Ben Stiller (born November 30, 1965) is an American comedian, actor, and film director. He is possibly best known for his roles in the films Meet the Parents and There's Something About Mary. Stiller is son of Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, who are both veteran comedians and actors. He was born in New York, New York on November 30, 1965 and raised with frequent visits from his family's Hollywood friends.
Stiller wrote and appeared on Saturday Night Live as a featured performer in 1990. He went on to host and perform in a self-titled comedy sketch show on MTV and then The Ben Stiller Show on the Fox Network in 1992. The show lasted 12 episodes, but is considered by many to be one of the finest (if briefest) sketch comedy vehicles on television. The show also starred (and launched the careers of) his frequent collaborators Andy Dick, Janeane Garofalo, and Bob Odenkirk.
Stiller directed both Reality Bites and The Cable Guy, to generally mixed reviews. His directorial effort, 2001's Zoolander was well-received, showing he could be a bankable star both behind the camera as well as in front of it.
In the parody self-help book they co-authored, Feel This Book, he and frequent co-star Janeane Garofalo claimed they briefly dated. This is generally considered to be artistic license.
During much of the 1990s, he was involved with actress Jeanne Tripplehorn. In May 2002, he married actress Christine Taylor, whom he met while filming a never-broadcast television pilot for Fox called Heat Vision and Jack, starring Jack Black. Ben and Christine have one daughter, Ella Olivia, born April 10, 2002.
Amy Stiller, Ben's older sister, also is an actress.
