Who was Rob Reiner? Career, relationship and children of the Hollywood director found dead at his US home

Hollywood filmmaker Rob Reiner, known for When Harry Met Sally…, has died at the age of 78. He and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, 68, were found deceased on Sunday at their Brentwood, Los Angeles home. As per reports, the case was handed over to the LAPD’s Robbery Homicide Division.

As per TMZ, the investigators observed wounds consistent with a knife attack. No further details or official cause of death have been revealed yet, but the probe is underway. Let's take a look at Hollywood icon Rob Reiner's family, career, and the legacy he left behind.

He was born in 1947 to comedian, writer, and director Carl Reiner and actress-singer Estelle Reiner in New York City. The family later moved to Beverly Hills, and after completing his studies at Beverly Hills High School, he went to UCLA to study film. Reiner started his career in the entertainment industry with the role of Michael “Meathead” Stivic on Norman Lear’s sitcom All in the Family (1970s). It not only made him a household name but also earned him two Emmy Awards.

Reiner later shifted behind the camera from acting. His directorial debut was the 1984 mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, which became a cult classic. He then gave several fan-favourite films like Stand by Me (1986), The Princess Bride (1987), When Harry Met Sally… (1989), Misery (1990), and A Few Good Men (1992). For the last one, he earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. Over the years, he received multiple Golden Globe and Directors Guild of America nominations. His last directorial work was Spinal Tap II: The End Continues. As an actor, he worked in projects like Sleepless in Seattle, The Wolf of Wall Street, New Girl, 30 Rock, and The Bear.

The filmmaker married actress-director Penny Marshall in 1971, and he adopted Marshall’s daughter, Tracy Reiner. The duo parted their ways in 1981, but it is said they were close until Marshall died in 2018. Rob Reiner later met photographer and actress Michele Singer during When Harry Met Sally…, and they got married in 1989. They had three children together: Jake (1991), Nick (1993), and Romy (1997).

Apart from films, Reiner was also involved in political and social activism. He co-founded the American Foundation for Equal Rights, which is said to have made an important contribution in challenging California’s Proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage. As the news of his demise surfaced, his fans and industry colleagues flooded social media with tributes.