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.
Known For
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
2009
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
2014
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
2014
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
2015
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
2015
Late Night with Seth Meyers
2014
Late Night with Seth Meyers
2014
The Simpsons
1989
The Daily Show
1996
Family Guy
1999
The Mike Douglas Show
1961
Raw
1993
Filmography
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
as Self - Guest · 2009
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
as Self · 2014
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
as Self - Guest · 2014
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
as Self · 2015
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
as Self - Guest · 2015
Late Night with Seth Meyers
as Self · 2014
Late Night with Seth Meyers
as Self - Guest · 2014
The Simpsons
as Garth Motherloving (voice) · 1989
The Daily Show
as Self · 1996
Family Guy
as Ben Stiller (voice) (uncredited) · 1999
The Mike Douglas Show
as Self · 1961
Raw
as Himself · 1993
Saturday Night Live
as Self - Various Characters · 1975
Saturday Night Live
as Self - Host · 1975
Saturday Night Live
as Self - Cameo (uncredited) · 1975
Saturday Night Live
as Tom Cruise / Vincent Lauria (uncredited) · 1975
Saturday Night Live
as Wes (uncredited) · 1975
Saturday Night Live
as Self - Various Characters (uncredited) · 1975
The View
as Self · 1997
The Graham Norton Show
as Self · 2007
Friends
as Tommy · 1994
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
as Self · 2003
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
as Self - Guest · 2003
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
as Self · 1988
Frasier
as Barry (voice) · 1993
King of the Hill
as Rich (voice) · 1997
Phineas and Ferb
as Khaka Peü Peü (voice) · 2007
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
as Self - Guest · 1993
Curb Your Enthusiasm
as Ben Stiller · 2000
Late Night with David Letterman
as Self · 1982
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
· 1992
The One Show
as Self · 2006
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
as Self · 2003
Quotidien
as Self - Guest · 2016
The King of Queens
as Jerry - Arthur Spooner’s Father · 1998
Miami Vice
as Fast Eddie Felcher · 1984
American Playhouse
as Ronnie Shaughnessy · 1982
Arrested Development
as Tony Wonder · 2003
Hot Ones
as Self · 2015
American Idol
as Self · 2002
Severance
as Kier Eagan (voice) (uncredited) · 2022
MTV Video Music Awards
as Self - Host · 1984
The Larry Sanders Show
as Ben Stiller · 1992
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
as Self · 2015
Duckman
as Harry Medfly (voice) · 1994
Workaholics
as Del Jacobson · 2011
MTV Movie & TV Awards
· 1992
The Jonathan Ross Show
as Self - Guest · 2011
NewsRadio
as Vic · 1995
Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!
as Self · 2007
Space Ghost Coast to Coast
· 1994
The Oscars
as Self · 1953
The Oscars
as Self - Presenter · 1953
Today
as Self · 1952
On Air with Ryan Seacrest
as Self · 2004
Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist
as Ben (voice) · 1995
Krapopolis
as Prometheus (voice) · 2023
Desus & Mero
as Self - Illustrious Guest · 2019
Freaks and Geeks
as Agent Meara · 1999
Kate & Allie
· 1984
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted
as Alex (voice) · 2012
Megamind
as Bernard (voice) · 2010
Madagascar
as Alex (voice) · 2005
Chicken Shop Date
as Self - Guest · 2014
Chicken Shop Date
as Self - Guest (archive footage) · 2014
Ted's Notebook
as Self · 2012
Entertainment Tonight
as Self · 1981
Night at the Museum
as Larry Daley · 2006
Another Period
as Charles Ponzi · 2015
