Veteran director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were found dead in their Hollywood home.
Well, this is just awful news. Legendary director Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife Michele, 70, were found dead of stab wounds in their home in Brentwood, California, today, victims of an apparent double homicide. The Los Angeles Fire Department reported the bodies at approximately 3.30pm local time. LAPD’s Robbery Homicide Division is now investigating. People is reporting that the Reiners’ son, Nick, 32, is the chief suspect at this point, and that the bodies were discovered by their daughter, Romy.
A spokesperson for the family issued a statement saying, “It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner. We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time.”
The son of comedy legend and frequent Mel Brooks sparring partner Carl Reiner, Rob first came to prominence as an actor, appearing as Mike “Meathead” Stivic in the landmark sitcom All In The Family from 1971 to 1979. However, it was as a director that he really made his mark, starting with the immortal -and recently sequelised – This Is Spinal Tap in 1984, a formidable contender for the funniest movie ever made.
As a filmmaker, Reiner was a classicist with a deft touch that allowed him to tackle a wide swathe of genres: the era-defining rom-com When Harry Met Sally; the genre-defying fairy tale The Princes Bride; military courtroom drama A Few Good Men, which was a meme before memes were memes. He even managed to make two of the best Stephen King adaptations of all time in Stand By Me and Misery; his production company was named for King’s fictional small town, Castle Rock, and was responsible for producing City Slickers, The Shawshank Redemption, Waiting for Guffman, Miss Congeniality, Best in Show, Michael Clayton, and Seinfeld.
His final film, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, was released earlier this year. Our thoughts go out to the Reiners’ family and loved ones.
