Rob Reiner, the award-winning Hollywood actor and director, and his wife, Michele, were found dead in their home Sunday in Los Angeles. Officials said they were investigating the deaths as homicides. Rob Reiner was 78.

It was not immediately clear how they died. But the Los Angeles Police Department said it was investigating an “apparent homicide” at the couple’s home in West Los Angeles after two bodies were found.

As news of the deaths spread, public officials and members of the Hollywood community posted tributes.

Here’s what we know about Reiner’s death and his career:

Police Responded After Deaths Were Reported at Reiner’s House

Capt. Mike Bland of the Los Angeles Police Department said officers responded to reports of deaths at a home around 3:40 p.m. Sunday. Police identified it as Reiner’s residence and said officers discovered two bodies inside.

Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton said the department was conducting a “death investigation.” He said investigators were trying to obtain a search warrant for the home. Police blocked off the street where the couple lived with yellow tape.

Many of Reiner’s Movies Became Classics

Reiner was born in New York City’s Bronx borough to a successful show business family. His father, Carl Reiner, created “The Dick Van Dyke Show” in the 1960s, and his mother, Estelle Reiner, was an actress and a singer.

The younger Reiner enrolled in drama class in high school and landed roles in small theaters. He later created his own improv group.

He first rose to fame in the 1970s when he played Meathead, Archie Bunker’s son-in-law, on the sitcom “All in the Family.” He won two Emmy Awards for his work on the show.

Reiner made his directorial debut with the 1984 film “This is Spinal Tap,” a mockumentary about a British band past its prime that became a cult classic. He would later go on to direct “The Princess Bride” (1987) and the 1989 hit “When Harry Met Sally…”.

He Was a Democrat and Longtime Political Activist

In addition to being a Hollywood hitmaker, Reiner, a Democrat, was an outspoken supporter of political causes. In 1998, he spearheaded a ballot initiative in California to increase taxes on tobacco to pay for early childhood programs.

In 2005, he joined forces with labor unions to challenge some of the policies of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican. In 2006, voters rejected an initiative he led that, if successful, would have raised income taxes on top earners to pay for half-day preschool for all 4-year-olds in California. Later, he backed a legal campaign to persuade the Supreme Court to establish same-sex marriage as a constitutional right.

The stature of Reiner and his wife among the biggest names in the Democratic Party was evident in the tributes released after their death.

“Together, he and his wife lived lives defined by purpose,” former President Barack Obama said on social media. “They will be remembered for the values they championed and the countless people they inspired.”

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

By Jin Yu Young

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