Biography of Rob Reiner

Rob Reiner, born in 1947 in the Bronx, New York, was no stranger to the funny side of things growing up: he was the son of legendary comedian and writer/director Carl Reiner. As a young man, he was a comedy writer and performer himself, first coming to fame in the role of Meathead on CBS's All In The Family (1971-1979). He entered the world of film directing in the early 1980s and had an incredible, almost unparalleled run across the next eight years, creating diverse and hugely acclaimed films, some of which have become enshrined as the finest of their era: Stand By Me (1986), When Harry Met Sally (1989), Misery (1990), A Few Good Men (1992), and of course, The Princess Bride (1987). Few filmmakers, at least within the mainstream, can make a claim to a consecutive string like that.

Reiner's personal life is defined by avid political activism. Specifically, he identifies as a Democrat and has been a champion of such causes as anti-smoking, environmental preservation, and LGBTQ+ rights. Reiner is a co-founder of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, which initiated the court challenge against California Proposition 8 banning same-sex marriage in the state. He's also a member of the Social Responsibility Task Force, an organization advocating moderation where social issues (like violence and tobacco use) and the entertainment industry meet. He even toyed with the idea of running as a Democratic candidate against Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006, but decided against it for personal reasons. He was married to director and actress Penny Marshall from 1971-1981, and is presently married to photographer Michele Singer, whom he met on the set of When Harry Met Sally and with whom he has 3 children and 5 grandchildren.