Ben Stiller

Ben Stiller
Stiller at the RTL-Spendenmarathon in 2014
Born	Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller (1965-11-30) November 30, 1965 (age 51) New York City, New York, U.S.
Residence	Westchester County, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, comedian, filmmaker
Years active	1980–present
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Christine Taylor (m. 2000)
Children	2
Parent(s)	Jerry Stiller Anne Meara

Benjamin Edward Meara "Ben" Stiller (born November 30, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is the son of veteran comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara.

After beginning his acting career with a play, Stiller wrote several mockumentaries, and was offered his own show entitled The Ben Stiller Show, which he produced and hosted for its 13-episode run. Having previously acted in television, he began acting in films; he made his directorial debut with Reality Bites. Throughout his career he has written, starred in, directed, and/or produced more than 50 films, including The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Zoolander, The Cable Guy, There's Something About Mary, the Meet the Parents trilogy, DodgeBall, Tropic Thunder, the Madagascar series, and the Night at the Museum trilogy. In addition, he has had multiple cameos in music videos, television shows, and films.

Stiller is a member of a group of comedic actors colloquially known as the Frat Pack. His films have grossed more than $2.6 billion in Canada and the United States, with an average of $79 million per film. Throughout his career, he has received multiple awards and honors, including an Emmy Award, multiple MTV Movie Awards and a Teen Choice Award.

Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller was born on November 30, 1965 in New York City. His father, comedian and actor Jerry Stiller (born 1927), is from a Jewish family that emigrated from Poland and Galicia in Eastern Europe. His mother, actress/comedian Anne Meara (1929-2015), who was from an Irish Catholic background, converted to Reform Judaism after marrying his father. While the family was "never very religious", they celebrated both Hanukkah and Christmas, and Stiller had a Bar Mitzvah. His parents frequently took him on the sets of their appearances, including The Mike Douglas Show when he was six. He considered his childhood unusual, stating "In some ways, it was a show-business upbringing—a lot of traveling, a lot of late nights—not what you'd call traditional." His elder sister, Amy, has appeared in many of his productions, including Reality Bites, DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story, and Zoolander.