Ben Stiller

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Biography

Benjamin Edward "Ben" Stiller is an Emmy Award-winning American comedian, actor, film producer and director. He is the son of veteran comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. After beginning his acting career with a play, he wrote several mockumentaries, and was offered two of his own shows, both entitled The Ben Stiller Show. After acting in a few films, Stiller had his directorial debut with Reality Bites, and has since written, starred in, directed, and produced over fifty films and television shows. His films have grossed $1.38 billion.He is a member of the comedic acting brotherhood colloquially known as the Frat Pack. With multiple cameos in music videos, television shows, and films, he may be best known for his roles in Heavyweights, Zoolander, Starsky and Hutch, There's Something About Mary, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Meet the Parents, and Night at the Museum. Throughout his career, he has received several awards and honors including an Emmy Award, several MTV Movie Awards, and a Teen Choice Award. In 2008, Stiller starred in the movie Tropic Thunder, which he also co-wrote, co-produced, and directed.

  • Primary profession
  • Producer·actor·director
  • Country
  • United States
  • Nationality
  • American
  • Gender
  • Male
  • Birth date
  • 30 November 1965
  • Place of birth
  • New York· New York
  • Children
  • Ella Stiller·Quinn Dempsey Stiller
  • Spouses
  • Christine Taylor
  • Education
  • UCLA School of Theater· Film and Television·University of California· Los Angeles
  • Knows language
  • English language
  • Member of
  • Democratic Party
  • Parents
  • Jerry Stiller·Anne Meara

Movies

TV

Books

Awards

Trivia

Produced a short film parody of The Color of Money entitled "The Hustler of Money" which got him noticed by "Saturday Night Live" who eventually offered him employment there.

Younger brother of Amy Stiller.

(November 1999) Engaged to Christine Taylor.

Longtime girlfriend was Jeanne Tripplehorn.

Is a major fan of Tom Cruise and has impersonated Tom for many years. He even portrayed Tom Cruises fictitious crazed stunt double, Tom Crooze, on 2000 MTV Movie Awards on a segment called Mission: Improbable. (This segment is included on the Mission: Impossible II DVD.) Tom and Ben have been friends ever since 1996.

Appeared in "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" on May 9, 2001 and walked away with $32,000 for Project ALS. He phoned his mother, actress Anne Meara , for help but lost on the question worth $250,000.

Often casts/co-stars with Janeane Garofalo.

Ben and his wife Christine Taylor , have both guest starred on the TV-show "Friends" , though not in the same episode.

Attended UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television.

Briefly appears in the film clip for the song "Tribute" by Tenacious D , a band that includes fellow actors Jack Black and Kyle Gass. Hes one of the people walking past the studio booth in the shopping center.

Ranked #78 in Premieres 2003 annual Power 100 List. Had ranked #68 in 2002 and #80 in 2001.

His famous parents, Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller , often make cameo appearances in his movies.

Has a Hollywood "clique" of close friends that have often appeared in his movies: Owen Wilson , Jack Black , Kyle Gass and Janeane Garofalo.

Helped Jenifer Estess raised millions of dollars to combat A.L.S. (Lou Gehrig s disease).

His favorite actress of all time is Diane Keaton. He even wrote an article about her for Premiere magazine in 1997.

Frequent co-star of Vince Vaughn , appearing with him in three movies in 2004 alone.

Is a member of, what the media refers to as, "The Frat Pack," along with Will Ferrell , Jack Black , Vince Vaughn , Steve Carell , Owen Wilson , and Luke Wilson. The "Frat Pack" name is a reference to the film, Old School , featuring Vaughn, Ferrell and Luke Wilson, due to the wide number of films featuring the seven actors. Stillers "Frat Pack" films include Zoolander , Envy , The Royal Tenenbaums and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy ..