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
as Larry Daley / Laaa · 2014
Circus Halligalli
as Self · 2013
Tropic Thunder
as Tugg Speedman · 2008
Running Wild with Bear Grylls
as Self · 2014
Mr. Show with Bob and David
as Jerry · 1995
Extras
as Ben Stiller · 2005
StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson
as Self · 2015
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
as Walter Mitty · 2013
Burning Love
as Joe · 2012
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
as Alex (voice) · 2008
Kids' Choice Awards
as Host · 1987
There's Something About Mary
as Ted Stroehmann · 1998
Everybody's Live with John Mulaney
as Self - Actor and Director · 2025
Primetime Glick
· 2001
Meet the Fockers
as Greg Focker · 2004
The Early Show
as Self · 1999
Rove
as Self · 1999
Undeclared
as Rex · 2001
Inside Comedy
as Self · 2012
Happy Gilmore
as Hal L. (uncredited) · 1996
Comedy Central Roasts
as Self · 2003
Meet the Parents
as Greg Focker · 2000
The Ben Stiller Show
as Various Characters · 1992
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
as Larry Daley · 2009
The Dink
as Dr. Stone · 2026
The Heartbreak Kid
as Eddie Cantrow · 2007
Take Two with Phineas and Ferb
as Self · 2010
Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis
as Self · 2008
The Cable Guy
as Sam Sweet · 1996
Little Fockers
as Greg Focker · 2010
DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story
as White Goodman · 2004
Empire of the Sun
as Dainty · 1987
Happy Gilmore 2
as Hal L · 2025
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
as Arturo Mendes · 2004
The Royal Tenenbaums
as Chas Tenenbaum · 2001
Along Came Polly
as Reuben Feffer · 2004
Focker-in-Law
as Greg Focker · 2026
Zoolander 2
as Derek Zoolander · 2016
Zoolander
as Derek Zoolander · 2001
Eagleheart
as Silly Sammy · 2011
Dear Santa
as Lucifer (uncredited) · 2024
Tower Heist
as Josh Kovacs · 2011
Beastie Boys Story
as Self · 2020
Haters Back Off
as Himself · 2016
The Birthday Boys
· 2013
The Watch
as Evan · 2012
Hubie Halloween
as Orderly Hal · 2020
Funny People
as Friend in video (archive footage) (uncredited) · 2009
The Andy Dick Show
as Self · 2001
Starsky & Hutch
as David Starsky · 2004
Reality Bites
as Michael Grates · 1994
Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
as Self - Actor & Filmmaker · 2026
The Emmy Awards
as Self · 1949
Orange County
as Firefighter (uncredited) · 2002
The Henry Rollins Show
· 2006
While We're Young
as Josh Schrebnick · 2015
Kate McShane
as Nickie · 1975
Wish Kids
· 2002
The Playboy Murders
as Self (archive footage) · 2023
Brad's Status
as Brad Sloan · 2017
Merry Madagascar
as Alex (voice) · 2009
Duplex
as Alex Rose · 2003
Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny
as Guitar Center Guy · 2006
Mystery Men
as Mr. Furious / Roy · 1999
Submarine
as Soap Opera Star (uncredited) · 2011
I'm Still Here
as Ben Stiller · 2010
Le Débarquement
· 2013
The Trip
as Ben Stiller · 2010
Madly Madagascar
as Alex (voice) · 2013
E! True Hollywood Story
· 1996
Prehistoric Planet
as Narrator (voice) · 2002
Big Time in Hollywood, Fl
as Jimmy Staats · 2015
The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)
as Matthew Meyerowitz · 2017
Nutcrackers
as Mike Maxwell · 2024
Bros
as Ben Stiller (uncredited) · 2022
School for Scoundrels
as Lonnie Ratcliff · 2006
Locked Down
as Guy · 2021
Don't Think Twice
as Self · 2016
Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost
as Self · 2025
Flirting with Disaster
as Mel Coplin · 1996
Pauly Shore Is Dead
as Ben Stiller (uncredited) · 2003
Next of Kin
as Lawrence Isabella · 1989
Keeping the Faith
as Rabbi Jake Schram · 2000
TV total
as Self · 1999
Saturday Night Special
· 1996
Gone Mental with Lior
as Self · 2020
Greed
as Self · 2019
