Ben Stiller facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ben Stiller
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Stiller at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival
|
|
| Born |
Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller
November 30, 1965 New York City, U.S.
|
| Education | University of California, Los Angeles (dropped out) |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1975–present |
|
Works
|
Full list |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 2 |
| Parents |
|
| Awards | Full list |
Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller (born November 30, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is famous for his funny movies and unique style of humor. Ben Stiller became well-known for comedies like There’s Something About Mary (1998), Zoolander (2001), and Tropic Thunder (2008).
He is also known for big movie series. These include the Meet the Parents films (2000–2010), the Madagascar movies (2005–2012), and the first three Night at the Museum films (2006–2014). His movies have earned a lot of money. Ben Stiller has won many awards, including an Emmy Award and a Teen Choice Award.
Ben Stiller is the son of famous comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. He started his career by writing funny fake documentaries, called mockumentaries. He then got his own sketch comedy show, The Ben Stiller Show. He produced and hosted this show, which ran on MTV and later Fox. The show won him an Emmy Award for its writing. Stiller was part of a group of funny actors known as the Frat Pack.
He later started directing movies. His first movie as a director was Reality Bites. He also directed and starred in films like The Cable Guy (1996) and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013). He also acted in many popular comedies. These include Along Came Polly (2004), Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004), and Starsky & Hutch (2004).
Since the mid-2010s, Stiller has mostly worked on TV shows. In 2018, he directed the Showtime series Escape at Dannemora. This earned him a Directors Guild of America Award and Emmy nominations. In 2022, he directed and produced the Apple TV+ series Severance. This show also received Emmy nominations for its directing and as a drama series.
Contents
Early Life and School
Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller was born on November 30, 1965. He grew up in New York City. His father, Jerry Stiller, came from a Jewish family. His mother, Anne Meara, was from an Irish Catholic background. She later converted to Reform Judaism. Even though they were not very religious, they celebrated both Hanukkah and Christmas. Ben also had a Bar Mitzvah.
His parents often took him to their TV show sets. He felt his childhood was unusual because of all the travel and late nights. His older sister, Amy, has appeared in many of his movies. Ben showed interest in filmmaking early on. He made Super 8 movies with his sister and friends.
At age 9, Stiller first acted on his mother's TV show, Kate McShane. In the late 1970s, he performed with a children's theater group in New York City. He realized he wanted to do sketch comedy after watching the show Second City Television. In high school, he was the drummer for a band called Capital Punishment.
Stiller went to The Cathedral School and graduated from Calhoun School in 1983. He then started performing in small comedy clubs. He enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles to study film. But after nine months, he left school and moved back to New York City. He took acting classes and looked for an agent.
Starting His Career
When he was about 15, Stiller had a small part in the soap opera Guiding Light. He later got a role in a Broadway play called The House of Blue Leaves in 1986. During the play, Stiller made a funny fake documentary. This short film caught the attention of Saturday Night Live. They aired it in 1987 and later offered him a writing job. He also had a small role in Steven Spielberg's movie Empire of the Sun.
In 1989, Stiller worked as a writer and performer on Saturday Night Live. But he left after four episodes because he wanted to make more short films. He then created Elvis Stories, a short film about fake sightings of Elvis Presley. This film was a success. It led him to make another short film for MTV called Going Back to Brooklyn.
The Ben Stiller Show
Producers at MTV liked Back to Brooklyn a lot. They offered Stiller a 13-episode show in a new "vid-com" style. This show, called The Ben Stiller Show, started in 1990. It mixed comedy sketches with music videos. It made fun of TV shows, music stars, and movies. Stiller starred in it, and his parents and sister sometimes appeared.
The show was canceled after its first season. But it led to another show with the same name on the Fox Network in 1992. This series aired 12 episodes on Fox. It featured Ben Stiller, Janeane Garofalo, Andy Dick, and Bob Odenkirk. Even though it had low ratings, critics loved it. It later won an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program".
Directing Movies
In the early 1990s, Stiller had small roles in movies like Stella. In 1992, he was asked to direct Reality Bites. He spent a year and a half rewriting the script and finding actors. The movie came out in 1994. Stiller directed it and also acted in it. The film was produced by Danny DeVito.
Stiller joined his parents in the family movie Heavyweights (1995). He played two roles in this film. Next, he had main roles in If Lucy Fell and Flirting with Disaster. Then he directed his next movie, The Cable Guy, starring Jim Carrey. Stiller also played twin brothers in this film. The movie was famous for paying Jim Carrey a very high salary. This film also connected Stiller with future "Frat Pack" members Jack Black and Owen Wilson.
In 1996, MTV asked Stiller to host the VH1 Fashion Awards. He created a short film for the awards about a male model named Derek Zoolander. People liked it so much that he made another short film about the character. Later, he turned the skit into a full movie.
Famous Comedy Roles
.jpg)
In 1998, Stiller starred in There's Something About Mary. This movie became a big hit and is still very popular. That year, he also acted in several dramas. He hosted the Music Video awards, where he performed a funny skit with his father.
In 1999, he starred in Mystery Men, playing a superhero wannabe. He also appeared on WWF RAW is WAR to promote the movie. He returned to directing with a new TV show pilot for Fox called Heat Vision and Jack. But the show was not picked up by Fox.
