Rob Reiner, famed director of 'When Harry Met Sally,' 'A Few Good Men,' dead at 78

Legendary Hollywood director, producer and actor Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer, were murdered in their Los Angeles home Sunday. They were 78 and 70, respectively.

Their son Nick Reiner, 32, who spent years in and out of rehab for drug addiction, fatally stabbed the pair, authorities said on Monday. He is in custody on $4 million bail. The couple’s daughter Romy found her parents with their throats slashed around 3:30 p.m. and told cops that she believed a family member “should be suspect,” TMZ reported.

Best known to the modern generation as a prolific voice behind the camera, Reiner was responsible for such classic films as “Stand by Me” (1986), “The Princess Bride” (1987), “When Harry Met Sally” (1989), “Misery” (1990) and “A Few Good Men” (1992).

Reiner, 78, was born in The Bronx on March 6, 1947, to Carl and Estelle Reiner. An early television pioneer who made waves as an actor, director, screenwriter and comedian, Carl Reiner went on to earn 11 Emmys and the Mark Twain Prize for American humor before his death in 2020.

Reiner’s earliest work in the industry was on his father’s sets, making his acting debut on Carl’s 1967 comedy “Enter Laughing” and playing a subsequent role in “Where’s Poppa?” (1970).

His mother, Estelle, was an actress and singer known for her work on films including “Fatso” (1980) and the Steve Martin-led “The Man With Two Brains” (1983). In her final role, Estelle memorably appeared as a deli customer in Rob’s film “When Harry Met Sally,” exclaiming after a sensual outburst from Meg Ryan, “I’ll have what she’s having!”

Reiner rose to mainstream prominence for his role as the hippie Mike “Meathead” Stivic on the CBS sitcom “All in the Family,” which ran from 1971 to 1979. For his work on the series from iconic television creator Norman Lear, Reiner was nominated for nine primetime Emmy Awards, winning two.

As an actor, he also made appearances in films such as “Summertree” (1971) and “Fire Sale” (1977) opposite Alan Arkin, and had small roles on television shows including “Batman,” “The Andy Griffith Show” and “The Beverly Hillbillies.”

But Reiner’s best-known work comes from his time spent behind the camera as a director, producer and writer.

He made his directorial debut with the 1984 music mockumentary “This Is Spinal Tap,” which performed modestly at the box office but went on to become a cult classic. The project bookends his career, as it spawned a 2025 sequel, his final film, “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.”

Reiner found critical acclaim as a director for his 1985 romantic comedy “The Sure Thing,” starring John Cusack and Daphne Zuniga. He followed the film up with “Stand by Me,” a coming-of-age tale that launched the careers of Corey Feldman, River Phoenix, Jerry O’Connell and Wil Wheaton.

He then produced and directed a legendary run of films that performed at the box office and pierced the cultural zeitgeist: “The Princess Bride” (1987), “When Harry Met Sally” (1989), “Misery” (1990) and “A Few Good Men” (1992).

Between 1986 and 1996, Reiner’s films earned 11 Academy Award nominations and 19 Golden Globe nominations, with Kathy Bates picking up trophies at both ceremonies for Best Actress in the Stephen King adaptation “Misery.”

Other prominent films from Reiner include “The American President” (1995), “The Story of Us” (1999), “Rumor Has It…” (2005), “The Bucket List” (2007), “The Magic of Belle Isle” (2012) and “LBJ” (2016).

Reiner continued to act even as his star as a director rose, making appearances in films such as “The First Wives Club” (1996), “Sleepless in Seattle” (1993), “Bullets Over Broadway” (1994), and “The Wolf of Wall Street” (2013), and with a run spanning several seasons on the Zooey Deschanel TV comedy “New Girl.”

Here’s the latest on the death of Rob Reiner:

Reiner was also a progressive voice in Hollywood, speaking out frequently against President Trump, slamming him as racist, sexist, and antisemitic. He was also a fervent defender of gay rights and a firm opponent of the tobacco lobby.

A passionate advocate for Hollywood figures using their platforms to speak out politically, Reiner told MSNBC earlier this year, “The Hollywood community is very much aware of their First Amendment rights being infringed. So, we’re well aware of what’s happening. But our job now, as communicators, is to start communicating to the rest of the country, to let them know what is going to happen to them.”

Reiner and his wife are survived by four children: Tracy (the daughter of Reiner’s ex-wife Penny Marshall and Michael Henry, who Reiner adopted in 1971), Jake, Nick and Romy.

In 2016, Nick co-wrote a film, “Being Charlie,” loosely based on his own experience. Rob directed the film, which starred “Princess Bride” alum Cary Elwes.

Reiner was also a noted philanthropist alongside Singer, launching the I Am Your Child Foundation in 1997 and the Parents’ Action for Children nonprofit organization in 2004.