Losing Rob Reiner: Requiescat, Meathead, Marty, Mad Max & More

The sudden losses of Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, 70, have truly shaken the entertainment world. While they died on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Los Angeles—and had a few homes there—Reiner also felt like a New York guy. He was born here, his parents, Carl and Estelle, were Yiddish-speaking Jews from the Bronx, and he first became known playing Michael “Meathead” Stivic, the Polish-American liberal nemesis-of-sorts to Carroll O’Connor’s Nixon-loving Archie Bunker in All in the Family, which was set in Astoria, Queens. Though the show’s sitcom address of 704 Hauser St. in Astoria was fake, the iconic house exterior really exists at 89-70 Cooper Ave. in Glendale, Queens.

As an actor, the now silver-haired Reiner memorably returned to a city setting playing Leonardo DiCaprio’s father in Martin Scorsese’s 2013 masterpiece, The Wolf of Wall Street. “They called him Mad Max because of his hair-trigger temper,” the voiceover says, “which could be set off by something as innocuous as a ringing telephone.” The phone rings. Reiner, who is watching his favorite TV show explodes: “Who the f**k has the goddamn gall to call the house on a Tuesday night? . . . Goddammit! I wait all week for the fu**ing ‘Equalizer’ and . . . ”

As a filmmaker, one of Reiner’s greatest successes was set here, 1989’s When Harry Met Sally. While shooting the picture’s iconic fake orgasm scene with Meg Ryan, Reiner’s mom was on set at Katz’s Delicatessen and, seeing the ersatz ecstatic performance, uttered the immortal words: “I’ll have what she’s having.” In recognition of this slice of cinematic lore, Katz’s posted an Instagram tribute to the director the following Monday, Dec. 15. The dedication included two pictures of Reiner at the still-renowned pastrami house on Houston Street at Ludlow, as well as a photo of a sign that reads, “Where Harry Met Sally. . . . Hope You Have What She Had! Enjoy.”

The Reiners were also our neighbors in what is known as the Malibu Colony. I interviewed him several times over the years, and when I told him 1995’s The American President was one of my favorite movies, he admitted he was surprised that it was ignored by Oscar nominators.

And, of course, talent was all in the family—his own. His father, Carl, was a legend in the TV universe: part of the Sid Caesar crowd now being celebrated in a new book called When Caesar Was King, by David Margolick. Carl died in 2020 and so lived long enough to watch his son go from being “Meathead” on TV to trying his hand at directing films. That roster included This is Spinal Tap, Stand By Me, The Princess Bride, A Few Good Men, and more. Among Reiner’s later, less-well-known pictures, the 2015 feature Being Charlie, co-written by his son Nick, and the 2023 documentary, Albert Brooks: Defending My Life, represent two ineffable poles of his life and art.

While he was hardly a jock, Rob loved the LA Dodgers and was a surprisingly good athlete. Longtime Malibu tennis coach Tim Barry played with him and his kids. “Rob and I broke the record with a 150-shot rally,” Barry recalls.

The Reiners were known as political activists, but they also made waves—pardon the pun—in the beach community. First, by insisting on stricter pet regulations: making sure that you-know-what was picked up properly. Later, Michele tried organizing the city of Malibu into fighting a proposed Whole Foods. When she told me she feared it would bring too much traffic, I pointed out that there were Whole Foods in every other Westside community. She lost my vote and that campaign. But I appreciated her spirit.

Those who worked with Rob have only positive memories. “Perhaps the loveliest audition I ever had was for The American President, says actress Wendie Malick. “The whole office seemed happy and welcoming, and meeting Rob felt like reconnecting with an old friend. That film was a gift. We rehearsed for a couple weeks before shooting, which allowed us all to bond with our scene partners and eat fabulous food. The man was a true patriot. He exuded joy and compassion, and challenged us to live up to this country’s promise: an extraordinary human being.”

“So many of us owe Rob everything,” adds NY-based music producer Marc Shaiman, whose new memoir has plenty of Reiner included. He did the scores for almost all his films. “Rob was a leader, a father, a brother. This was a gut punch we will never get over.”

Amen to that!