New Girl fans 'absolutely rocked' to find out Rob Reiner was an iconic director after his shocking murder
Rob Reiner's tragic death at 78 has had fans of 2010s sitcom The New Girl revealing that they found out he was an iconic director after his guest starring role on the show.
The bodies of Reiner and wife 68-year-old Michele Singer Reiner were found at their home in Brentwood, California on Sunday night.
Reiner's family released a statement on Sunday night which read: 'It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner. We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time.'
Police are currently investigating the two deaths as a homicide while the couple's bodies were discovered with what appeared to be knife wounds according to law enforcement sources for TMZ.
As social media was reacting to the tragic news, fans of The New Girl took to X (formally Twitter) to reveal that despite being the director to iconic films like When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men, Stand By Me, and Misery, they will always remember him for his role on the show.
Reiner portrayed father to main star Zooey Deschanel's Jess — named Bob Day — who was a sweet and beloved character on 11 episodes of the show from 2012 to 2018.
Rob Reiner's tragic death at 78 has had fans of 2010s sitcom The New Girl revealing that they found out he was an iconic director after his guest starring role on the show; he is pictured with Zooey Deschanel and Jamie Lee Curtis in an episode that aired in May 2018
Hockey writer Pete Blackburn wrote on X: 'I know this is insane but my introduction to Rob Reiner was Jess's dad on "New Girl" and my world was absolutely rocked when I visited his Wikipedia page
Hockey writer Pete Blackburn wrote on X: 'I know this is insane but my introduction to Rob Reiner was Jess's dad on "New Girl" and my world was absolutely rocked when I visited his Wikipedia page.
'Just an absolute monster director & someone who made me smile anytime he showed up on screen.'
Another wrote: 'One of my all time favorite shows is New Girl. Rob Reiner plays the dad in the show and comes in with the funniest stuff, and whenever I had a rough day I'd watch those episodes to get a laugh. Sending Prayers [prayer hands emoji.'
A different X user said: 'I know everyone is talking about his amazing movies but I keep thinking about how I absolutely love Rob Reiner in New Girl as Jess's dad. Beyond goofy and lovable.'
Many fans also mourned as they lauded his 'exceptional' and 'incredible' performance in The Wolf of Wall Street.
In the 2013 comedy, he played Max Belfort, the father to Leonardo DiCaprio's Jordan Belfort, after taking a brief break from acting.
Several X users tweeted that though there were few of his appearances and lines overall, Reiner 'stole every scene he was in.
One fan remembers him as 'an exceptional talent.'
The bodies of Reiner and wife 68-year-old Michele Singer Reiner were found at their home in Brentwood, California on Sunday night; Reiner and Singer pictured in March in LA
Police are currently investigating the two deaths as a homicide while the couple's bodies were discovered with what appeared to be knife wounds according to law enforcement sources for TMZ
Reiner portrayed father to main star Zooey Deschanel's Jess - named Bob Day - who was a sweet and beloved character on 11 episodes of the show from 2012 to 2018 (he is pictured with Jamie Lee Curtis who portrayed Jess's mother)
Another tweeted: 'Rob Reiner's turn as Mad Max in The Wolf of Wall Street always stood out to me.'
They praised his craft and skills as they wrote that he was 'incredibly nuanced with impeccable timing, what a talent.'
'Leo's physical comedy gets lauded a lot in Wolf of Wall Street but this is also some incredible stuff from Reiner,' a social media user wrote. 'RIP this is all so awful.'
Another X user shared that though they were not exactly versed in his work, they remembered him for his performance as Max Belfort.
'Rest in peace to rob reiner and michele reiner. i haven't seen any of his movies but i've been crying laughing at his role in the wolf of wall street since i was thirteen years old,' they wrote.
As fans continue to reshare and highlight his acclaimed films, another person tweeted about the 2010 rom-com drama that Reiner co-wrote and directed, based on the same name novel by Wendelin Van Draanen in addition to The Wolf of Wall Street.
'Flipped was the first Reiner movie I watched and because of nostalgia, I hold a very special place of this in my heart,' they tweeted.
'And his appearance in The Wolf Of Wall Street was one of my favourite of his. I just can't stop laughing whenever he's on screen.'
Many other fans of The New Girl posted their condolences and posted about what joy Reiner's character brought to their lives
In September, Reiner released Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, the sequel to his iconic 1984 mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, which he co-wrote, directed and appeared in.
Reiner followed his father, the comic actor and filmmaker Carl Reiner, into Hollywood. He was preceded in death by Carl, who died in 2020 at 98.
Reiner first emerged as an actor in the 1970s, stepping into the entertainment industry like his father did, and is best known for his role as Michael 'Meathead' Stivic on All In The Family.
