Rob Reiner, Iconic Filmmaker and Activist, Dies at 78 After Stabbing

Rob Reiner, the beloved filmmaker behind classics such as \”The Princess Bride\” and \”When Harry Met Sally…\”, died at 78 after a tragic stabbing at his home in Los Angeles.

The Tragic End

Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found fatally stabbed Sunday at their home in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Police Department on Monday arrested the Reiners’ 32‑year‑old son, Nick Reiner, and booked him on suspicion of killing his parents.

A Legacy of Film and Activism

Reiner’s career spanned more than four decades, during which he directed and acted in some of the most beloved films of the era. He began as a writer for \”The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour\” and landed a breakthrough role as Archie Bunker’s liberal son‑in‑law, Michael \”Meathead\” Stivic, in Norman Lear’s \”All in the Family\”. He was nominated seven times for an Emmy and won twice, in 1974 and 1978.

\”My father thought, ‘Oh, my God, this poor kid is worried about being in the shadow of a famous father,’\” Reiner told \”60 Minutes\” in October, recalling the temptation to change his name. \”And he says, ‘What do you want to change your name to?’ And I said, ‘Carl.’ I just wanted to be like him.\”

At 23, Reiner was cast in \”All in the Family\”. By the 1980s, he began directing feature films, starting with the improvised cult classic \”This Is Spinal Tap\” (1984). He followed with \”The Sure Thing\” (1985), \”Stand By Me\” (1986), \”The Princess Bride\” (1987) and \”When Harry Met Sally…\” (1989), a four‑year stretch that produced a trio of American classics.

\”Rest in peace, Rob,\” King said Monday on X. \”You always stood by me.\”

Reiner was a passionate Democrat activist, co‑founding the American Foundation for Equal Rights, challenging California’s Proposition 8, chairing the campaign for Proposition 10, and publicly criticizing President Donald Trump. Former President Barack Obama said in a statement, \”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.\”

Reiner married Penny Marshall in 1971; they divorced after ten years. He later married photographer Michele Singer in 1989, with whom he had three children: Nick, Jake and Romy.

\”If you’re a nepo baby, doors will open,\” Reiner told the Guardian in 2024. \”But you have to deliver. If you don’t deliver, the door will close just as fast as it opened.\”

\”It wasn’t just that he hired me for ‘All in the Family,’\” Reiner told \”American Masters\” in 2005. \”It was that I saw, in how he conducted his life, that there was room to be an activist as well. That you could use your celebrity, your good fortune, to help make some change.\”

\”All I’ve ever done is say, ‘Is this something that is an extension of me?’ For \”Stand by Me,\” I didn’t know if it was going to be successful or not. All I thought was, ‘I like this because I know what it feels like.\”

Key Takeaways

• Rob Reiner, 78, died after a fatal stabbing at his Los Angeles home; his 32‑year‑old son is charged.
• His filmography includes classics such as \”The Princess Bride\” and \”When Harry Met Sally…\”, and he was a two‑time Emmy winner.
• Reiner was a lifelong activist, co‑founding the American Foundation for Equal Rights and campaigning for Proposition 10.

Reiner’s death marks the end of a remarkable career that blended humor, heart, and a steadfast commitment to social change, leaving an indelible mark on both cinema and civic life.