Rob Reiner

Having grown up the son of famed comedian Carl Reiner, actor and director Rob Reiner emerged from his father's considerable shadow to become one of Hollywood's more successful directors, while prior to that, cementing his place in television history with his portrayal of Michael "Meathead" Stivic on the sitcom classic, "All in the Family" (CBS, 1971-79). Though he struggled for a short time trying to launch his own projects after leaving the show, Reiner entered feature directing with "This Is Spinal Tap" (1984), a mockumentary about a fictional British heavy metal band that became a cult classic. For the next eight years, Reiner went on an amazing directorial run that included "Stand By Me" (1986), "The Princess Bride" (1987) and "When Harry Met Sally " (1989) - all three of which became instant favorites and exemplary of their respective genres. In fact, "When Harry Met Sally " became the high-water mark for all romantic comedies, many of which tried and failed to match its creative success over the years. After turning in more fine efforts with "Misery" (1990) and "A Few Good Men" (1992), Reiner fell into a directing slump with "North" (1994), an abhorrent addition to an otherwise flawless career. He found his footing with "The American President" (1995), a great combination of romantic comedy and political drama that reaffirmed Reiner's stature as one of the most commercially successful directors working in Hollywood.