Hollywood filmmaker Rob Reiner and wife found dead at Los Angeles home

US authorities are investigating the deaths of director and actor Rob Reiner and his wife after the couple were found dead at their home in Los Angeles, in what police described as an apparent homicide.

The Los Angeles Police Department said on Sunday that officers were probing the deaths of two people discovered inside a residence, without initially identifying the victims. The Los Angeles Fire Department said it responded to a medical aid call shortly after 3:30pm local time and found a 78-year-old man and a 68-year-old woman deceased at the scene. Reiner turned 78 in March.

US media later identified the victims as Reiner, the filmmaker behind Hollywood classics including When Harry Met Sally, The Princess Bride, Stand by Me and This Is Spinal Tap, and his wife.

A law enforcement official cited by the Associated Press said investigators believe the couple suffered stab wounds and that a family member was being questioned in connection with the case. Authorities have not publicly named any suspects or announced arrests.

Reiner first rose to prominence as an actor on the 1970s television sitcom All in the Family before establishing himself as one of Hollywood’s most successful directors. He was the son of the late comedy writer and actor Carl Reiner and became known for a body of work that shaped American film and pop culture over several decades.

Beyond filmmaking, Reiner was also a prominent political activist, appearing in campaign ads against President George W Bush in 2004 and supporting Democratic candidates including John Kerry, Al Gore and Hillary Clinton.

“Rob Reiner’s contributions reverberate throughout American culture and society, and he has improved countless lives through his creative work and advocacy fighting for social and economic justice,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement.

Reiner married photographer Michele in 1989, and the couple had three children together. He was previously married to actor-director Penny Marshall from 1971 to 1981 and adopted her daughter, Tracy Reiner.