Stiller saw a late-career resurgence starting in 1993, playing Frank Costanza on the sitcom Seinfeld, a part which earned him an Emmy nomination.

He also performed voice-over work for films and television, including The Lion King 1½ and Planes: Fire and Rescue.

His paternal grandparents emigrated from Galicia (southeast Poland and western Ukraine), and his mother was born in Frampol, Russian Empire.

[8] Upon his return from service in the U.S. Army during World War II,[9][10] Stiller attended Syracuse University, earning a bachelor's degree in Speech and Drama in 1950.

[19][20] For his portrayal of Frank, Stiller gained widespread critical and popular acclaim, including being nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series in 1997 and winning an American Comedy Award for Funniest Male Guest Appearance in a TV Series in 1998.

James, who played the leading role of Doug Heffernan, had told Stiller that he needed him to have a successful show.

Stiller said that this role tested his acting ability more than any other had, and that, before being a part of The King of Queens, he only saw himself as a "decent actor".

[22] Stiller played himself in filmed skits opening and closing Canadian rock band Rush's 30th Anniversary Tour concerts in 2004.

Stiller appeared on Dick Clark's $20,000 Pyramid show in the 1970s, and footage of the appearance was edited into an episode of The King of Queens to assist the storyline about his character being a contestant on the show, and, after losing, being bitter about the experience, as he never received his parting gift, a lifetime supply of Rice-a-Roni.

In the late 1990s, Stiller appeared in a series of Nike television commercials as the ghost of deceased Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi.

Stiller wrote the foreword to the 2005 book Festivus: The Holiday for the Rest of Us (ISBN 0-446-69674-9) by Allen Salkin.

The book discussed Festivus, the fictional holiday promulgated by Stiller's Seinfeld character Frank Costanza.

[26] Stiller also authored a memoir titled Married to Laughter: A Love Story Featuring Anne Meara, which was published by Simon & Schuster (ISBN 0-684-86903-9).