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Robert Norman Reiner was born into a Jewish family in the Bronx, New York City, on March 6, 1947.[2][3] His parents were the actors Estelle and Carl Reiner.[4] His siblings are poet, playwright, and author Annie Reiner and painter, actor, and director Lucas Reiner. During his childhood, Reiner lived at 48 Bonnie Meadow Road in New Rochelle, New York.[5]
Two years later, Reiner became widely known for playing Michael Stivic, Archie Bunker's liberal son-in-law, on Norman Lear's 1970s situation comedy All in the Family,[13] which was adapted from the British sitcom Till Death Us Do Part. The series was the most-watched television program in the United States for five consecutive seasons (1971–1976). The character's nickname "Meathead" (given to him by his cantankerous father-in-law Archie) became closely associated with Reiner, even after he left the role and established himself as a director. Reflecting on the enduring association, Reiner remarked, "I could win the Nobel Prize and they'd write 'Meathead wins the Nobel Prize.'"[14] For his performance, Reiner won two Emmy Awards, received three additional nominations, and earned five Golden Globe nominations.[15] After an extended absence from television acting, he returned with a recurring role on New Girl (2012–2018).[12]
In October 1971, Reiner appeared as a guest in an episode of The Partridge Family.[16] The following year, Reiner, Phil Mishkin, and Gerry Isenberg created the situation comedy The Super for ABC.[17] Starring Richard S. Castellano, the series depicted the life of a harried Italian American superintendent of a New York City apartment building. It ran for one season during the summer of 1972.[18]
In 2016, Reiner teamed up with his son Nick Reiner to direct the film Being Charlie. Nick Reiner had a long history of personal struggles, which included erratic behavior, becoming a drug user at a young age, and having 18 stays in rehab by 2016 and being homeless.[28] Rob and Nick Reiner told People in a 2016 interview that they had only started to become closer during the time they were making the film.[28]
In November 2023, Reiner and journalist Soledad O'Brien launched the ten-part podcast series Who Killed JFK?[29] In December 2023, Reiner opened the primetime CBS special Dick Van Dyke: 98 Years of Magic with a tribute to, and conversation with, Dick Van Dyke.[30] His final film, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues (2025), was released three months before his death.[31]
Political views and activism
Reiner speaking at a Howard Dean rally on October 29, 2003
In 1998, Reiner chaired the campaign to pass California Proposition 10, the California Children and Families Initiative, which created First 5 California, a program of early childhood development services funded by a tax on tobacco products. He served as the organization's first chairman from 1999 to 2006. His lobbying, particularly as an anti-smoking advocate, led to his likeness being used satirically in the South Park episode "Butt Out", where he was depicted as a morbidly obese, hypocritical tyrant.[34][35]
Reiner came under criticism for campaigning for Proposition 82, a ballot measure to fund public preschools, while serving as chair of the First 5 Commission. He resigned from his position on March 29, 2006.[36] An audit later concluded that the commission had not violated state law and had clear legal authority to conduct public advertising campaigns related to preschool. However, the auditor reported that the commission awarded more than $77 million in media contracts without reviewing their costs.[37] Proposition 82 ultimately failed to win approval.[38][39]
Reiner was a member of the Social Responsibility Task Force, an organization advocating moderation where social issues such as violence and tobacco use intersect with the entertainment industry.[40] He was also active in environmental causes, successfully leading the effort to preserve California's Ahmanson Ranch as a state park and wildlife refuge rather than as a commercial real estate development.[12] In July 2007, he introduced the reunited Spinal Tap at the London Live Earth concert.[41]
Reiner endorsed Joe Biden for president in the 2020 United States presidential election.[51] In June 2021, Reiner announced he was developing a television project, The Spy and the Asset, about the relationship between Trump and Vladimir Putin. He said the series would explore the leaders' childhoods and trace their lives up to the point where they intersect. Reiner said he was collaborating with writer Ward Parry on the project.[52][53]
Reiner married actress and director Penny Marshall in 1971. He adopted Marshall's daughter, actress Tracy Reiner, from her previous marriage to Michael Henry. Reiner and Marshall divorced in 1981.[55]
While directing When Harry Met Sally..., Reiner was introduced to photographer Michele Singer. The meeting not only influenced his decision to change the film's ending,[56] but also led to their marriage in 1989.[57] They had three children: sons Jake and Nick and daughter Romy.[58]
