Rob Reiner, 1947-2025
The great director and actor was killed, along with his wife, apparently by their son.
New York Times, “Rob Reiner, Actor Who Went on to Direct Classic Films, Dies at 78“
Rob Reiner, the son of a pioneering television comedian who became a popular sitcom actor himself before directing a slate of beloved films, including “This Is Spinal Tap,” “When Harry Met Sally …” and “The Princess Bride,” died on Sunday. He was 78.
His death, along with that of his wife, Michele, was announced by Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Police Department said it was investigating “an apparent homicide” at the Reiners’ home.
Mr. Reiner, who initially rose to fame playing Meathead, Archie Bunker’s son-in-law, on the sitcom “All in the Family” in the 1970s, went on to become a remarkably versatile film director. He seemed equally adept at the mockumentary (“Spinal Tap,” 1984), the coming-of-age film (“Stand by Me,” 1986), the children’s classic (“Princess Bride,” 1987), the romantic comedy (“When Harry Met Sally …” 1989) and the courtroom drama (“A Few Good Men,” 1992).
Throughout his career as a director and a producer, Mr. Reiner continued to work as an actor on television and in the films of others, making himself into a rare Hollywood fixture who was known for his work both behind the camera and in front of it. He also led a vibrant political life, lending his celebrity to a variety of liberal causes, including gay marriage.
[…]
During Mr. Reiner’s eight years on “All in the Family,” from 1971 to 1978, he won two Emmy Awards for best supporting actor. He also began spending time in the writers’s room and closely observing the set, picking up an education in behind-the-scenes work.
He had an ambition to direct since he was a teenager, and while a cast member on the sitcom, he directed a little-known television movie. Five years after the show ended, in 1984, he made his directorial debut with “This Is Spinal Tap,” a mockumentary about a British band past its prime that turned into a cult classic.
[…]
Last year, as Mr. Reiner was preparing to shoot the sequel to “Spinal Tap,” he spoke to The New York Times about some of the things that were most important to him. The first things he mentioned were “my wife and kids.”
“That’s the most important to me,” he said. “There’s that joke, nobody on their death bed ever said, ‘I should have spent more time at the office.’ Nobody says that.”
People, “Rob Reiner and His Wife Michele Were Killed by Their Son (Exclusive Sources)“
Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were killed by their son, Nick, according to multiple sources who have spoken with family members. Police have not yet confirmed the account.
On Sunday, Dec. 14, at about 3:30 p.m., the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) was called to a home to provide medical aid, the LAFD told PEOPLE. Upon arrival, they found a man, 78, and a woman, 68, dead. Sources confirm the victims were Rob and Michele.
Police say Nick, 32, is alive and being questioned. No arrests have been made.
Like most of my generation, I first knew Reiner through his role as Michael “Meathead” Stivic on All in the Family, which we watched from its 1971 inception and long into its run in syndication. I’ve also enjoyed most of his movies, although I’m not sure when it was that I became aware that they were his movies. The sheer range of their styles was remarkable.
I stumbled on news that he and his wife were feared dead looking for school closure updates on Twitter while Steven Taylor and I were commiserating back-and-forth over yet another dismal performance by the Cowboys’ defense. As the night wore on, the news that they were likely murdered emerged. That their son is the likely culprit compounds the tragedy.
When I first saw the news I was saddened, such a great talent and such a good man. A huge loss.
Wait, wut?
Murdered?
By their own son?
WTF???
Too sick to even think about
His cultural impact was pretty profound when you stop, step back, and take it all in.
Trump shows us all what a puerile infant he truly is.
https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/115724141568860081
@Daryl: even by trumpian standards, that’s monstrous.
This is all so sad.
I know a man, with whom I worked for about a year, who ended up killing his own father. A mutual friend sent me the news clip. It appears drug addiction was a factor in that case.
Sad news indeed.
You want to know something truly bizarre? Literally just a few days ago, a noted opera singer, Jubilant Sykes, was murdered, and his son is the prime suspect.
https://people.com/jubilant-sykes-stabbed-son-first-court-appearance-11868295
It’s such a bizarre coincidence that it leads me to think the Reiners’ son was being a copycat.
We’ll find out soon enough.
This is sad. Same day as a mass shooting at Brown, and a mass shooting in Australia that is either a hate crime or terrorism (the target was a Hanukkah celebration), but this one is sadder and more unexpected. Reminds me of Phil Hartman getting killed by his wife so many years ago. Just out of left field, hitting someone we know and love.
Reiner directed so many more movies that I’ve watched than I would have guessed, and they were all generally so wholesome without being saccharine (with the exception of “A Princess Bride,” where I understand the problem is me, not the film, as I have never met anyone else who hates it).
I guess I’ll go watch some of his films I haven’t gotten to.
This picture of Rob Reiner and his son Nick on Wikipedia, right next to the section in Reiner’s page summarizing his death… based on that photo I could totally see this happening. But look how happy the dad is. It’s presumably the most crazy looking photo out of a hundred taken right there, it feels disrespectful, and it perfectly captures a father’s love for his troubled kid all at once.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nick_Reiner_and_Rob_Reiner_at_the_2016_Substance_Abuse_and_Mental_Health_Services_Administration%27s_2016_SAMHSA_Voice_Awards_(cropped).jpg
Anyone remember North? I never saw it, but I remember how badly it bombed and got panned by critics. It inspired one of the most famous Roger Ebert quotes, which later became the title of one of his books:
“I hated this movie. Hated hated hated hated hated this movie. Hated it.”
I like to compare and contrast it with how Batman & Robin unfortunately came to define the legacy of Joel Schumacher, despite his having done many good films (even his Batman Forever, while not great, wasn’t godawful). It may be partly that he didn’t just do a terrible movie, he practically killed a franchise (until its being resurrected years later by Christopher Nolan). In contrast, nobody seems to remember North anymore, which is a good thing for Reiner’s legacy.
Also, Schumacher’s best films (including the criminally underrated Falling Down) are often seen as just kind of niche, and don’t have the same crowd-pleasing qualities as The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Stand By Me, and A Few Good Men. (Can I also include as an honorable mention Misery? Which is also the occasion to remind people that Reiner didn’t just direct two of the best Stephen King adaptations, he started Castle Rock Studios in honor of King.) You could say Reiner, unlike Schumacher, built up enough insurance to withstand the backlash to having made an epically bad film.