Born March 6, 1947 in The Bronx, New York, Robert “Rob” Reiner is an American actor, director, producer, writer and political activist. As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence as Archie and Edith Bunker’s (played by Carroll O’Connor and Jean Stapleton, respectively) son-in-law, Michael “Meathead” Stivic, on All in the Family. That role earned him two Emmy Awards during the 1970s. As a director, Reiner was recognized by the Directors Guild of America (DGA) with nominations for Stand by Me, When Harry Met Sally, and A Few Good Men.
Robert Reiner was born to a Jewish family. He is the son of Estelle Reiner, an actress, and Carl Reiner, a comedian, actor, writer, producer, and director. As a child, Reiner lived in New Rochelle, New York, where his family lived at 48 Bonnie Meadow Road. This is similar to 148 Bonnie Meadow Road, the fictional address of the Petries on The Dick Van Dyke Show, the 1960s CBS sitcom created by his father. He spent his early years surrounded by show business personalities such as Sid Caesar and Mel Brooks, while his father worked on hit television program Your Show of Shows in the early 1950s. At the age of 13, Rob moved with his family to the Los Angeles area, where he attended Beverly Hills High School with Richard Dreyfuss, Bonnie Franklin and Albert Brooks. He went on to enroll at the University of California, Los Angeles. He has a sister, Sylvia Anne (Annie) Reiner (born 1957), who is a poet, playwright, and author; and a brother, Lucas Reiner (born 1960), a painter, actor, and director.
In 1967, Reiner made his film debut in Enter Laughing, a romantic comedy written and directed by his father. He also worked as a writer for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. He got his first taste of success as Mike “Meathead” Stivic on the popular sitcom All in the Family. For seven years, Reiner played “Meathead,” a liberal intellectual who frequently clashed with his father-in-law. Reiner left the show after the 1977-1978 season to pursue other opportunities. He starred in the short-lived show Free Country, which ran during the summer of 1978.
Beginning in the 1980s, Reiner became known as a director of successful Hollywood films. Some of these films—The Princess Bride, Stand by Me, and This Is Spinal Tap— remain highly popular with fans. He often collaborates with film editor Robert Leighton, whom he also shares with fellow director-actor Christopher Guest as their go-to editor. Reiner has gone on to direct other critically and commercially successful films with his own company, Castle Rock Entertainment, such as When Harry Met Sally…, Misery, and his most commercially successful work A Few Good Men.
By the end of the 1990s, Reiner had become very active in liberal politics. He was a supporter and friend to Al Gore during his 2000 presidential bid. From 1999 to 2006, Reiner served as the chairman for First 5 California, but he had to resign because of a conflict of interest. He aggressively campaigned for another educational initiative for free preschool education while serving as chairman.
Rob Reiner was married to actress-director Penny Marshall from 1971 to 1981 and adopted Marshall’s daughter from a previous marriage, actress Tracy Reiner. Reiner and Marshall divorced in 1981. Reiner married photographer Michele Singer in 1989. They have three children. In 1997, Reiner and wife Michele founded the “I Am Your Child Foundation,” now “Parents’ Action for Children,” a non-profit organization promoting early childhood development by producing and distributing celebrity-hosted educational videos for parents.
Rob Reiner Photo Gallery
