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Legendary American filmmaker and actor Rob Reiner has died at the age of 78, it has been confirmed. The venerated Emmy winner and Oscar nominee, director of such films as This Is Spinal Tap, When Harry Met Sally, and Stand By Me, was found dead alongside wife Michele Singer at the couple's Brentwood family home on Sunday afternoon. Per Variety's reporting, the LAPD are currently investigating what appears to have been a homicide.
In a statement following the shocking news of Reiner and his wife's passing, the filmmaker's family said the following: “It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner. We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time.”
Born on 6 March, 1947 in the Bronx, New York City, Robert Norman Reiner was, as much as anyone can ever be said to have been, destined for Hollywood right from the start. His mother Estelle was a famed actor and singer in her own right, while his father was the legendary Carl Reiner, creator of The Dick Van Dyke Show, TV Hall of Famer, and recipient of the hallowed Mark Twain Prize for American Humour. It is perhaps unsurprising then that a young Rob Reiner, raised in a household often visited by the likes of Sid Caesar, Norman Lear, and Mel Brooks, caught the entertainment industry bug young. Having enrolled at the UCLA Film School shortly after finishing at Beverly Hills High, by the late 1960s Reiner Jr. found himself picking up bit parts on TV shows like Batman, That Girl, and The Beverly Hillbillies.
It was in 1971 however, when Reiner beat out the likes of Harrison Ford and Richard Dreyfuss to land the role of Archie Bunker's liberal son-in-law 'Meathead' in All In The Family, that everything changed for the young actor and aspiring director. As the young star of America's most-watched sitcom, Reiner scooped two Primetime Emmy awards, was nominated for another three more, and had a fistful of Golden Globes nominations to his name by the time the show ended in 1978. Not only did Norman Lear's politically conscious, quietly groundbreaking show make Reiner a household name though: it also offered the perfect environment for a curious mind to hang out in the writers' room, develop his own scriptwriting craft, and get invaluable firsthand experience of the filmmaking process.
That filmmaking nous — a product of great genes, hard work, and a seemingly innate ability to tap into that which makes us laugh, cry, and look at a screen in abject wonder — would lead Reiner to discover his true calling as one of the great American directors of his generation. At this point it's almost redundant to talk about the run, such is its legendary status among Reiner's peers and film lovers the world over, but between 1984 and 1992 Rob Reiner as director gave us This Is Spinal Tap, The Sure Thing, Stand By Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Misery, and A Few Good Men. From side-splitting mockumentary and instantly iconic rom-com to perennial fantasy romance, poignant coming-of-age drama, and courtroom thriller, Reiner not only came to define the genres he turned his hand to for a whole generation, but managed to unify his body of work with a shared, deep-rooted sense of humanity that has truly stood the test of time.
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While Reiner may never have quite reached the same heights of that all-timer run in subsequent years, instead admirably channelling a considerable amount of his time and energy into supporting liberal causes during times of immense political upheaval and anxiety in his home nation, that isn't to say he didn't continue to use his voice as an artist heading into the 90s, 00s, and beyond. His Aaron Sorkin penned 1995 political drama-cum-romantic comedy The American President, starring Michael Douglas and Annette Bening, is something of a lesser-cited classic in Reiner's oeuvre, while 2007's Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman two-hander The Bucket List has more than enough flashes of the man's singular wit and capacity for tugging on the heartstrings to merit another look, also.
Somewhat fittingly, Rob Reiner's final film before his passing, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, saw the filmmaker return to the movie and the characters that launched him into the Hollywood stratosphere. When Empire spoke to Reiner ahead of Spinal Tap II's release late last year, we found the septuagenarian on fine form, excited to be back with the Spinal Tap gang and brimming with energy — for his film, for reuniting with beloved colleagues, and for life itself. One of our highlights as a publication this past year has been getting Reiner and his Spinal Tap co-conspirators together, in character, for a raucous interview for the magazine.
In the hours since Reiner and his wife Michele's passing, amid immense shock and confusion, there has been a universal and immediate outpouring of grief and love for a true industry icon. Speaking on X, former POTUS Barack Obama paid tribute to a life defined by purpose, writing how "beneath all of the stories he produced was a deep belief in the goodness of people—and a lifelong commitment to putting that belief into action." Jamie Lee Curtis and her husband, Reiner's This Is Spinal Tap collaborator Christopher Guest, shared in a joint statement: "Christopher and I are numb and sad and shocked about the violent, tragic deaths of our dear friends Rob and Michele Singer Reiner and our ONLY focus and care right now is for their children and immediate families and we will offer all support possible to help them. There will be plenty of time later to discuss the creative lives we shared a [sic] the great political and social impact they both had on the entertainment industry, early childhood development, the fight for gay marriage and their global care for a world in crisis."
In the hours, days, and weeks to come, there will doubtless be many more tributes paid to Rob Reiner, who leaves behind a body of work — and a legacy of love, laughter, and aspirational humanity — that will endure for generations to come. For the time being however, we bid a heavy-hearted farewell to a true titan of this industry, and wish to express that our thoughts and deepest condolences are with Rob and Michele's family, friends, and loved ones at this most difficult time.