Profile photo of Ben Stiller

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

2025
Happy Gilmore 2

as Hal L

Movie
2024
Dear Santa

as Lucifer (uncredited)

Movie
2014
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb

as Larry Daley / Laaa

Movie
2013
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

as Walter Mitty

Movie
2012
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted

as Alex (voice)

Movie
2010
Megamind

as Bernard (voice)

Movie
2009
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

as Larry Daley

Movie
2008
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

as Alex (voice)

Movie
2008
Tropic Thunder

as Tugg Speedman

Movie
2006
Night at the Museum

as Larry Daley

Movie
2005
Madagascar

as Alex (voice)

Movie
2004
Meet the Fockers

as Greg Focker

Movie
2004
DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story

as White Goodman

Movie
2001
Zoolander

as Derek Zoolander

Movie
2000
Meet the Parents

as Greg Focker

Movie
1998
There's Something About Mary

as Ted Stroehmann

Movie
1987
Empire of the Sun

as Dainty

Movie