In 1997, Reiner and Singer founded the I Am Your Child Foundation and, in 2004, they established Parents' Action for Children, a nonprofit organization with a dual purpose of raising awareness of the importance of a child's early years by producing and distributing celebrity-hosted educational videos for parents, and advancing public policy through parental education and advocacy.[59]
Reiner said his childhood home was not observantly Jewish, although he did have a bar mitzvah ceremony.[60] His father, Carl, had became an atheist in response to Hitler and the Holocaust.[61] Reiner identified as an atheist on the January 13, 2012, episode of Real Time with Bill Maher.[62][63] He later said that, while he rejected organized religion, he was sympathetic to the ideas of Buddhism.[62]
Death
Reiner, 78, and his wife Michele, 68, were found dead in their Brentwood Los Angeles home on December 14, 2025 by their daughter Romy with apparent stab wounds. [64][57] The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a medical aid call at the residence at 3:38 p.m. PST.[28][65][66] Shortly after phoning the police, Romy called Billy Crystal, Reiner's longtime friend and collaborator, who rushed to the home with his wife.[67]
On December 14, Los Angeles police arrested Nick Reiner, the second son of Rob and Michele Reiner, in the Exposition Park area on suspicion of murder.[68][69] Nick had been living with his parents at the time.[28] Rob and Nick had attended a Christmas party hosted by Conan O'Brien on the evening of December 13 and had gotten into a verbal argument.[70] Reportedly, Nick Reiner had been disruptive at the party, and had made guests feel uneasy.[71] Sources who attended the party but wished to remain anonymous told The New York Times that the loud verbal argument between Nick and Rob started after Rob told him his behavior at the party was not appropriate.[72] Nick Reiner was held without bail at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility,[73] and on December 16 he was charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a special circumstance of multiple murders by Los Angeles County District AttorneyNathan Hochman.[74][75][76]
Tributes and reaction
Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass called Reiner's death a "devastating loss for our city and our country," citing his creative work and advocacy for social justice.[77] California governor Gavin Newsom said he was "heartbroken", praising Reiner's "boundless empathy" and his advocacy for children and civil rights.[78]
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton said, "Hillary and I are heartbroken by the tragic deaths of our friends Rob and Michele Reiner. They inspired and uplifted millions through their work in film and television. And they were good, generous people who made everyone who knew them better through their active citizenship in defense of inclusive democracy, setting an example for us all to follow. Hillary and I will always be grateful for their friendship, unfailing kindness, and support."[86][79] Former U.S. president Barack Obama said that he and his wife, Michelle, were "heartbroken", noting Reiner's "deep belief in the goodness of people".[80] Former vice president Kamala Harris described the couple as "dear friends".[87]
Conversely, President Donald Trump expressed a lack of sympathy over Rob Reiner's death and wrote on Truth Social that "a very sad thing happened", stating Reiner and his wife "reportedly died due to the anger he caused others" with "Trump derangement syndrome".[82][88][89][90] Trump's reaction was widely criticized[91][92] by both Republicans and Democrats; Republican critics included Mike Lawler, Don Bacon, and Stephanie Bice, as well as opponents of Trump such as Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie.[93] Asked about his post during an event that afternoon, Trump reiterated that Reiner was "very bad for our country" and a "deranged person", accusing him of being one of those behind "the Russia hoax", a reference to the Russia investigation origins conspiracy theory.[94][95][96]
Reiner was a notable figure in the development of mainstream American cinema and television. This Is Spinal Tap popularized the mockumentary genre, and its use of improvisation was revolutionary for a Hollywood film. The movie established conventions that later filmmakers adopted in both cinema and television, particularly in comedy built around realism, parody, and unscripted performance. Its success also contributed to the wider acceptance of mock-documentary formats in mainstream media.[97] It is also considered one of the greatest comedies of all time.[19]
Across the 1980s and 1990s, Reiner directed a series of films that became enduring cultural reference points in multiple genres, including coming-of-age drama Stand by Me, fantasy romance The Princess Bride, and romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally....[97]The Princess Bride is credited with having numerous phrases enter the regular lexicon.[19]
