Ben Stiller facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ben Stiller
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Stiller at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival
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Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller
November 30, 1965 New York City, U.S.
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| Education | University of California, Los Angeles (dropped out) |
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| Years active | 1975–present |
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Works
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Full list |
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| Children | 2 |
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| Awards | Full list |
Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller (born November 30, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is famous for starring in many popular comedy movies. You might know him from films like There's Something About Mary (1998), Zoolander (2001), and Tropic Thunder (2008).
Stiller is also the star of several movie series. He played Greg Focker in the Meet the Parents films, voiced Alex the Lion in the Madagascar movies, and was the night guard Larry Daley in the Night at the Museum series. His movies have earned more than $2.6 billion in Canada and the United States. He has won many awards, including an Emmy Award and a Teen Choice Award.
Stiller's parents, Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, were also famous comedians and actors. He started his career by creating his own comedy show called The Ben Stiller Show. He later became a member of a group of comedy actors known as the Frat Pack.
Besides acting, Stiller has directed movies like Reality Bites (1994) and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013). More recently, he has focused on directing television shows, such as the award-winning series Escape at Dannemora and Severance.
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Early Life and Family
Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller was born on November 30, 1965, in New York City. He grew up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. His father, Jerry Stiller, came from a Jewish family from Poland. His mother, Anne Meara, had an Irish Catholic background and converted to Judaism when she married his father. The family celebrated both Hanukkah and Christmas.
Because his parents were famous, Ben's childhood was not typical. He often traveled with them to the sets of their TV shows. His older sister, Amy, is also an actress and has appeared in some of his movies. From a young age, Ben was interested in making movies and used a Super 8 camera to create short films with his sister and friends.
When he was nine, he acted in his mother's TV series, Kate McShane. As a teenager, he realized he loved sketch comedy. In high school, he was the drummer for a band called Capital Punishment. The band even got back together in 2018 to release a new EP.
After graduating from the Calhoun School in 1983, Stiller studied film at the University of California, Los Angeles. However, he left after nine months to return to New York and focus on his acting career.
Career Journey
Getting Started
Stiller's early career included a small part on the TV show Guiding Light. His big break came when he was cast in the Broadway play The House of Blue Leaves. The show was a huge success and won four Tony Awards.
While working on the play, Stiller made a funny short film that parodied (made fun of) the movie The Color of Money. The cast and crew loved it. This short film got the attention of the TV show Saturday Night Live, which aired it in 1987. This led to Stiller getting a job as a writer on the show. He also had a small role in the Steven Spielberg movie Empire of the Sun.
The Ben Stiller Show
After leaving Saturday Night Live, Stiller created a show for MTV called The Ben Stiller Show. It mixed comedy sketches with music videos. The show was so good that it moved to the Fox Network in 1992.
The show featured other talented comedians like Janeane Garofalo, Andy Dick, and Bob Odenkirk. Future filmmaker Judd Apatow was one of the main writers. Even though The Ben Stiller Show was praised by critics, it didn't get high ratings and was canceled. However, it later won an Emmy Award for its great writing.
Movie Star and Director
In 1994, Stiller directed his first movie, Reality Bites. He also co-starred in the film, which was about a group of young people after college. He then acted in several movies, including Heavyweights (1995) and Flirting with Disaster (1996).
He also directed the dark comedy The Cable Guy (1996), starring Jim Carrey. This movie connected Stiller with actors Jack Black and Owen Wilson, who would become part of his group of friends known as the "Frat Pack."
In 1998, Stiller starred in the hit comedy There's Something About Mary with Cameron Diaz. This movie made him a major comedy star.
Big Hits of the 2000s
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The 2000s were a huge decade for Stiller. In 2000, he starred as the nurse Greg Focker in Meet the Parents alongside Robert De Niro. The movie was a massive success and led to two sequels, Meet the Fockers (2004) and Little Fockers (2010).
In 2001, he directed and starred in Zoolander, a comedy about a clueless male model named Derek Zoolander. The character was so popular that a sequel, Zoolander 2, was made in 2016.
Throughout the 2000s, Stiller starred in one hit comedy after another, including:
- Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)
- Starsky & Hutch (2004)
- Madagascar (2005), where he voiced Alex the Lion. This led to two sequels.
- Night at the Museum (2006), where he played a night guard at a museum where the exhibits come to life. This also led to two sequels.
- Tropic Thunder (2008), a movie he also directed, co-wrote, and produced.
Recent Work
In the 2010s, Stiller directed and starred in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. He also appeared in movies like Tower Heist (2011) and While We're Young (2014).
Since then, Stiller has focused more on directing for television. He directed the miniseries Escape at Dannemora and the popular Apple TV+ series Severance. For his directing, he has won awards and received several Emmy nominations.
In 2024, Stiller returned to acting in movies like Nutcrackers and Dear Santa. He also reprised his role as the mean orderly Hal L. in Happy Gilmore 2 (2025).
The "Frat Pack"
Stiller is often called the leader of the "Frat Pack." This is a nickname for a group of comedy actors who have often worked together in movies. The group includes stars like Jack Black, Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson, and Steve Carell. Stiller has appeared in 12 movies with Owen Wilson, more than any other member.
Personal Life
In May 2000, Stiller married actress Christine Taylor. They met while working on a TV pilot in 1999. They have appeared together in movies like Zoolander and Dodgeball. The couple has two children: a daughter, Ella, and a son, Quinlin. After separating in 2017, they got back together during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Stiller is a big fan of the New York Knicks basketball team.
Charity Work and Advocacy
Stiller is dedicated to helping others. He supports many charities, including the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. In 2018, he was named a Goodwill Ambassador for the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.
He has traveled to places like Poland and Ukraine to bring attention to the needs of refugees. He has called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy his "hero" after meeting him in 2022.
Stiller is also a supporter of the Democratic Party in the United States.
Health
In 2014, Stiller was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He had surgery to remove it and was declared cancer-free later that year. He has spoken publicly about his experience to encourage others to get tested.
There were also false reports that Stiller had bipolar disorder, based on a joke he made in an interview. He has since clarified that this is not true and the comment was taken out of context.
Awards and Honors
Ben Stiller has won many awards for his work in television and film.
- An Emmy Award for writing on The Ben Stiller Show.
- Three MTV Movie Awards for "Best Fight" in There's Something About Mary, "Best Comedic Performance" in Meet the Parents, and "Best Villain" in Dodgeball.
- The MTV Generation Award in 2009, a lifetime achievement honor.
- A Kids' Choice Award in 2007.
- A Directors Guild of America Award for directing Escape at Dannemora.
In 2016, he set a Guinness World Record for the longest selfie stick (8.56 meters, or about 28 feet) at the premiere of Zoolander 2.
See also
In Spanish: Ben Stiller para niños
