Rob Reiner

Rob Reiner was an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, and producer born on March 6, 1947, in the Bronx, New York City, to actors Estelle and Carl Reiner. He grew up on the Grand Concourse in the Bronx before the family relocated to New Rochelle, New York, and later to Los Angeles. His siblings are poet, playwright, and author Annie Reiner and painter, actor, and director Lucas Reiner. Reiner attended Beverly Hills High School and studied at the UCLA Film School for two years, from 1964 to 1966, without completing a degree.

Reiner made his television acting debut at age 14 on the series Manhunt after the family moved to Los Angeles. In the early 1960s he trained as an apprentice at the Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, Pennsylvania. At 19, he performed as part of an improv group that served as the opening act for Carmen McRae at the Hungry I club in San Francisco. He began writing for television in 1968 and 1969 on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, working alongside Steve Martin and Carl Gottlieb. During the late 1960s he appeared in bit roles on Batman, That Girl, The Andy Griffith Show, Room 222, Gomer Pyle – USMC, and The Beverly Hillbillies.

Reiner rose to national prominence in the 1970s through his portrayal of Michael "Meathead" Stivic, Archie Bunker's liberal son-in-law, on Norman Lear's All in the Family, which aired from 1971 to 1979. The series ranked as the most-watched television program in the United States for five consecutive seasons between 1971 and 1976. The role earned Reiner two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor, three additional Emmy nominations, and five Golden Globe nominations. In 1978 he co-wrote and starred in the ABC television movie More Than Friends opposite his then-wife Penny Marshall.

Beginning in the 1980s, Reiner transitioned into directing, helming a succession of films across multiple genres. His directorial debut, the heavy metal mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, was released in 1984, with Reiner also appearing on screen as faux-documentarian Marty Di Bergi. He followed that with the romantic road comedy The Sure Thing in 1985, the coming-of-age drama Stand by Me in 1986, and the adventure romance The Princess Bride in 1987, the same year he co-founded the production company Castle Rock Entertainment. The romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally... arrived in 1989, followed by the psychological thriller Misery in 1990, for which Kathy Bates won the Academy Award for Best Actress. His military courtroom drama A Few Good Men in 1992 received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Later directorial credits include the political romance The American President in 1995 and the courtroom drama Ghosts of Mississippi in 1996.

Alongside his directing career, Reiner continued to act in supporting film roles, appearing in Throw Momma from the Train in 1987, Sleepless in Seattle in 1993, Bullets Over Broadway in 1994, The First Wives Club in 1996, Primary Colors in 1998, EDtv in 1999, and The Wolf of Wall Street in 2013. His career accolades include two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Hugo Award, nominations for an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award, nine Golden Globe nominations, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which he received in 1999. Three of his films have been inducted into the National Film Registry. In 2014 he received the Chaplin Gala Tribute at Film at Lincoln Center.

On Broadway, Reiner performed from 1980 to 2011, starring in The Roast and appearing in 8. Beyond his screen and stage work, Reiner was an active political advocate, championing LGBTQ rights, early childhood education, and environmental protection. He chaired the 1998 campaign to pass California's First 5 childhood education initiative, and in 2008 he and his wife Michele co-founded the American Foundation for Equal Rights, which pursued the legal challenge against California's same-sex marriage ban.

Reiner died on December 14, 2025, when he and his wife were found stabbed to death in their Los Angeles home. Their son, Nick Reiner, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, and the case is ongoing.