Police were investigating murder on Monday after Rob Reiner, director of Hollywood hit films including “When Harry Met Sally”, and his wife were found dead in their Los Angeles home.
In a tribute to Reiner, 78, Los Angeles Deputy Police Chief Alan Hamilton said he wanted to interview “every family member” of the actor-director and his wife Michelle Singer Reiner.
The bodies were found on Sunday and police said they were treating the case as an “apparent murder”.
Several US news media quoted police sources as saying the couple had been stabbed, while celebrity news website TMZ, which first broke the story, reported on Monday that a family member had slit their throats during an argument.
The Los Angeles Times reported that a source with knowledge of the investigation said there was no sign of forced entry into the home.
Hamilton said no arrests have been made and no potential suspects or even persons of interest have been publicly identified.
He said, “I’m not going to confirm whether anyone is being interviewed at this time. We will try to talk to every member of the family to get to the facts of this investigation.”
Reiner, 78, directed classic films including the 1984 rock music mockumentary “This Is Spinal Tap,” the 1987 fantasy gem “The Princess Bride” and the 1992 courtroom drama “A Few Good Men.”
His films ranged from light-hearted comedies to intense dramas, earning him worldwide popularity.
Former US Vice President Kamala Harris was a friend of the couple and told Ax that she was “deeply saddened to learn of his passing”, while former President Barack Obama said he and his wife Michelle were “saddened” by the tragedy.
Obama said on
Movie heavyweight John Cusack said he “can’t understand any words” about the deaths.
Horror and thriller author Stephen King, whose novel “The Body” was the basis for Reiner’s 1986 classic “Stand by Me,” praised a “wonderful friend.”
“You always stood by me,” he wrote on X.
California Gavin Newsom posted, “Rob will be remembered for his remarkable filmography and his extraordinary contributions to humanity.”
– ‘I’ll have what he has’ –
Reiner rose to fame starring as oafish son-in-law Michael “Meathead” Stivic on the groundbreaking 1970s sitcom “All in the Family” before turning to directing. Also a force behind the camera, he often appeared in cameo roles in his films.
He directed the 1989 romantic comedy “When Harry Met Sally,” starring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan, and inspired his real-life mother Estelle Reiner to utter the line “I’d have what she’s had” after Ryan’s classic fake orgasm scene at Katz’s Delicatessen.
His 1992 thriller “A Few Good Men,” starring Hollywood stalwarts Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson, earned an Oscar nomination for best picture.
Renner was also a vocal supporter of progressive causes, supporting efforts to secure equal marriage rights for LGBTQ people and creating California’s First 5 program, which provides child development programs funded by taxes on tobacco products.
He also helped raise money for Democratic presidential candidates, including Hillary Clinton.
He was the son of legendary comedian Carl Reiner, who won 11 Emmy Awards for his television performances and wrote screenplays with film greats Mel Brooks and Neil Simon.
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