Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller ( born November 30, 1965 ) is an american actor, comedian, producer, film conductor, and screenwriter. He is the son of the comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. [ 1 ] After beginning his acting career with a play, Stiller wrote respective mockumentaries and was offered his own show, titled The Ben Stiller Show, which he produced and hosted for its 13-episode guide. Having previously acted in television, he began acting in films. He made his directorial debut with Reality Bites. Throughout his career he has written, starred in, directed, or produced more than 50 films including The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Zoolander, The Cable Guy, There’s Something About Mary, the Meet the Parents trilogy, DodgeBall, Tropic Thunder, the Madagascar series, and the Night at the Museum trilogy. He has besides made numerous cameos in music television, television receiver shows, and films. [ 2 ]
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Stiller is a penis of a group of comedic actors colloquially known as the Frat Pack. His films have grossed more than $ 2.6 billion in Canada and the United States, with an average of $ 79 million per film. [ 3 ] Throughout his career, he has received diverse awards and honors, including an Emmy Award, multiple MTV Movie Awards, a Britannia Award and a Teen Choice Award .
early life
Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller [ 4 ] [ 5 ] was born on November 30, 1965, in New York City [ 6 ] and raised on the Upper West Side. [ 7 ] His father, comedian and actor Jerry Stiller, was from a jewish kin that emigrated from Poland and Galicia in Central Europe. [ 8 ] [ 9 ] [ 10 ] [ 11 ] His beget, actress and comedian Anne Meara, who was from an irish Catholic background, converted to Reform Judaism after marrying his father. [ 12 ] [ 13 ] [ 14 ] [ 15 ] While they “ were never a very religious kin ”, they celebrated both Hanukkah and Christmas, [ 16 ] and Stiller had a Bar Mitzvah. [ 17 ] [ 18 ] [ 19 ] His parents frequently took him on the sets of their appearances, including The Mike Douglas Show when he was 6. [ 20 ] He considered his childhood unusual, express : “ In some ways, it was a show-business upbringing—a fortune of traveling, a lot of late nights—not what you ‘d call traditional. ” [ 21 ] His older sister, Amy, has appeared in many of his productions, including Reality Bites, DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story, and Zoolander. [ 22 ] [ 23 ] [ 24 ] Stiller displayed an early sake in filmmaking and made Super 8 movies with his sister and friends. [ 9 ] At long time 9, Stiller made his acting debut as a guest on his beget ‘s ephemeral television receiver series, Kate McShane. In the deep 1970s, he performed with the New York City troupe NYC ‘s First All Children ‘s Theater, playing respective roles, including the title character in Clever Jack and the Magic Beanstalk. [ 25 ] After being inspired by the television prove Second City Television while in high school, Stiller realized that he wanted to get involved with sketch comedy. [ 25 ] During his high school years, he was besides the drummer of the post-punk ring Capital Punishment, which released the studio apartment album Roadkill in 1982. The band ‘s bassist, Peter Swann, went on to become ( as of 2018 ) an Arizona Court of Appeals Judge. [ 26 ] [ 27 ] The band reunited in 2018 to release a new EP, titled This is Capital Punishment, for Record Store Day. [ 28 ] The current condition of the dance band is unknown. Stiller attended The Cathedral School of St. John the Divine and graduated from the Calhoun School in New York in 1983. He started performing on the cabaret racing circuit as opening act to the cabaret enchantress Jadin Wong. Stiller then enrolled as a film scholar at the University of California, Los Angeles. [ 29 ] After nine months, Stiller left school to move back to New York City. [ 19 ] He made his way through act classes, auditioning and trying to find an agent. [ 30 ]
Acting career
early knead
