Princess Bride Director Rob Reiner Dead at 78

A Few Good Men, This Is Spinal Tap, and The Princess Bride director Rob Reiner has been found dead in his Brentwood, Los Angeles home, alongside his wife, Michele. Reiner was 78. CNN has reported that the LAPD has explained it is investigating an apparent homicide.

A spokesperson for the Reiner family has confirmed the deaths and has asked for privacy on behalf of the family in the wake of the tragedy.

Rob Reiner’s long career in entertainment began gaining steam when he was cast as Michael Stivic on the 1970s US sitcom All in the Family, the son-in-law of lead character Archie Bunker. However, while Reiner won two Emmy Awards for his work on the show and would continue to find himself in front of the camera in various roles over the years, it was behind the camera that he established his reputation as an extremely versatile and capable director.

Reiner’s directorial debut was the music mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap in 1984. Reiner followed this much-loved cult comedy with the 1986 coming-of-age drama Stand By Me, the 1987 fantasy adventure The Princess Bride, the seminal romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally… in 1989, an adaptation of the Stephen King thriller Misery in 1990, and the Academy Award-nominated military courtroom drama A Few Good Men in 1992. Reiner’s most recent film was this year’s Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, making his final film the long-awaited sequel to his first.

Born in The Bronx, New York in 1947, Reiner was the son of legendary actor, comedian, director, and writer Carl Reiner (whose own seven-decade career began back during the golden age of television alongside fellow comedy icon Mel Brooks).

Luke is a Senior Editor on the IGN reviews team.