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Rob Reiner
Rob Reiner
Rob Reiner
Personal Information
Birthname: Robert Reiner
Born: (1947-03-06) March 6, 1947 (age 77)
Birthplace: Bronx, New York, United States
Occupation/
Career:
Actor, director, producer
Years active: 1959–present
Spouse(s): Penny Marshall (1971–1981)
Michele Singer (1989–present)
Character/Series involvement
Series: All in the Family
Character played: Michael Stivic a.k.a "Meathead" in Seasons 1-8
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Rob Reiner (born March 6, 1947) appeared as Michael "Meathead" Stivic, son-in-law of Archie and Edith Bunker (played by Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton), on All in the Family. That role earned him two Emmy Awards during the 1970s. Rob has worn multple hats in the entertainment industry as a highly successful actor, film director, and producer.

As a director, Rob has been recognized by the Directors Guild of America (DGA) with nominations for Stand by Me, When Harry Met Sally..., and A Few Good Men. He also directed Misery. He studied at the UCLA Film School.[1]

Early life[]

Reiner was born to a Jewish family in The Bronx, New York, and is the son of Estelle Reiner (née Lebost), an actress, and a comedian/actor/comedy writer, producer, and director Carl Reiner.[2] 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. Also, his latest film Flipped takes place at the corner of Bonnie Meadow Lane and Renfrew Street.

At the age of thirteen, Rob moved with his family to the Los Angeles, California 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.

Career[]

Reiner began his career writing for the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in 1968 and 1969. A few years later, Reiner became famous playing Michael Stivic, Archie Bunker's liberal son-in-law, on Norman Lear's 1970s sitcom All in the Family, which was the most-watched television program in the United States for five seasons (1971–1976). The character's nickname became closely associated with him, even after he had left the role and went on build a high-profile career as a director. Reiner has stated, "I could win the Nobel Prize and they'd write 'Meathead wins the Nobel Prize'."[3]

Beginning in the 1980s, Reiner became known as a film 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.[4]

Rob has also been the target of modern satire, notably in a South Park episode entitled "Butt Out". Reiner has made cameos on a number of movies and television shows, including Throw Momma from the Train, Sleepless in Seattle, Bullets Over Broadway, The First Wives Club, Primary Colors, Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, and the NBC-TV sitcom series 30 Rock.

Personal life[]

Rob was married to actress/director Penny Marshall, of ABC-TV's Laverne & Shirley fame from 1971 to 1981 and adopted Marshall's daughter from a previous marriage, actress Tracy Reiner. Reiner and Marshall divorced in 1981.

Rob 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.

Reiner has devoted considerable time and energy to liberal activism in recent years. His lobbying as an anti-smoking advocate in particular, earned his likeness a satirical role in a South Park episode titled "Butt-Out".

Reiner is a co-founder of the American Foundation for Equal Rights which initiated the defense team against California's passing of Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in the state.[5]

References[]

  1. Alumni of the UCLA Film School. Tft.ucla.edu. Retrieved on February 24, 2010. [dead link]
  2. Rob Reiner Biography (1947-). Filmreference.com. Retrieved on February 24, 2010.
  3. Yehey! Entertainment. Yehey.com. Retrieved on February 24, 2010.
  4. Rob Reiner. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved on February 24, 2010.
  5. Civil Rights Activist: Director Rob Reiner. WeHo Confidential (August 2010). Retrieved on April 14, 2012.

External links[]

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