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