When Harry Met Sally..., in particular, helped redefine the modern romantic comedy through its balanced focus on male and female perspectives[97] and is considered one of the greatest romantic comedies of all time.[19] Reiner has regularly been cited by critics as having one of the greatest directing streaks in Hollywood with his first seven films.[19]The Bucket List popularized the eponymous term.[19] Three of Reiner's films – When Harry Met Sally..., The Princess Bride and This is Spinal Tap – have been selected for preservation by the National Film Registry for cultural, historical, and aesthetic contributions.[98]
Reiner in 2013
Following his death, CNN published an article describing how Reiner "changed movies forever by challenging himself as an artist".[99] In its obituary, the Associated Press noted that Reiner was "the son of a comedy giant who became one himself as one of the preeminent filmmakers of his generation".[100]
Beyond his work as a director, Reiner had a significant impact as a producer and studio executive through Castle Rock Entertainment. The company was instrumental in bringing influential film and television projects to a wide audience, most notably Seinfeld, which reshaped expectations of what network television comedy could achieve. Castle Rock also produced several highly regarded films, including The Shawshank Redemption (1994) and The Green Mile (1999), both of which achieved long-term critical and popular recognition.[97]
Reiner was also one of the most prominent liberals within Hollywood due to his activism in the 2000s.[19] His political legacy includes activism to make same-sex marriage a constitutional right, an initiative to fund childhood programs with taxes from the sale of tobacco, and his outspoken criticism of politician Donald Trump.[101]
Directed Academy Award performances Under Reiner's direction, these actors have received Academy Award wins and nominations for their performances in their respective roles.
↑"We're not equal? How are we not equal?" Rob Reiner on Real Time with Bill Maher, in response to Maher's statement, "I would argue atheists are [not considered equal under the law]". Maher then stated, "For a group that is about 17 percent now ... no representation in congress..." to which Reiner replied, "You're right about that-that we don't have that representation. I include myself in that same 17 percent." "Real Time with Bill Maher".
Michelle L. Price (December 15, 2025). "Trump levels political attack on Rob Reiner in inflammatory post after his killing". Associated Press. Retrieved December 15, 2025. Trump has a long track record of inflammatory remarks, but his comments in a social media post were a drastic departure from the role presidents typically play in offering a message of consolation or tribute after the death of a public figure. His message drew criticism even from conservatives and his supporters and laid bare Trump's unwillingness to rise above political grievance in moments of crisis.
Aaron Blake (December 15, 2025). "Trump's ugly Rob Reiner post undercuts the GOP's post-Charlie Kirk claims to civility". CNN. Retrieved December 15, 2025. The president might argue that calling their deaths "very sad" means he wasn't celebrating them. But his point was exceedingly clear — and ugly. It's also very difficult to square with how the GOP talked about social media posts in the wake of Kirk's death, emphasizing the importance of civility.
Jeff Mason (December 15, 2025). "Trump mocks slain actor Rob Reiner, drawing swift bipartisan condemnation". Reuters. Reuters. Retrieved December 15, 2025. President Donald Trump mocked Rob Reiner in a social media post on Monday, suggesting the slain actor and director died because of his anti-Trump views — a remark that triggered swift and bipartisan backlash for injecting politics into a family tragedy.
Sophie-Hélène Lebeuf (December 15, 2025). "Donald Trump critiqué pour son attaque sur Rob Reiner". Radio Canada International. Retrieved December 15, 2025. Des membres de la communauté artistique et des élus, y compris une poignée de républicains, ont dénoncé, lundi, le message politisé et dénué d'empathie du président américain, Donald Trump, après le meurtre du réalisateur Rob Reiner, militant proche des démocrates.
"US-Präsident erntet massive Kritik für Kommentar zu getötetem Regisseur Rob Reiner"[The US president is facing massive criticism for his comment about the murdered director Rob Reiner.]. Der Spiegel (in German). Der Spiegel. December 15, 2025. Retrieved December 15, 2025. Nach dem Tod von »Harry und Sally«-Regisseur Rob Reiner und seiner Frau Michele bekunden viele Stars und Politiker ihre Trauer. Der US-Präsident sorgt mit seinen Abschiedsworten für Irritationen und Entrüstung – auch bei seinen Republikanern.
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