
Ben Stiller
Biography
Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller (born November 30, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. Known for his blend of slapstick humor and sharp wit, Stiller rose to fame through comedies such as There's Something About Mary (1998), Zoolander (2001), and Tropic Thunder (2008). Stiller is also known for his work in franchises such as the Meet the Parents films (2000–2010), the Madagascar franchise (2005–2012), and the Night at the Museum films (2006–2014). His films have grossed over $2.6 billion in Canada and the United States, with an average of $79 million per film. His awards and honors include an Emmy Award, a Directors Guild of America Award, a Britannia Award and a Teen Choice Award.
Stiller is the son of the comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. He began his career writing mockumentaries and was offered a variety sketch series, The Ben Stiller Show, which he produced and hosted for its 13-episode run. The series ran on MTV in 1990 and Fox in 1992 and 1993, earning him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Program. Stiller was a member of a group of comedic actors colloquially known as the Frat Pack.
Transitioning to acting in films, Stiller made his directorial debut with Reality Bites (1994) and went on to direct and star in films such as The Cable Guy (1996) and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013). He also starred in a string of successful studio comedies, including Along Came Polly (2004), Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004), Starsky & Hutch (2004), and Tower Heist (2011). His performances in independent films include Flirting with Disaster (1996), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), and the Noah Baumbach films Greenberg (2010), While We're Young (2014), and The Meyerowitz Stories (2017).
Since the mid-2010s, Stiller has primarily worked as a television director and showrunner. In 2018, he directed the Showtime limited series Escape at Dannemora, earning a Directors Guild of America Award and two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Limited Series and Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series. In 2022, he was a director and executive producer on the Apple TV+ series Severance, earning two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series.
Acting (124 movies)

Madagascar
2005

There's Something About Mary
1998

Flirting with Disaster
1996

Meet the Fockers
2004

Meet the Parents
2000

Night at the Museum
2006

Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny
2006

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
2008

Empire of the Sun
1987

Don't Think Twice
2016

Envy
2004

Reality Bites
1994

Keeping the Faith
2000

Along Came Polly
2004

Duplex
2003

I'm Still Here
2010

Permanent Midnight
1998

Tropic Thunder
2008

Mission: Improbable
2001

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
2004

The Marc Pease Experience
2009

Merry Madagascar
2009

The Royal Tenenbaums
2001

The Heartbreak Kid
2007

DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story
2004

Starsky & Hutch
2004

Mystery Men
1999

Zoolander
2001

Greenberg
2010

School for Scoundrels
2006

The Cable Guy
1996

Megamind
2010

Heavyweights
1995

Zero Effect
1998

Submarine
2011

Little Fockers
2010

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
2009

The Watch
2012

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted
2012

Le Débarquement
2013

Bleecker
2023

Sweet Micky for President
2015

Your Friends & Neighbors
1998

Tower Heist
2011

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
2013

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
2014

Madly Madagascar
2013

While We're Young
2015

All Aboard the Crazy Train
2005

Albert Brooks: Defending My Life
2023

Drake Sather: The Man Who Created Zoolander
2016

Greed
2019

Nutcrackers
2024

Bros
2022

Earth to America
2005

Zoolander 2
2016

Funny People
2009

Nobody Knows Anything!
2004

12-12-12 | The Concert for Sandy Relief
2012

The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)
2017

Awesome; I Fuckin' Shot That!
2006

Everybody Has an Andy Dick Story
2017

Brad's Status
2017

The Trip
2011

Orange County
2002

Heat Vision and Jack
1999

Happy Gilmore
1996

Derek Zoolander: Male Model
1996

Derek Zoolander University
1997

Next of Kin
1989

If Lucy Fell
1996

Highway to Hell
1991

The Making of 'The Pick of Destiny'
2007

Tropic Thunder: Rain of Madness
2008

He's Way More Famous Than You
2013

Stella
1990

Harmontown
2014

Pauly Shore Is Dead
2003

The Truth Is in the Stars
2017

The Independent
2000

Being Canadian
2015

Elvis Stories
1989

Run Ronnie Run
2002

Hot Pursuit
1987

The Suburbans
1999

Shoeshine
1987

Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond
1996

Fresh Horses
1988

Confessions of an Action Star
2005

Black and White
1999

That's Adequate
1989

AFI: 100 Years... 100 Movies... 10th Anniversary Edition
2007

Romanekian
2005

Working Tra$h
1990

The Secret Policeman's Ball
2012

Sesame Street: Elmo's Christmas Countdown
2007

Night of Too Many Stars: America Unites for Autism Programs
2017

The Hustler of Money
1987

Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner
2006

The N.Y. Friars Club Roast of Jerry Stiller
1999
