Hollywood has suffered a tremendous blow, as Rob Rob Reiner, one of the most important directors of his generation, has died at 78. He was found dead of an apparent homicide alongside his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, in their home yesterday. People has more information regarding the suspect, which you can check out there as I won’t be divulging in the details.
Instead, the focus should be on his life and career. Rob Reiner was an industry heavyweight, the son of the legendary Carl Reiner. He started out, notably, as an actor starring as Meathead in All in the Family. He would channel his experience in front of the camera into a storied career behind the camera. Reiner would be responsible for definining the youth of many in our generation in the ’80s and ’90s with such classic films as This is Spinal Tap, Stand By Me, A Few Good Men, The Princess Bride, and When Harry Met Sally. It’s tough to think of a director who had a better run of movies, and that is just a small part of what Reiner accomplished during that period. For instance, he also created Castle Rock Entertainment, a studio that has been prolific in film and TV over the years.
Reiner was also a vocal political activist, whose liberal views mirrored those of his Meathead character. When not busy making movies, Reiner championed a number of causes and appeared frequently as a political pundit on numerous TV and radio broadcasts, where he proved to just as knowledgeable on that subject as he was on movies.
The final movie directed by Reiner was a return to one of his greatest hits, the sequel Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, released earlier this year.
A lot more is going to emerge about the tragic death of Rob and Michele Reiner, but it shouldn’t overshadow what a giant he was to the industry, and by all accounts, just a great human being.
