Born in New York City in 1947, Rob Reiner was immersed in the entertainment industry from a young age. His parents, Estelle Reiner (née Lebost) and Carl Reiner, were both actors and Rob eventually followed in their footsteps as a performer. He attended the University of California, Los Angeles where he was active in the school’s improv community. In the 1960s, he booked jobs in various TV series including Batman, Manhunt, and The Andy Griffith Show. Reiner gained wider recognition for his role as Meathead on All in the Family. While his success as a television actor continued, he began to direct Movies for Television including Sonny Boy (1974) and Likely Stories, Vol. 1 (1981). Reiner later collaborated with a few of his colleagues Harry Shearer, Michael McKean and Christopher Guest to create a satirical feature film based on a fictional heavy metal band. They worked together to make and would star in This is Spinal Tap, a primarily improvised mockumentary which was so successful that it springboarded his directorial career.
Reiner’s credits extend across multiple genres and decades. His filmography includes The Sure Thing (1985), Stand By Me (1986), The Princess Bride (1987), When Harry Met Sally… (1989), Misery (1990), A Few Good Men (1992), North (1994), The American President (1995), Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), Rumor Has It (2005), and LBJ (2016). He has also continued to direct Movies for Television including: I Am Your Child (1997), Everyday Life (2004), and 8 (2012).
For his directorial efforts, Reiner has been nominated by the DGA for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures for A Few Good Men (1992), When Harry Met Sally… (1989), and Stand By Me (1986).
Reiner has been a member of the Directors Guild since 1974.