Rob Reiner, celebrated director of films such as The Princess Bride and When Harry Met Sally…, was found dead in his home alongside his wife, Michele, on December 14. The pair were allegedly killed by their son, Nick, following a heated argument in their California home, no trial date has officially been set after charges were pressed. The two also leave behind children Romy and Jake Reiner, as well as his adopted daughter Tracy Reiner from Rob’s previous relationship with Penny Marshall.
Reiner was born in New York but moved to Los Angeles at the age of 12. As the son of comedian Carl Reiner and singer/actress Estelle Lebost, Reiner seemed destined for the arts from the beginning. After attending film school at UCLA, Reiner married popular actress Penny Marshal, who was most well-known for her role on the ABC sitcom Laverne & Shirley. Reiner made his big break with his role of Meathead on the CBS sitcom All in the Family. The show ran for nine seasons and scored Reiner five Emmy nomination, including two wins.
In 1984, Reiner directed his first feature film, This is Spinal Tap, a mockumentary about a struggling metal band trying to hit the charts again. The film was received well, and Reiner focused more on directing from then on. A year later, he directed the romantic comedy The Sure Thing, followed by a string of films that solidified him as a legendary director. From 1986-1992, Reiner directed Stand by Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally…, Misery and A Few Good Men. All of these films were critically acclaimed and are still looked back on fondly to this day. Stand by Me and Misery still stand as some of the most well-regarded Stephen King adaptations, When Harry Met Sally… became a quintessential romance and New Year’s watch, and The Princess Bride became a classic children’s fairytale.
Reiner continued directing moving into the 2000s, with films such as Rumor Has It…, The Bucket List, Flipped, The Magic of Belle Island and LBJ. He also continued acting, giving many standout supporting performances in films like Sleepless in Seattle, The Wolf of Wall Street and a handful of his own films. This year, he directed a long-awaited sequel to his first feature, This is Spinal Tap, with Spinal Tap II: The End Continues. It featured the cast of the original film and released in theaters in September. Additionally, he completed filming on a finale for Spinal Tap. The film, titled Spinal Tap at Stonehenge: The Final Finale, is said to be a concert movie and mockumentary hybrid which is expected to release next year.
When Reiner’s father passed away in 2020, Rob spoke to reporters about him, saying, “I saw how he treated other people, and I saw how he handled his fame. People have always asked me, ‘Did he sit down and give you advice?’ And I said, ‘No, he never gave me any advice. He just lived a certain way, and that was the best advice I could have gotten.’”
We at mxdwn send out our condolences to the Reiner family.
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