DIRECTOR · BORN 1947 · DIED 2025
Rob Reiner
- Born
- 6 March 1947
- Died
- 14 December 2025
- Known for
- The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), All in the Family (1971), Spinal Tap II: The End Continues (2025), Throw Momma from the Train (1987)
25 archived facts 5 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026
Rob Reiner (6 March 1947 – 14 December 2025) was an actor best known for The Wolf of Wall Street, All in the Family and Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.
Rob Reiner over the years
25 Interesting Facts About Rob Reiner
Interesting Facts (14)
- #001
- #002
Rob Reiner was one of Billy Crystal's best friends.
Rob Reiner: a sceneImage: Wikimedia Commons · Franz Richter ( User:FRZ ), CC BY-SA 2.5 - #003
Rob Reiner was a good friend of Robin Williams, and while grieving Williams's death by suicide, he revealed that he too suffered from depression, like Williams.
- #004
While growing up, Rob Reiner lived directly across the street from his future wife Penny Marshall's house in the Bronx.
- #005
While shooting the scene in Stand by Me (1986) in which Gordie and Vern are chased by a train, Rob Reiner could not get Wil Wheaton and Jerry O'Connell to look frightened enough, so after one take he kept yelling at them until they began to cry. He then filmed the scene again.
- #006
Rob Reiner was a co-writer of the first episode of Happy Days (1974).
- #007
Rob Reiner wore a wig on All in the Family (1971).
- #008
Despite their roles as Meathead and Archie on All in the Family (1971), Rob Reiner became quite close to actor Carroll O'Connor off camera.
- #009
Rob Reiner's acting mentor was Carroll O'Connor.
- #010
Rob Reiner is one of two directors with a film on both Roger Ebert's "Great Movies" list and his "Most Hated" list; This Is Spinal Tap (1984) is on the former and North (1994) on the latter. The other director is Bob Clark.
- #011
Reiner spearheaded a ballot initiative in California that proposed adding a tax on cigarettes to fund early childhood development programs. It passed by a narrow margin.
- #012
He replaced Ted Griffin as director of Rumor Has It… (2005). Principal photography was 12 days away.
- #013
Rob Reiner supported Al Gore in the 2000 presidential election.
- #014
Rob Reiner is Maud Winchester's brother-in-law.
Behind the Scenes (4)
- #015
In high school, he was close friends with Richard Dreyfuss, whom he later directed in Stand by Me (1986).
- #016
Casting agents Jane Jenkins and Janet Hirshenson worked on most of Rob's films, starting with The Sure Thing (1985).
- #017
He was a huge fan of The Beach Boys.
- #018
He supported Howard Dean in the 2004 presidential election.
Characters & Cast (1)
- #019
Reiner auditioned for and took a role on All in the Family (1971), though he did not expect the show to last long and believed it would not appeal to a broad audience. At the time, Reiner was only looking for temporary or part-time acting work, as his long-term goals were writing and directing.
Career & Awards (2)
- #020
Rob Reiner directed three of the films on the American Film Institute's 2002 list of the 100 greatest American love stories: When Harry Met Sally… (1989) at No. 25, The American President (1995) at No. 75, and The Princess Bride (1987) at No. 88.
- #021
Rob Reiner directed three films selected by the Library of Congress for the National Film Registry as "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: This Is Spinal Tap (1984), The Princess Bride (1987) and When Harry Met Sally… (1989).
Life & Family (4)
- #022
Among all the films he directed, Rob Reiner regarded Stand by Me (1986) as his masterpiece and his favorite film.
- #023
He died on the same day as actor Anthony Geary. Ironically, Reiner and Geary had appeared together in an episode of the long-running All in the Family (1971) television series. The episode was Judging Books by Covers (1971), which aired in the show's first season as its fifth episode, and Geary played Roger, the unconventional friend of Reiner's character Meathead whom Archie Bunker (played by Carroll O'Connor) initially believed to be gay.
- #024
His all-time favorite sports film was The Hustler (1961).
- #025
He graduated from Beverly Hills High School in 1964. Other famous alumni include Angelina Jolie, Michael Klesic, Nicolas Cage, Lenny Kravitz, David Schwimmer, Jonathan Silverman, Gina Gershon, Rhonda Fleming, Jackie Cooper, Antonio Sabato Jr., Pauly Shore, Michael Tolkin, Betty White, Corbin Bernsen, Elizabeth Daily, Albert Brooks and Crispin Glover.
Related pages
- Liam Neeson — Rob Reiner comes up in the facts on that page
- Tom Hanks — Rob Reiner comes up in the facts on that page
- Regarding Henry — Rob Reiner comes up in the facts on that page
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
- Wikipedia
- IMDb
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