Rob Reiner discussed what he considered his finest work during an interview three months prior to his passing.
The acclaimed Hollywood director and actor, celebrated for a wide array of classic films and TV shows such as When Harry Met Sally, New Girl, and The Wolf of Wall Street, along with his wife of over thirty years, Michele Singer Reiner, were discovered deceased in their Brentwood, Los Angeles home on Sunday (December 14).
Authorities reported that they responded to a call at the residence around 3:38 pm local time to render medical assistance, but found 78-year-old Reiner and 68-year-old Michele already dead. As reported by Sky News, the couple’s remains showed signs of ‘stab wounds’.
The Los Angeles Police Department has confirmed that their homicide unit is now examining the case, which they suspect to be an ‘apparent homicide’.
The couple’s 32-year-old son, Nick Reiner, has been apprehended and is being held on suspicion of murder. He is currently detained without bail.
In a recent conversation with British journalist Piers Morgan on his program Piers Morgan Uncensored, the late filmmaker discussed the project he wished to be remembered for.
Morgan posed the question: “I’m not expecting this to happen anytime soon, Rob, you’re looking like a fine, healthy figure of a man. But should the moment come when we need to remember the work of Rob Reiner, which is the one for you, of everything that you’ve ever done, that you’d most like to be remembered for?”
The nine-time Golden Globe winner humorously remarked, “People have their favorites, the cliche [is], we love all our children, even the bad ones.”
Reiner then elaborated, “I always say, Stand By Me, to me, is the one that meant the most to me.”
The Californian filmmaker directed the drama, adapted from Stephen King’s novella, The Body, in 1986. The film features a distinguished cast and follows a group of boys seeking the body of a missing peer.
“I don’t know that it’s the best; it’s for other people to decide,” Reiner added. “But it’s the one that meant the most to me because it really is an extension of my personality and my sensibility.
“It has a mixture of humor and melancholy and emotion. It’s closest to me of all of the films I’ve done.”
Morgan mentioned that he personally favored When Harry Met Sally, a film for which Reiner had disclosed in another interview that he altered the ending to a happy one after meeting Michele, who later became his wife, during its production.
The broadcaster has since shared the interview, which took place just weeks before Reiner’s sudden demise, on X, formerly Twitter, with the message: “Very poignant clip from my interview with Rob Reiner just three months ago,” accompanied by a broken heart emoji.
This now-unsettling interview has surfaced as law enforcement officials stated in a press conference on Monday (December 15) that the couple’s son is being treated as a potential suspect in their deaths.
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell also mentioned that a search warrant was executed at their West Los Angeles property, and although he couldn’t disclose the purpose or results, he noted the search was ‘critical’ to the investigation.
A statement from LAPD on X said: “As a result of the initial investigation, it was determined that the Reiners were the victims of homicide.
“The investigation further revealed that Nick Reiner, the 32-year-old son of Robert and Michele Reiner, was responsible for their deaths.
“Nick Reiner was located and arrested at approximately 9:15 pm. He was booked for murder and remains in custody with no bail.”