Is a big fan of "Star Trek" . He named his production company "Red Hour Films" after an alien riot featured in the episode "Star Trek" {The Return of the Archons (#1.21)} . Has a humorous, You Tube website "gag" episode of "Star Trek" where he is imitating Shatners Captain Kirk.

Holds a distinct Razzie Award record - nominated for most titles in one year. He was nominated in 2004 for Worst Actor in five of the six films in which he appeared: Along Came Polly , Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy , Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story , Envy , and Starsky & Hutch . The only film he was not nominated in for that year was Meet the Fockers .

Has played two very similar characters in the movies Heavy Weights and Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story . In both films he plays an obnoxious, slightly insane and formerly overweight fitness instructor whos hell-bent on getting others into shape, and perhaps also on making other peoples lives miserable.

Played the part of an arrogant director in Get Shorty , but the scene was cut.

In "The King of Queens" {Shrink Wrap (#4.25)} he played his own real-life fathers father.

Hosted the MTV Movie Awards in 1996 along with Janeane Garofalo

He and wife Christine Taylor have both guest-starred on the TV series "Arrested Development" . She played "Sally Sitwell", the love interest of "Michael Bluth" (two episodes) and he played the incompetent magician "Tony Wonder" in the episode "The Sword of Destiny".

One of his first showbiz jobs was working as an intern on the Alan Thicke show "Thicke of the Night" .

His father is from an Ashkenazi Jewish family (from Austria and Poland). His mother, who was of Irish descent, was a convert to Judaism.

Was considered for the role of "Willy Wonka" in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory .

Revealed in 2005 that he has bipolar disorder and that it runs in his family.

His estranged wife, Christine Taylor , appeared in one episode of "Seinfeld" as Jerry Seinfeld s girlfriend. His father, Jerry Stiller , had a recurring role on that series as George Costanzas father.

Every so often he and his father enjoy getting together and going to Alaska to fish in the summer.

2007 - Ranked #20 on EWs The 50 Smartest People in Hollywood.

In 2007, Forbes Magazine estimated his earnings for the year to be $38 million.

Along with Kirk R. Thatcher , one of the few actors to give William Shatner the middle finger (jokingly) on screen.

According to Jews Who Rock, a book by Guy Oseary, Stiller was once a drummer in a band called Capital Punishment.

Fractured his hand in a snowboarding accident on Sunday, December 21, 2008 and was taken to New Yorks Mount Sinai Hospital.

Auditioned for a part in Platoon , even meeting with Oliver Stone.

Admitted in a Playboy Magazine interview that he auditioned for three or four years before he got a part.

Longtime friend of actor Anthony Barrile. They met at 12 years old as members of First All Childrens Theatre Company in New York City, where they were among the Meri-Mini Players.

Lives in Los Angeles, California.

(May 10, 2010) Merited a position in Time magazines - The 100 Most Influential People in the World ("Heroes" category) - with an homage contributed by friend Robert De Niro.

(April 2010) Along with Gerard Butler , Demi Moore , Susan Sarandon , and director Paul Haggis , he visited a camp for internally displaced persons managed by Sean Penn and his Jenkins-Penn Humanitarian Relief Organization in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Became a father for the 2nd time at age 39 when his estranged wife Christine Taylor gave birth to their son Quinlin Dempsey Stiller on July 10, 2005.

Became a father for the 1st time at age 36 when his estranged wife Christine Taylor gave birth to their daughter Ella Olivia Stiller on April 10, 2002.

(July 2007) Filming Tropic Thunder .

Directed one Oscar nominated performance: Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder .

Good friends with Janeane Garofalo , Hank Azaria , Owen Wilson and Tom Cruise.

He is left-handed.

Revealed in "Medium" magazine in 2016, that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2014. After treatment, he was declared cancer-free.

Quinlin Dempsey Stiller was born July 10 in Los Angeles. The baby weighed 8 pounds, 2 ounces.

Quotes

I was interested in who was coming in, because it was an actor hangout.

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