In 2000, Stiller starred in Meet the Parents. He played a male nurse named Gaylord "Greg" Focker, opposite Robert De Niro. The movie was very popular and made a lot of money. It also led to two sequels. MTV again asked Stiller to make a short film. He created Mission: Improbable, a funny take on Tom Cruise's movie Mission: Impossible II.
In 2001, Stiller directed his third movie, Zoolander. He also starred in it as Derek Zoolander. Many famous people made cameo appearances in the film. The movie was banned in Malaysia because of its plot. Scenes with the World Trade Center were removed after the September 11 terrorist attacks. After Zoolander, Stiller worked with Owen Wilson again in The Royal Tenenbaums.
In 2004, Stiller appeared in six different comedies. These include some of his most successful films: Starsky & Hutch, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, and Along Came Polly. The most successful was Meet the Fockers, which made over $516 million worldwide.
He also made guest appearances on TV shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm and Arrested Development. He appeared on Friends and Extras. For Extras, he was nominated for an Emmy Award. In 2005, Stiller voiced a character in Madagascar, his first animated film. Madagascar was a huge hit and led to two sequels.
In December 2006, Stiller played the main role in Night at the Museum. This movie earned over $115 million in just ten days. In 2007, Stiller starred in the romantic comedy The Heartbreak Kid.
In 2008, Stiller directed, wrote, produced, and starred in Tropic Thunder. He had thought of the idea for this movie while filming Empire of the Sun years before. In 2009, he starred in Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian, the sequel to Night at the Museum.
In 2010, Stiller had a small role in I'm Still Here. He also played the main role in the comedy-drama Greenberg. He played Greg Focker again in Little Fockers, the second sequel to Meet the Parents.
In 2011, Stiller starred with Eddie Murphy in Tower Heist. This movie was about a group of workers planning a robbery. He produced, directed, and starred in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, which came out in 2013.
In 2018 and 2019, Stiller played Michael Cohen on Saturday Night Live for several episodes. In 2024, Stiller returned to acting after seven years. He appeared in two holiday movies: Nutcrackers and Dear Santa. While promoting Dear Santa, Stiller appeared on the popular interview show Hot Ones. In December 2024, Stiller was in a music video trailer for singer SZA's new album.
The "Frat Pack" Friends
Stiller is often called the "leader" of the Frat Pack. This is a group of actors who often work together in movies. The group includes Jack Black, Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson, Steve Carell, and Paul Rudd. Stiller is seen as the leader because he often includes the others in movies he directs or produces. He has worked with Owen Wilson the most, in 12 films. Stiller has been involved in 20 of the 35 main "Frat Pack" films.
Stiller is the only member of this group who also appeared in a Brat Pack film (Fresh Horses). However, he doesn't like the "Frat Pack" name. He said in 2008 that the idea was "completely made up."
Ben Stiller's Family Life
Stiller dated several actresses when he was younger. In May 2000, Stiller married actress Christine Taylor in Hawaii. They met in 1999 while filming a TV pilot. Taylor and Stiller have appeared together in many films. These include Zoolander, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, and Tropic Thunder. They also appeared in TV shows like Arrested Development and Curb Your Enthusiasm.
After 17 years of marriage, Taylor and Stiller separated in 2017. But they later got back together after living together during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. The couple lives in Westchester County, New York and Manhattan. They have two children: a daughter, Ella Olivia (born 2002), and a son, Quinlin Dempsey (born 2005). Their daughter, Ella, graduated from the Juilliard School in 2024 with a degree in acting.
Helping Others
In 2001, Stiller was a contestant on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. He won $32,000 for his charity Project ALS.
Stiller supports many charities. These include Declare Yourself, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, and the Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation. He was named a Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR in 2018.
Stiller often imitates famous people like Bono and Tom Cruise. He has said that comedians like Robert Klein and George Carlin inspired his comedy. Stiller is also a big fan of Star Trek. He named his production company Red Hour Productions after a time of day in a Star Trek episode.
Stiller considers Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy his "hero." He visited him in Kyiv in June 2022. On the same trip, Stiller visited other cities in Ukraine to help bring attention to people needing help.
Stiller supports the Democratic Party. He has donated money to political campaigns. He supported vice president Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.
In 2014, Stiller was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He was declared cancer-free in September 2014 after surgery.
Awards and Achievements
Stiller won an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program" for The Ben Stiller Show. He has been nominated many times for the Teen Choice Awards. He won once for "Choice Hissy Fit" for his role in Zoolander. He has won 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: A True Underdog Story. He received the MTV Movie Awards' top honor, the MTV Generation Award, in 2009. In 2007, Stiller received the "Wannabe Award" at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. This award is given to a celebrity children want to be like.
In 2007, Stiller received the Hasty Pudding Man of the Year award from Harvard. This award is for performers who make a lasting impact in entertainment. In 2011, he received the BAFTA Britannia – Charlie Chaplin Britannia Award for Excellence in Comedy. In 2014, Stiller was nominated for Best Actor for The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. In 2019, Stiller won the Directors Guild of America Award for his miniseries, Escape at Dannemora.
On February 6, 2016, Stiller set a Guinness World Record. He used the longest selfie stick (8.56 meters) at the premiere of Zoolander 2.
Filmography
Stiller has mostly appeared in comedy films. He is an Emmy Award winner for his television show, The Ben Stiller Show.
See also
In Spanish: Ben Stiller para niños
