Rob Reiner's son Jake appears in first TV role since parents' deaths

Jake Reiner appears in the premiere episode of “Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness,” his first role since the death of his parents, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Rob Reiner and producer Michele Singer Reiner.

Larry David’s new HBO sketch show, which launched June 26 (Fridays, 9 p.m. ET/PT and streaming on HBO Max), airs his preferences and idiosyncrasies against a backdrop of historically significant events. While composing the Declaration of Independence, David, as Robert R. Livingston, expresses his desires to outlaw sharing an umbrella, wishing someone a “Happy New Year!” after Jan. 7 and informing another about your dream.

Jake, 35, went to the series' premiere on Tuesday, June 23, at the Hollywood Legion Theater in Los Angeles. He emerges in a skit about World War I, portraying the valiant Private Wallace. The soldier asks David to deliver a letter to his girlfriend should he die in the trenches. Naturally, David tries to shirk the duty.

“I’m very irresponsible,” David explains. “I lose stuff all the time.”

“It has to be you,” Wallace pleads. “I need you to deliver this in person.”

When Wallace is hit with enemy fire, he hands the letter to his comrade. David refuses, and Wallace tries again. Once more, David pushes his hand away. On Wallace’s third attempt, David accepts the letter while grimacing.

“In person,” Wallace reaffirms with his dying breath.

When did Jake Reiner begin acting?

Jake left his role as a broadcast journalist at Houston’s NBC affiliate in 2018 to pursue his dream of becoming an actor.

"When I was growing up in LA, and in high school there, I was in all the plays and the musicals,” he told the Houston Chronicle at the time. “I took improv classes, took stand-up comedy classes, and I was always wanting to perform."

“Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness” is one of a handful of upcoming projects for Jake, who last appeared as a reporter in 2025’s “War of the Worlds,” according to his IMDb page. According to the industry website, Jake cowrote a forthcoming comedy titled “You Drive Me Nuts,” in which he stars alongside his sister, Romy Reiner, 28.

What has Jake Reiner said about his parents Rob and Michele Reiner's deaths?

Jake revealed in an essay about his parents, which was published on Substack in April, that Romy informed him of their deaths. Rob and Michele Reiner, who were married in 1989, were found mortally wounded in their Brentwood home Dec. 14, 2025. Their younger son, Nick Reiner, 32, was arrested that evening and charged with murdering them. He pleaded not guilty in February; his next court appearance is scheduled for September.

“My world, as I knew it, had collapsed,” Jake shared with readers in his essay. “I was in a trance. The only thing I could focus on was that I needed to get to my childhood home. I needed to get to my sister. I needed to figure out what the hell just happened.”

Amid the “living nightmare,” he reflected on his relationships with his “hero” father and his mother, described as “the engine, the backbone, and the heart of our entire family.”

“Just like my mom, my dad also supported me in whatever I wanted to do with my life,” Reiner wrote. “I was nervous when I made the switch from broadcasting to acting because I didn’t know how he’d react. I guess I should’ve known because all he ever wanted was for me to be happy and love what I do. I wish he and I could’ve worked on a project together from start to finish. I miss him so much.”

Reiner added that losing his parents simultaneously with his brother “at the center of it” feels “almost too impossible to process.”

The Reiners are remembered by Michelle Obama, who also worked on 'Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness'

On the day of their deaths, Rob and Michele had plans to see Michelle and Barack Obama, executive producers of “Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness.” The former president is also a cocreator of the seven-episode series.

The two couples had known each other “for many, many years,” the former first lady told Jimmy Kimmel in an appearance on his ABC talk show Dec. 15.

“Let me just say this: Unlike some people, Rob and Michele Reiner are some of the most decent, courageous people you ever want to know,” Michelle said, alluding to President Donald Trump’s disparaging post on Truth Social that claimed Rob Reiner died "due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME…"

“They're not deranged or crazed,” the former first lady added. “What they have always been are passionate people. In a time when there's not a lot of courage going on, they were the kind of people who were ready to put their actions behind what they cared about. And they cared about their family and they cared about this country and they cared about fairness and equity. And that is the truth. I do know them.”