Night of Too Many Stars: America Unites for Autism Programs
as Self · 2017
Elmo's Christmas Countdown
as Stiller the Elf (voice) · 2007
Black and White
as Mark Clear · 1999
Highway to Hell
as Pluto's Cook / Attila the Hun · 1991
Your Friends & Neighbors
as Jerry · 1998
Hot Pursuit
as Chris Honeywell · 1987
Greenberg
as Roger Greenberg · 2010
Albert Brooks: Defending My Life
as Self · 2023
Heavyweights
as Tony Perkis / Tony Perkis Sr. · 1995
Zero Effect
as Steve Arlo · 1998
The Off Weeks
as Gus Adler
The Marc Pease Experience
as Jon Gribble · 2009
The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story
as Self · 2009
Playboy Mansion Parties Uncensored
as Self · 2001
Tropic Thunder: Rain of Madness
as Tugg Speedman · 2008
Being Canadian
as Self · 2015
Harmontown
as Self · 2014
Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics
as Self · 2020
Late Night with Conan O'Brien: 10th Anniversary Special
as Self · 2003
12-12-12 | The Concert for Sandy Relief
as Self · 2012
Envy
as Tim Dingman · 2004
Inside the Actors Studio
as Self · 1994
The Truth Is in the Stars
as Self · 2017
Sarah Cooper: Everything's Fine
as 8008s · 2020
Confessions of an Action Star
as Commander · 2005
Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner
as Self - Filmed Roaster · 2006
Permanent Midnight
as Jerry Stahl · 1998
Run Ronnie Run
as Self · 2002
The Suburbans
as Jay Rose · 1999
The Hanging of Stuart Cornfeld
· 2025
Danny Roane: First Time Director
as Self · 2006
If Lucy Fell
as Bwick Elias · 1996
Dreamworks: Holiday Classics
as Alex (voice) · 2012
Everybody Has an Andy Dick Story
as Self · 2017
The Hustler of Money
as Wince · 1987
America | A Tribute to Heroes
as Self · 2001
He's Way More Famous Than You
as Ben Stiller · 2013
Protective Custody
The Nutt House
as Pie Thrower (uncredited) · 1992
Bridget Everett: Gynecological Wonder
as Self · 2015
Downey Wrote That
as Self · 2025
Fresh Horses
as Tipton · 1988
The Trip
as Ben Stiller (uncredited) · 2011
Bianca by Night
as Self - Guest (video link) · 2025
The House of Blue Leaves
as Ronnie Shaughnessy · 1987
The Independent
as Cop · 2000
AFI: 100 Years... 100 Movies... 10th Anniversary Edition
as Self · 2007
The Secret Policeman's Ball
as Self · 2012
The N.Y. Friars Club Roast of Jerry Stiller
as Self · 1999
Heat Vision and Jack
as Self / Strip Club DJ (uncredited) · 1999
Zoolander: Super Model
as Derek Zoolander (voice) · 2016
Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond
as Self · 1996
Here Comes the Night Time
as Fake Arcade Fire Bandmember · 2013
The Semplica Girl Diaries
Awesome; I Fuckin' Shot That!
as Self · 2006
Nick Nolte: No Exit
as Self · 2008
Monkey Mischief
as Larry Daley · 2009
The Farrelly Bros.: In the French Tradition
as Self · 2007
Mission: Improbable
as Tom Crooze · 2001
Derek Zoolander: Male Model
as Derek Zoolander · 1996
Celebrity Escape Room
as Self · 2020
The Making of 'The Pick of Destiny'
as Self · 2007
Nobody Knows Anything!
as Peach Expert (uncredited) · 2004
Earth to America
as Self · 2005
Drake Sather: The Man Who Created Zoolander
· 2016
Stella
as Jim Uptegrove · 1990
Working Tra$h
as Freddy Novak · 1990
Sesame Street: What's the Name of That Song?
as Self (archive footage) · 2004
Shoeshine
as Son · 1987
Romanekian
as Self · 2005
A Matter of Time
Belly of the Beast
as Norman Mailer
Derek Zoolander University
as Derek Zoolander · 1997
Sweet Micky for President
as Self · 2015
Nantucket Film Festival's Comedy Roundtable
as Self - Panelist · 2012
Nantucket Film Festival's 2nd Comedy Roundtable
as Self · 2013
Le Débarquement
as Self - host · 2013
That's Adequate
as Chip Lane · 1989
Bleecker
as Dr. Pots · 2023
All Aboard the Crazy Train
as Self - Special Appearance · 2005
Elvis Stories
as Bruce · 1989
Teen Choice Awards
as Self · 1999
The Champions
Airman