Key Takeaways
- Rob Reiner, a legendary director, has passed away alongside his wife, Michele Singer Reiner.
- The couple was found dead in their Brentwood home, reportedly due to knife wounds.
- Reiner was renowned for his iconic films from the 1980s and early 1990s.
- His impact on the film industry is profound, with many classic movies to his credit.
Rob Reiner, one of the most iconic directors of his generation, is dead. In a rapidly evolving situation, the director and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead at their Brentwood home, and Deadline is reporting that they died of knife wounds. The LAPD is on the scene and will be issuing more information as this quickly developing story evolves.
While it’s tempting to jump to conclusions about the shocking way both died, as more information is not yet available, we’ll wait until the facts come out rather than speculate. Whatever the case, Rob Reiner’s death is a huge loss to an industry where he was a giant. The son of the legendary Carl Reiner, Rob began his career as an actor, notably co-starring on All in the Family as “Meathead,” the liberal son-in-law of Carroll O’Connor’s Archie Bunker. The character’s liberal views matched Reiner’s own, and when the show came to an end, Reiner embarked on a storied career as a director.
Indeed, Reiner’s run of movies from 1984 to 1992 is widely considered among the best cinematic runs ever for a director. His debut, This Is Spinal Tap, became one of the biggest cult comedies of the 1980s, with him having just recently put out a sequel, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, for which our own Tyler Nichols interviewed him in character as Marty DiBergi. He followed it up with the teen romance The Sure Thing, starring John Cusack; the acclaimed Stephen King adaptation Stand by Me; The Princess Bride; When Harry Met Sally; Misery; and A Few Good Men. How’s that for a run?
He also launched the studio Castle Rock Entertainment, which gave us Seinfeld, The Shawshank Redemption, and a classic series of comedies by Christopher Guest. In recent years Reiner has begun to return to acting, notably showing up last season in a recurring role on The Bear. Reiner had been married to Michele Singer since 1989, after the two met while he was making When Harry Met Sally, which still ranks as perhaps the greatest romantic comedy of all time.
While this will no doubt be a massive story over the coming days, let us take a moment to acknowledge Reiner’s outsized impact on the film industry and the many classic movies he gave us. Truly, he was one of a kind, and his death—and the manner in which he and his wife passed—is haunting for us all, as he was deeply admired.
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter
