Ben Stiller
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.
Filmography (66)
The Dink
Happy Gilmore 2
Nutcrackers
Bros
Queenpins
Hubie Halloween
Dinner in America
Plus One
The Package
Alex Strangelove
Brad's Status
The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)
Zoolander 2
Don't Think Twice
Why Him?
While We're Young
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted
The Watch
Vamps
Submarine
Tower Heist
30 Minutes or Less
The Big Year
Little Fockers
Megamind
I'm Still Here
Greenberg
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
Funny People
Tropic Thunder
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
The Ruins
The Heartbreak Kid
Blades of Glory
Night at the Museum
School for Scoundrels
Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny
Madagascar
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Meet the Fockers
Starsky & Hutch
DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story
Along Came Polly
Envy
Duplex
Orange County
Run Ronnie Run
Zoolander
The Royal Tenenbaums
Meet the Parents
Keeping the Faith
Mystery Men
There's Something About Mary
Zero Effect
Permanent Midnight
Your Friends & Neighbors
Happy Gilmore
The Cable Guy
Flirting with Disaster
Heavyweights
Reality Bites
Next of Kin
Empire of the Sun