Known for Acting
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.
Born
November 30, 1965 (age 60)
Birthplace
New York City, New York, USA
Filmography
185 films, 108 shows


Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost
2025 · 1h 38m
country: United States
Ben Stiller tells the story of his parents—comedy icons Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara—exploring their impact on popular culture and at home, where the lines between creativity, family, life, and art often blurred.


Zoolander 2
2016 · 1h 40m
country: United States
Derek and Hansel are modelling again when an opposing company attempts to take them out from the business.


The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
2013 · 1h 54m
country: United Kingdom
A timid magazine photo manager who lives life vicariously through daydreams embarks on a true-life adventure when a negative goes missing.


Tropic Thunder
2008 · 1h 47m
country: United States
A group of self-absorbed actors set out to make the most expensive war film ever. After ballooning costs force the studio to cancel the movie, the frustrated director refuses to stop shooting, leading his cast into the jungles of Southeast Asia, where they encounter real bad guys.


Zoolander
2001 · 1h 29m
country: United States
Clear the runway for Derek Zoolander, VH1's three-time male model of the year. His face falls when hippie-chic Hansel scooters in to steal this year's award. The evil fashion guru Mugatu seizes the opportunity to turn Derek into a killing machine. It's a well-designed conspiracy and only with the help of Hansel and a few well-chosen accessories like Matilda can Derek make the world safe for male models everywhere.


Heat Vision and Jack
1999 · 30m
country: United States
As the result of a NASA miscalculation, Astronaut Jack Austin flew too close to the sun, the rays expanding his mind and making him the smartest man on the planet. Now he and his talking motorcycle (who contains the mind of his former roommate) are on the run from NASA and their assassin, actor Ron Silver who want to take his brain. They travel from place to place solving paranormal mysteries with the help of Jack's newfound ability to become a super genius when his brain absorbs sunlight.


The Cable Guy
1996 · 1h 36m
country: United States
When recently single Steven moves into his new apartment, cable guy Chip comes to hook him up—and doesn't let go. Initially, Chip is just overzealous in his desire to be Steven's pal, but when Steven tries to end the 'friendship', Chip shows his dark side. He begins stalking Steven, who's left to fend for himself because no one else can believe Chip's capable of such behaviour.


Reality Bites
1994 · 1h 38m
country: United States
A small circle of friends suffering from post-collegiate blues must confront the hard truth about life, love and the pursuit of gainful employment. As they struggle to map out survival guides for the future, the Gen-X quartet soon begins to realize that reality isn't all it's cracked up to be.


Elvis Stories
1989 · 22m
country: United States
A collection of unrelated stories about urban legends surrounding Elvis and the theory that he is still alive in the form of a mockumentary.


The Hustler of Money
1987 · 6m
country: Unknown
A veteran bowling hustler tries to teach a young hotshot the finer points of playing the game for money.