960s, and "LBJ," which covered the presidential career of Lyndon Johnson. More recently, he directed "Shock and Awe," which dealt with the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
He also directed subsequent movies, including "The American President," "The Bucket List," and his final film, the 2025 sequel "Spinal Tap II: The End Continues." Reiner also continued to take on minor roles in films such as "Sleepless in Seattle," in which he played Tom Hanks' friend, as well as in "Postcards from the Edge," "The First Wives Club," "The Wolf of Wall Street," "New Girl," and "The Bear." He often played himself in comedies, such as "30 Rock," "The Simpsons," "Hannah Montana," "The Larry Sanders Show," and "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Reiner also co-founded the production company Castle Rock Entertainment, which is responsible for hit films and television shows, including "Seinfeld," "City Slickers," "In the Line of Fire," "Malice," "The Shawshank Redemption," "Lone Star," and "Miss Congeniality."