When he was approximately 15, Stiller obtained a little part with one line on the television receiver soap opera Guiding Light, although in an interview he characterized his performance as poor. [ 31 ] He was late cast in a character in the 1986 Broadway revival of John Guare ‘s The House of Blue Leaves, aboard John Mahoney ; the production would garner four Tony Awards. [ 30 ] During its function, Stiller produced a satirical mockumentary whose chief was companion actor Mahoney. Stiller ‘s comedic employment was well received by the hurl and gang of the play, and he followed up with a 10-minute abruptly titled The Hustler of Money, a spoof of the Martin Scorsese film The Color of Money. The film featured him in a send-up of Tom Cruise ‘s character and Mahoney in the Paul Newman character, entirely this time as a bowl hustler alternatively of a pool shark. The unretentive got the attention of Saturday Night Live, which aired it in 1987 and two years later offered Stiller a descry as a writer. [ 30 ] In the meanwhile, he had a bit function in Steven Spielberg ‘s Empire of the Sun. [ 32 ] In 1989 Stiller wrote and appeared on Saturday Night Live as a featured performer. however, since the appearance did not want him to make more short films, he left after four episodes. [ 30 ] He then put together Elvis Stories, a short film about a fabricated yellow journalism focused on recent sightings of Elvis Presley. [ 33 ] The film starred friends and co-stars John Cusack, Jeremy Piven, Mike Myers, Andy Dick, and Jeff Kahn. [ 33 ] The film was considered a success, and led him to develop the short movie Going Back to Brooklyn for MTV ; it was a music video recording starring comedian Colin Quinn that parodied LL Cool J ‘s late strike “ Going back to Cali “. [ 34 ]
The Ben Stiller Show
Producers at MTV were so impress with Back to Brooklyn that they offered Stiller a 13-episode prove in the experimental “ vid-com ” format. [ 35 ] Titled The Ben Stiller Show, this series assorted drollery sketches with music videos and parodied assorted television receiver shows, music stars, and films. It starred Stiller, along with main writer Jeff Khan and Harry O’Reilly, with his parents and sister making casual appearances. [ 35 ] Although the testify was canceled after its first temper, it led to another show titled The Ben Stiller Show, on the Fox Network in 1992. The serial aired 12 episodes on Fox, with a 13th airless episode broadcast by Comedy Central in a late revival. [ 36 ] Among the chief writers on The Ben Stiller Show were Stiller and Judd Apatow, with the show featuring the ensemble roll of Stiller, Janeane Garofalo, Andy Dick, and Bob Odenkirk. [ 37 ] Both Denise Richards and Jeanne Tripplehorn appeared as extras in respective episodes. Throughout its curtly run, The Ben Stiller Show frequently appeared at the buttocks of the ratings, even as it garnered critical acclaim and finally won an Emmy Award for “ Outstanding Writing in a variety show or music Program “ posthumously. [ 36 ] [ 38 ] [ 39 ]
Directorial debut
In the early 1990s, Stiller had minor roles in films such as Stella and Highway to Hell ampere well as a cameo in The Nutt House. In 1992, Stiller was approached to direct Reality Bites, based on a script by Helen Childress. Stiller devoted the following year and a half to rewriting the script with Childress, fund-raise, and recruiting shed members for the movie. It was finally released in early on 1994, directed by Stiller and featuring him as a co-star. [ 30 ] The film was produced by Danny DeVito, who would former direct Stiller ‘s 2003 film Duplex and produce his 2004 film Along Came Polly. [ 40 ] Reality Bites debuted as the highest-grossing film in its open weekend and received mix reviews. [ 41 ] [ 42 ] still joined his parents in the syndicate film Heavyweights ( 1995 ), in which he played two roles, and then had a brief uncredited role in Adam Sandler ‘s Happy Gilmore ( 1996 ). [ 43 ] [ 44 ] Next, he had lead roles in If Lucy Fell and Flirting with Disaster, before tackling his future directorial effort with The Cable Guy, which starred Jim Carrey. Stiller once again was featured in his own film, as twins. The film received mix reviews, but was noted for paying the highest wage for an actor up to that point, as Carrey received $ 20 million for his function in the movie. [ 45 ] The film besides connected Stiller with future Frat Pack members Jack Black and Owen Wilson. [ citation needed ] besides in 1996, MTV invited Stiller to host the VH1 Fashion Awards. Along with SNL writer Drake Sather, Stiller developed a short-change film for the awards about a male model known as Derek Zoolander. It was so well received that he developed another brusque film about the character for the 1997 VH1 Fashion Awards and ultimately remade the skit into a film. [ 30 ]
Comedic ferment
