Who was Rob Reiner? Man who transformed Hollywood romantic comedy with When Harry Met Sally, found dead at LA home

Hours after reports emerged that two bodies were found at the LA home of filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, TMZ reported that the victims were the Reiners themselves. The 78-year-old filmmaker and his 68-year-old wife were reportedly killed with knife lacerations on their bodies.

Rob Reiner and wife dead

Rob, a veteran of Hollywood with five decades worth of filmography, and Michele, a former photographer, were found dead at their Brentwood home on Sunday night. Early reports had stated that the LAPD had found two bodies at their Brentwood home. Now, TMZ has confirmed that the bodies belong to Rob and Michele. “As we told you … two dead bodies were found in Rob and Michele’s Brentwood home Sunday afternoon — and law enforcement sources tell us it is the Reiners,” the TMZ report stated. The report also quoted sources saying there were knife wounds on the bodies. The LAPD’s Robbery Homicide Division is currently investigating the crime.

Who was Rob Reiner?

Son of actor and comedian Carl Reiner, Rob was born in 1947 in New York City. He followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the show business in his teens, first working as an apprentice in local theatre. In 1970, he found his breakthrough role as Michael Stivic on Norman Lear’s 1970s situation comedy All in the Family. This led to two Emmy wins during his nine-season stint on the show.

In the 80s, even as Rob continued to act, he moved to direction, where he found his true calling. After beginning with the mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap in 1984, Rob directed five path-breaking films back-to-back: coming of age drama Stand by Me (1986), fantasy adventure The Princess Bride (1987), romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally… (1989), psychological horror-thriller Misery (1990), and military courtroom drama A Few Good Men (1992). The last of these was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Rob himself earned four Best Director nominations at the Golden Globes.

The filmmaker continued to direct with his final feature film, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues – a sequel to his debut, released just three months before his death. He also appeared in small roles in several films over the years, including Sleepless in Seattle and The Wolf of Wall Street.