I won’t bother providing a link, since every news outlet is reporting on this. It’s tragic, and becoming more so as the day goes along.
I was in grade school when All In The Family debuted. It was by far the edgiest thing that had come out on television up to that point, and it was a game-changer…perhaps the biggest one on network TV. It was also must-see TV, and my family all sat down and watched it together every Saturday night.
Reiner was great as Mike Stivic (indeed, the whole cast was fantastic), and my much-older brother in particular could relate to him. Reiner defied the curse that many television stars suffered from when they found themselves defined by the role that brought them fame, by achieving even greater success as a movie director. His run in the 80s and 90s was remarkable, and I remember almost all of those movies were date-night material for me (it may have even helped me get laid a time or two).
This is one of those people where I can easily put aside their political activism in recent years, and appreciate the body of work they created over multiple decades.
Godspeed, Meathead.