Biography
As the child of the popular 1960s comedy team of Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, actor and director Ben Stiller had an up-close view of the inner workings of show business right from the start. Thanks to his privileged perch, Stiller had a leg up when he decided to break into entertainment, starting with several appearances with his parents on stage as a child. When he reached adulthood, Stiller broke off on his own, making short parody films …
Ben Stiller SlideShow
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Career Milestones
1975 | Acting debut as a guest on his mother's television series "Kate McShane" (CBS) |
1976 | Began making Super 8 films at age 10 |
1985 | Made stage debut in the Broadway revival of John Guare's "The House of Blue Leaves" |
1987 | Appeared in PBS' "American Playhouse" production of "The House of Blue Leaves" |
1987 | Feature acting debut in Steven Spielberg's "Empire of the Sun" |
1987 | Hired as a writer on "Saturday Night Live" (NBC); had a brief stint as a featured performer in 1989 |
1987 | Made a 10-minute short spoof of "The Color of Money" titled "The Hustler of Money"; aired on "Saturday Night Live" in 1997 |
1989 | Created (also wrote and starred) the MTV sketch show "The Ben Stiller Show"; canceled after its first season |
1992 | Created (also wrote, directed and starred) second sketch show, "The Ben Stiller Show" (Fox); cancelled after one season |
1994 | Feature directorial debut, "Reality Bites"; produced by Danny DeVito |
1996 | Cast in a lead role in the hit comedy "Flirting with Disaster" |
1996 | Helmed the commercially disappointing "The Cable Guy," starring Jim Carrey; first film with Owen Wilson |
1997 | Signed to an exclusive contract with Fox; deal called for Stiller to establish a production company (Red House Productions) |
1998 | Appeared in Neil LaBute's ensemble "Your Friends and Neighbors" |
1998 | Co-starred with Cameron Diaz in the sleeper hit "There's Something About Mary," directed by the Farrelly Brothers |
1998 | Offered a critically lauded performance as a heroin-abusing screenwriter in "Permanent Midnight"; Wilson had supporting role |
2000 | Played a rabbi in love with the same woman (Jenna Elfman) as his priest pal (Edward Norton) in "Keeping the Faith" |
2000 | Portrayed male nurse Gaylord Focker in the box-office smash "Meet the Parents" opposite Robert De Niro; Wilson had supporting role |
2001 | Co-starred with Owen Wilson, as rival male models in the comedy "Zoolander"; also directed and co-wrote |
2001 | Portrayed the eldest child in a family of geniuses in "The Royal Tenenbaums"; Owen Wilson co-wrote screenplay with director Wes Anderson and co-starred as a family friend |
2002 | Made cameo appearance as a firefighter in Jake Kasdan's "Orange County" |
2003 | Co-starred with Drew Barrymore in the lackluster box office film "The Duplex"; directed by Danny De Vito |
2004 | Cast as Dave Starsky, opposite Owen Wilson as Ken 'Hutch' Hutchinson in Todd Phillips' spoof film adaptation of the 70's classic television show series "Starsky & Hutch" |
2004 | Co-starred opposite wife Christine Taylor in the comedy "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story"; also produced |
2004 | Reprised role of Gaylord Focker in the successful sequel "Meet the Fockers" |
2004 | Starred as the risk-averse Reuben Feffer in the romantic comedy "Along Came Polly"; produced by Danny DeVito |
2005 | Co-starred with Jeffrey Wright in the Neil LaBute play "This Is How It Goes" at the Public Theater in New York |
2005 | Voiced Alex the Lion in his animated feature debut "Madagascar" |
2006 | Earned an Emmy nomination for Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his appearance on HBO's "Extras" |
2006 | Played a night security guard in the family adventure "A Night at the Museum" |
2006 | Produced "Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny," starring Jack Black and Kyle Gass; also appeared in a cameo |
2007 | Played the lead in the Farrelly brother's remake of "The Heartbreak Kid" |
2008 | Directed and co-starred in the action comedy "Tropic Thunder"; also co-wrote and produced |
2008 | Once again lent his voice to Alex the Lion in "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" |
2009 | Reprised role for the sequel "Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian" |
2010 | Once again reprised the role of Gaylord Focker for the comedy sequel "Little Fockers" |
2010 | Played the title role in Noah Baumbach's "Greenberg" |
2011 | Co-starred on Broadway in "The House of Blue Leaves" with Edie Falco and Jennifer Jason Leigh |
2011 | Headed the ensemble cast of Brett Ratner's "Tower Heist" |
2011 | Nominated for the 2011 Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead |
2011 | Nominated for the 2011 Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead ("Greenberg") |
2012 | Reprised voice role of Alex the Lion in "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted" |
Awards
1993 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement In Writing In a Variety or Music Program in The Ben Stiller Show |
1999 | MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance in There's Something About Mary |
1999 | MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss in There's Something About Mary |
1999 | MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo in There's Something About Mary |
2001 | MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance in Meet the Parents |
2001 | MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo in Meet the Parents |
2002 | MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Team in Zoolander |
2004 | MTV Movie Award for Best Dance Sequence in Along Came Polly |
2004 | MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Team in Starsky & Hutch |
2005 | MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story |
2005 | MTV Movie Award for Best Villain in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story |
2006 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor In a Comedy Series in Extras |
2007 | MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance in Night At the Museum |
2009 | MTV Movie Award for Best WTF Moment in Tropic Thunder |
2010 | MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance in Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian |
2011 | Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead in Greenberg |