He won two Emmy Awards and was nominated for five Golden Globes during his stint on the series from 1971 to 1978.
Reiner helped reinvent his career in the 1980s with his forward-looking comedy This Is Spinal Tap, which would go on to inspire countless mockumentaries.
He became one of Hollywood's most in-demand directors for the next two decades due to classics and box office hits, including Stand By Me (1986), The Princess Bride (1987), Misery (1990), A Few Good Men (1992), The American President (1995) and The Bucket List (2007).
Many fans also mourned as they lauded his 'exceptional' and 'incredible' performance in The Wolf of Wall Street. In the 2013 comedy, he played Max Belfort, the father to Leonardo DiCaprio's Jordan Belfort; he is pictured with his wife at the December 2013 premiere
Several X users tweeted that though there were few of his appearances and lines overall, Reiner 'stole every scene he was in.' One fan remembers him as 'an exceptional talent'
Another tweeted: 'Rob Reiner's turn as Mad Max in The Wolf of Wall Street always stood out to me.' They praised his craft and skills as they wrote that he was 'incredibly nuanced with impeccable timing, what a talent'
'Leo's physical comedy gets lauded a lot in Wolf of Wall Street but this is also some incredible stuff from Reiner,' a social media user wrote. 'RIP this is all so awful'
Another X user shared that though they were not exactly versed in his work, they remembered him for his performance as Max Belfort. 'Rest in peace to rob reiner and michele reiner. i haven't seen any of his movies but i've been crying laughing at his role in the wolf of wall street since i was thirteen years old'
As fans continue to reshare and highlight his acclaimed films, another person tweeted about the 2010 rom-com drama that Reiner co-wrote and directed, based on the same name novel by Wendelin Van Draanen in addition to The Wolf of Wall Street
Despite focusing his efforts on directing, Reiner continued to act in his later years, including a role as the father of Leonardo DiCaprio's lead character in Martin Scorsese's acclaimed The Wolf Of Wall Street (2013), as well as later roles in his own film And So It Goes (2014), the Adam Sandler–starring comedy Sandy Wexler (2017) and, most recently, his Spinal Tap sequel.
Reiner's 1989 film When Harry Met Sally is widely considered one of the greatest romantic comedies ever made.
It was on the set of that film that Reiner met his future wife, the photographer Michele Singer. The two were married in 1989 and went on to welcome three children: Jake, Nick and Romy.
Reiner was previously married to the late actress and filmmaker Penny Marshall, and he adopted her daughter, Tracy Reiner. Marshall died in 2018 at 75.
Reiner's son Nick Reiner, 32, has previously spoken about his struggles with drug addiction and bouts of homelessness.
In 2016, Rob directed the film Being Charlie, a semi-autobiographical drama written by Nick that he said was inspired by his numerous rehab visits, the first of which was around when he turned 15.
In September, Reiner (R) released Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, the sequel to his iconic 1984 Mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, which he co-wrote, directed and appeared in; pictured with star and co-writer Christopher Guest (L)
Reiner followed his father, the comic actor and filmmaker Carl Reiner, into Hollywood. Reiner died in 2020 at 98; pictured together in 1999
Reiner first emerged as an actor and is best known for his role as Michael 'Meathead' Stivic on All In The Family. He won two Emmy Awards and was nominated for five Golden Globes during his stint on the series from 1971 to 1978; Sally Struerhs, Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton and Reiner pictured on the series
Renier and his wife met on the set of 1989's When Harry Met Sally and wed that year. They shared three children, Nick (not pictured), Jake (L) and Romy (second to left). Romy reportedly lives with her children in a house across the street from her parents; pictured together in January 2024 in LA
Reiner's son Nick has previously spoken about his struggles with drug addiction and bouts of homelessness. He first went to rehab around his 15th birthday; pictured together in 2016 in NYC
Nick, who co-wrote the semi-autobiographical film Being Charlie (2016), which his dad directed. He told People that he had been to rehab 18 times as of 2016, and he lived on the streets after refusing to go back and allegedly having no where else to go; Nick (R) is pictured with Michel and Rob in 2013 in LA
'I was homeless in Maine. I was homeless in New Jersey. I was homeless in Texas,' Nick recalled while speaking about the film in a 2016 interview with People. 'I spent nights on the street. I spent weeks on the street. It was not fun.'
Nick, who said he had gone to rehab 17 more times as of 2016, also claimed to have live on the streets after he refused to go back to a rehab program.
Nick, who was 22 at the time, said in 2016 that his last rehab stint had been three years earlier.
He said at the time of Being Charlie's release that he hoped to stay off drugs so that he would never be homeless again.
'When I was out there, I could’ve died. It’s all luck. You roll the dice and you hope you make it,' he told People.
