Hollywood is in shock after the sudden death of director and actor Rob Reiner, who has been found dead in an apparent homicide at his Los Angeles home with his wife, Michele Singer Reiner.

Reiner’s peers paid tribute after reports began to emerge on Sunday afternoon that the bodies of a 78-year-old man and a 68-year-old woman had been found by authorities inside a home owned by Reiner in Brentwood, Los Angeles.

A spokesperson for the Reiner family later confirmed their deaths on Sunday evening, saying: “We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time.”

The director Paul Feig wrote on X: “Rob is one of my heroes. I had the honor of calling him a friend. I pray this isn’t what it sounds like it is. I just saw [him] and Michele two nights ago.”

Elijah Wood, who starred in Reiner’s 1994 family film North, posted: “Horrified to hear of the passing of Rob Reiner and his wonderful wife Michelle. So much love to their kids and family.”

The actor Josh Gad wrote: “He was one of the greatest directors of our time. He was a friend. He was simply a beautiful person. Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle were two of the most kind and caring souls you could ever imagine. He cared so much for those who had no voices. This loss is devastating. I cannot express how much this hurts.”

Paul Walter Hauser credited Reiner’s film A Few Good Men as “the reason I became an actor” and recalled meeting him in 2010.

“The guy just treated me with the friendliness and intimate details that few people of his stature would bother recounting to a total stranger,” Hauser wrote. “I hate that Rob and his wife are gone from this world, but they sure as hell impacted me and countless others while here … There was and will never be anyone better, in my opinion. Sick to my stomach. Headed back to set. Holding him close as I do the gig that he inspired me to do.”

The director Joe Russo posted: “I can’t handle the truth that one of the greatest filmmakers to ever live is gone. We lost one of the few good men. RIP, Rob Reiner.”

The California governor, Gavin Newsom, said he was “heartbroken” by the Reiners’ deaths, remembering Reiner as a “big-hearted genius” and paying tribute to his political activism.

“Rob was a passionate advocate for children and for civil rights – from taking on Big Tobacco, fighting for marriage equality, to serving as a powerful voice in early education. He made California a better place through his good works. Rob will be remembered for his remarkable filmography and for his extraordinary contribution to humanity,” he wrote in a statement.

The Democratic congresswoman Nancy Pelosi wrote: “Personally, Rob cared deeply about people and demonstrated that in his civic activities – whether by supporting the First 5 initiative or fighting against Prop 8 in California. Civically, he was a champion for the First Amendment and the creative rights of artists. And professionally, he was an iconic figure in film who made us laugh, cry and think with the movies he created.”

The Los Angeles mayor, Karen Bass, called Reiner’s death a devastating loss for the city.

“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,” Bass said in a statement. “An acclaimed actor, director, producer, writer, and engaged political activist, he always used his gifts in service of others.”

Few details have been revealed about the Reiners death so far. At a news conference on Sunday night, the LAPD chief detective Alan Hamilton said the death investigation was ongoing. He said while many family members would be interviewed, “no one has been detained; no one is being questioned as a suspect.”