Authorities investigating ‘apparent homicide’ discovered the filmmaker dead at LA home with wife
Rob Reiner, the son of a comedy giant who went on to become one himself, as one of the preeminent filmmakers of his generation with movies such as The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally … and This Is Spinal Tap, has died. He was 78.
Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer, were found dead Sunday at their home in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. Authorities probe ‘apparent homicide’ after filmmaker Rob Reiner found dead with wife at LA home. The official could not publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
Authorities were investigating an “apparent homicide,” said Capt. Mike Bland with the Los Angeles Police Department. The Los Angeles Fire Department said it responded to a medical aid request shortly after 3:30 p.m.
After starting out as a writer for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, Reiner’s breakthrough came when he was, at age 23, cast in Norman Lear’s All in the Family as Archie Bunker’s liberal son-in-law, Michael “Meathead” Stivic. But by the 1980s, Reiner began as a feature film director, churning out some of the most beloved films of that, or any, era. His first film, the largely improvised 1984 cult classic This Is Spinal Tap, remains the urtext mockumentary. After the 1985 John Cusack summer comedy, The Sure Thing, Reiner made Stand By Me (1986), The Princess Bride (1987) and When Harry Met Sally … (1989), a four-year stretch that resulted in a trio of American classics, all of them among the most often quoted movies of the 20th century. — AP
TRIBUTES POUR IN
“Rob’s achievements in film and television gave us some of our most cherished stories on screen. But beneath all of the stories he produced was a deep belief in the goodness of people—and a lifelong commitment to putting that belief into action.” — Barack Obama on X.
“Love you, Rob.”
— Jerry O’Connell on Instagram with a photo of him and Reiner on the set of ‘Stand By Me.’
“It’s hard to think of anyone more remarkable and excellent in every field and endeavor they pursued. Rob was creative, funny, and beloved. Michelle was his indispensable partner and a loving wife.” — Nancy Pelosi on X
“Rob and I remained good friends ever since we made GHOSTS OF MISSISSIPPI. Political differences never stood in the way of our love and respect for each other. I am devastated by this terrible event.” — James Woods on X.