still in 2010 In 1998 Stiller put aside his directing ambitions to star in a storm stumble with a durable fad following, the Farrelly Brothers ‘ There’s Something About Mary, aboard Cameron Diaz. That year, he starred in several dramas, including Zero Effect, Your Friends & Neighbors, and Permanent Midnight. He was invited to take depart in hosting the Music Video awards, for which he developed a parody of the Backstreet Boys and performed a sketch with his beget, commenting on his current career. [ 46 ] In 1999 he starred in three films, including Mystery Men, where he played a superhero aspirant called Mr. Furious. He returned to directing with a newly parody television series for Fox titled Heat Vision and Jack, starring Jack Black ; however, the usher was not picked up by Fox after its fender episode and the series was cancelled. [ 47 ] In 2000, Stiller starred in three more films, including one of his most recognizable roles, a male nurse named Gaylord “ Greg ” Focker in Meet the Parents, face-to-face Robert De Niro. [ 48 ] The movie was well received by critics, grossed over $ 330 million worldwide, and spawned two sequels. [ 49 ] [ 50 ] besides in 2000, MTV again invited Stiller to make another brusque film, and he developed Mission: Improbable, a spoof of Tom Cruise ‘s function in Mission: Impossible II and other films. [ 51 ] In 2001, Stiller directed his third base feature film, Zoolander, starring himself as Derek Zoolander. The movie featured multiple cameo from a kind of celebrities, including Donald Trump, Paris Hilton, Lenny Kravitz, Heidi Klum, and David Bowie, among others. The film was banned in Malaysia ( as the plot centered on an character assassination attempt of a malaysian prime minister ), [ 52 ] while shots of the World Trade Center were digitally removed and hidden for the film ‘s release after the September 11 terrorist attacks. [ 53 ] After Stiller worked with Owen Wilson in Zoolander, they joined again for The Royal Tenenbaums. [ 54 ] Over the next two years, Stiller continued with the lackluster corner position film Duplex, and cameo in Orange County and Nobody Knows Anything! [ 55 ] [ 56 ] [ 57 ] He has guest-starred on several television receiver shows, including an appearance in an sequence of the television series The King of Queens in a flashback as the father of the character Arthur ( played by Jerry Stiller ). [ 58 ] He besides made a node appearance on World Wrestling Entertainment ‘s WWE Raw. [ 59 ]
In 2004, Stiller appeared in six different films, all of which were comedies, and include some of his highest-grossing films : Starsky & Hutch, Envy, DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy ( in which he had an uncredited cameo ), Along Came Polly and Meet the Fockers. While the critical floating-point operation Envy entirely grossed $ 14.5 million, [ 60 ] the most successful film of these was Meet the Fockers, which grossed over $ 516.6 million cosmopolitan. [ 61 ] He besides made extend node appearances on Curb Your Enthusiasm and Arrested Development in the same year. In 2005, Stiller appeared in Madagascar, which was his first experience as a voice actor in an animize film. Madagascar was a massive cosmopolitan stumble, and spawned the sequels Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa in 2008 and Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted in 2012. [ 62 ] In 2006, Stiller had cameo roles in School for Scoundrels and Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny ; he was executive producer of the latter. In December 2006, he had the lead function in Night at the Museum. Although not a critical darling, it earned over $ 115 million in ten days. [ 63 ] In 2007, Stiller starred aboard Malin Åkerman in the amatory comedy The Heartbreak Kid. The film earned over $ 100 million worldwide despite receiving by and large veto reviews. [ 64 ] [ 65 ]
In 2008, Stiller directed, co-wrote, co-produced, and starred in the film Tropic Thunder, with Robert Downey Jr. and Jack Black ; Stiller had originally conceived of the movie ‘s premise while filming Empire of the Sun in 1987. [ 66 ] In 2009, he starred with Amy Adams in Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian, sequel to Night at the Museum. [ 67 ] In 2010, Stiller made a brief cameo in Joaquin Phoenix ‘s mockumentary I’m Still Here and played the conduct function in the comedy-drama Greenberg. He again portrayed Greg Focker in the critically panned but financially successful Little Fockers, the second sequel to Meet the Parents. He had planned to voice the main character in Megamind, but by and by dropped out while still remaining a producer and voicing a minor quality in the film. [ 68 ] In 2011, Stiller starred with Eddie Murphy and Alan Alda in Tower Heist, about a group of care workers planning a armed robbery in a residential skyscraper. [ 69 ] He produced, directed, and starred in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, which was released in 2013. [ 70 ] In 2018 and 2019, Stiller played Michael Cohen on Saturday Night Live for 6 episodes. [ citation needed ]
