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).

[4][5] 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.

[1] 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).

[9] Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller[10][11] was born on November 30, 1965, in New York City[12] and raised on the Upper West Side.

[13] His father, comedian and actor Jerry Stiller, was from a Jewish family that emigrated from Poland and Galicia in Central Europe.

[14][15][16][17] His mother, actress and comedian Anne Meara, who was from an Irish Catholic background, converted to Reform Judaism after marrying his father.

"[27] His older sister, Amy,[28] has appeared in many of his productions, including Reality Bites, DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story, and Zoolander.

[15] At age 9, Stiller made his acting debut as a guest on his mother's short-lived television series, Kate McShane.

[37] When he was approximately 15, Stiller obtained a small part with one line on the television soap opera Guiding Light, although in an interview he characterized his performance as poor.

The film featured him in a send-up of Tom Cruise's character and Mahoney in the Paul Newman role, only this time as a bowling hustler instead of a pool shark.

[40] The film starred friends and co-stars John Cusack, Jeremy Piven, Mike Myers, Andy Dick, and Jeff Kahn.

It starred Stiller, along with main writer Jeff Khan and Harry O'Reilly, with his parents and sister making occasional appearances.

Throughout its short run, The Ben Stiller Show frequently appeared at the bottom of the ratings, even as it garnered critical acclaim and eventually won an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program" posthumously.

Stiller devoted the next year and a half to rewriting the script with Childress, fundraising, and recruiting cast members for the film.

Following Heavyweights, he had a brief uncredited role in Adam Sandler's Happy Gilmore (1996) where he played Hal L., the sadistic orderly running the nursing home.

[50][51] Next, he had lead roles in If Lucy Fell and Flirting with Disaster, before tackling his next directorial effort with The Cable Guy, which starred Jim Carrey.

Along with SNL writer Drake Sather, Stiller developed a short film for the awards about a male model known as Derek Zoolander.

[37] In 2021, Stiller signed on to co-write and direct Bag Man, a Focus Features adaptation of the 2018 podcast about the kickback scandal that led to the resignation of Vice President Spiro Agnew.

[55] In 1998, Stiller put aside his directing ambitions to star in the Farrelly Brothers' There's Something About Mary, alongside Cameron Diaz, which became a surprise hit with a long-lasting cult following.

He was invited to take part in hosting the Music Video awards, for which he developed a parody of the Backstreet Boys and performed a sketch with his father, commenting on his current career.

He appeared in a segment on the July 26 episode of WWF RAW is WAR to promote the then-upcoming movie and found himself on the wrong end of Intercontinental Champion Jeff Jarrett's Figure-4 Leg Lock.

[57] In 2000, Stiller starred in three more films, including one of his most recognizable roles, a male nurse named Gaylord "Greg" Focker in Meet the Parents, opposite Robert De Niro.

The film featured multiple cameos from a variety of celebrities, including Donald Trump, Paris Hilton, Lenny Kravitz, Heidi Klum, and David Bowie, among others.

He appeared on shows such as Friends, and Extras, the latter of which earned him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series nomination.

[82] In 2024 Stiller made his acting comeback after seven years with the holiday films Nutcrackers and Dear Santa, the latter also featuring Jack Black and having him in an uncredited role.

[85] In December 2024, Stiller was featured in a music video trailer for singer SZA's new album Lana, singing her song Drive.

[88][89] Stiller has been acknowledged as the leader of the group because of his multiple cameos and for his consistent use of the other members in roles in films which he produces and directs.

[91] Stiller dated several actresses during his early television and film career, including Jeanne Tripplehorn between 1990 and 1996, Calista Flockhart, and Amanda Peet.

[27] Stiller is also a self-professed Trekkie and appeared in the television special Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond to express his love of the show, as well as a comedy roast for William Shatner.

[124] On February 2, 2019, Stiller won the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Limited Series for his miniseries, Escape at Dannemora.