Richard Bodin
A bomb dropped this morning. World renowned director Rob Reiner died with his wife Michele Singer Reiner, both stabbed to death. Their bodies were found Sunday 14 December by their daughter Romy, in their Hollywood home.
Investigation still ongoing
Initially, the LAPD reported that the bodies of a 78-year-old man and a 68-year-old woman had been found, in his house. It was confirmed soon after that bodies were Rob Reiner’s and his wife’s, and that the matter was investigated as an apparent homicide. As details followed, we learnt that the couple had been stabbed to death. While there is yet no official suspect or person of interest, a member of the family is being questioned in relation with the investigation. Unofficial reports hint to the involvement of Nick Reiner, their son. But nothing has yet officially been confirmed.
A Life Shaped by Comedy and Cinema
This news really comes as shock to everyone. Rob Reiner, son of comic actor Carl Reiner and singer Estelle Rebost, was born in 1947, started in the industry at a young age. He starred in TV shows such as All In The Family or movies like Where’s Poppa (directed by his father). Rob made his directorial debut with the phenomenal This Is Spinal Tap (1984). The movie became a major reference for the mockumentary genre, inspiring many successful films or TV Shows like The Office.
Reiner followed this excellent debut with The Sure Thing (1985), and the coming-of-age classic Stand By Me (1986). He felt especially proud with this movie as it was the first time he expressed himself outside of the fatherly shadow. “Spinal Tap was satire, and I love satire, but that was something my father had done. And The Sure Thing was romantic comedy and he had done those. So Stand By Me was the first thing I did that was purely an extension of myself, and that meant a lot to me,” he told the Guardian.
Rob Reiner went on to be one of the most important directors of his generation. He signed major movies like The Princess Bride (1987), When Harry Met Sally (1989), Misery (1990), A Few Good Men (1994)… The director met his wife, photographer Michele Singer on the set for When Harry Met Sally. Their love story reportedly led him to alter the movie for a more happy ending. They married in 1989 and had three children together: Jake, Nick and Romy.
Staying True to His Vision
As year went on, Reiner was always true to himself, to produce and direct his ‘little movies’ as he wanted, despite the difficulties to find proper fundings. “I’m making the movies I want to make. But it’s not with the same kind of support system that I had, and so it’s much more difficult,” he explained. “Studios are looking for hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars in profit and you’re not going to get it with a little movie … I came into this business to express myself and tell stories, not just churn out a product.”
Rob and Michele were also fierce advocates for same-sex marriage and founded the American Foundation for Equal Rights. They were also very much involved in organisation for children’s rights.
A Legacy That Endures
Their loss comes as a shock to the world, myself included. Rob Reiner’s filmography counts many of my all-time favourite films, starting with This Is Spinal Tap. I was genuinely excited earlier this year by the announcement of Spinal Tap 2: The End Continues, a reminder of how alive and enduring his work still felt. Who hasn’t laughed to tears with The Princess Bride, or experienced the quiet intensity of Stand By Me? “It’s such a fine line between stupid and clever,” Spinal Tap once joked — but Reiner’s career was defined by intelligence, warmth and humanity. In moments like this, it is still hard to fully grasp the loss.