“ Frat Pack ”
Stiller has been described as the “ acknowledged drawing card ” of the Frat Pack, a core group of actors who have worked together in multiple films. The group includes Jack Black, Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson, and Steve Carell. [ 71 ] [ 72 ] Stiller has been acknowledged as the leader of the group because of his multiple cameo and for his consistent function of the other members in roles in films which he produces and directs. He has appeared the most with Owen Wilson ( in 12 films ). [ 71 ] [ 73 ] Of the 35 primary films that are considered Frat Pack films, Stiller has been involved with 20, in some capacitance. [ 71 ] Stiller is besides the only extremity of this group to have appeared in a Brat Pack film ( Fresh Horses ). [ 32 ] He rejects the “ Frat Pack ” label, saying in a 2008 interview that the concept was “ completely fabricated ”. [ 74 ]
personal animation
Stiller dated several actresses during his early on television and film career, including Jeanne Tripplehorn, Calista Flockhart, and Amanda Peet. [ 75 ] [ 76 ] In May 2000, Stiller married actress Christine Taylor at an oceanfront ceremony in Kauai, Hawaii. [ 77 ] They met in 1999, while filming a never-broadcast television original for the Fox Broadcasting network called Heat Vision and Jack. Taylor and Stiller appeared together in the films Zoolander, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Tropic Thunder, Zoolander 2 and in the television series Arrested Development and Curb Your Enthusiasm. They lived in Westchester County, New York [ 78 ] and have a daughter Ella Olivia ( b. 2002 ) and a son Quinlin Dempsey “ Quinn ” Stiller ( bacillus. 2005 ). [ 79 ] Both adopted a vegetarian diet for health reasons. [ 80 ] [ 81 ] After 17 years of marriage, Taylor and Stiller separated in 2017. [ 82 ] The couple reconciled in 2021. [ 83 ] [ 84 ] In 2001, Stiller appeared as a fame dissenter on the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. He won $ 32,000 for his jacob’s ladder Project ALS, after falsely answering his $ 250,000 question in an try to equal Edie Falco ‘s $ 250,000 win. [ 85 ] Stiller is a assistant of the Democratic Party and donated money to John Kerry ‘s 2004 U.S. presidential campaign. [ 86 ] In February 2007, Stiller attended a fundraiser for Barack Obama and late donated to the 2008 U.S. presidential campaigns of Democrats Obama, John Edwards, and Hillary Clinton. [ 87 ] Stiller supports such charities as Declare Yourself, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, and the Starlight Starbright Children ‘s Foundation. [ 88 ] In 2010, Stiller, together with Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Robin Williams, and others, starred in The Cove PSA: My Friend is… , in an campaign to stop the slaughter of dolphins. [ 89 ] He was appointed Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR on July 2, 2018. [ 90 ] Stiller frequently impersonates such performers as Bono, Tom Cruise, Bruce Springsteen, and David Blaine. In an consultation with Parade, he commented that Robert Klein, George Carlin, and Jimmie Walker were inspirations for his comedy career. [ 21 ] Stiller is besides a self-professed Trekkie and appeared in the television limited Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond to express his love of the show, vitamin a well as a drollery roast for William Shatner. [ 91 ] [ 92 ] He frequently references the indicate in his exercise, and named his production ship’s company Red Hour Productions after a time of day in the original Star Trek episode, “ The Return of the Archons “. [ 93 ] Stiller was diagnosed with prostate cancer in June 2014 and was declared cancer-free in September 2014 following the surgical removal of his prostate gland. [ 94 ] [ 95 ] [ 96 ]
Filmography
Stiller has largely appeared in comedy films. He is an Emmy Award achiever for his television picture, The Ben Stiller Show. [ 97 ]
Awards and honors
References
Sources
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