A MULTI PAGE CONTRACT WITH WILLIAM MORRIS AGENCY INFORMATION AS WELL AS A VINTAGE 8X10 IONCH PHOTO OF COMEDY TEAM LEGENDS JERRY STILLER AND ANNE MEARA FROM 1968


Gerald Isaac Stiller was an American actor, comedian and author. He spent many years as part of the comedy duo Stiller and Meara with his wife, Anne Meara, to whom he was married for over 60 years until her death in 2015. 

Anne Meara Stiller was an American actress and comedian. Along with her husband Jerry Stiller, she was one-half of a prominent 1960s comedy team, Stiller and Meara. Their son is actor Ben Stiller. She was also featured on stage, in television, and in numerous films, and later she became a playwright.
































Anne Meara Stiller (September 20, 1929 – May 23, 2015) was an American actress and comedian. Along with her husband Jerry Stiller, she was one-half of a prominent 1960s comedy team, Stiller and Meara. Their son is actor Ben Stiller. She was also featured on stage, in television, and in numerous films, and later she became a playwright.

During her career, Meara was nominated for four Emmy Awards and a Tony Award, and she won a Writers Guild Award as a co-writer for the TV movie The Other Woman.


Contents
1 Early years
2 Career
2.1 Comedy team
2.2 Television, stage, film, video
2.3 Writing and consulting
3 Personal life
3.1 Religion
3.2 Children
3.3 Death
4 Filmography
4.1 Film
4.2 Television
4.3 Theatre
4.4 Radio
5 Awards and nominations
6 References
7 External links
Early years
Meara was born in Brooklyn, New York,[1] the daughter of parents of Irish descent,[2] Mary (née Dempsey)[3] and Edward Joseph Meara, a corporate lawyer for American Standard.[4] An only child, she was raised in Rockville Centre, New York, on Long Island. When Anne was 11 years old, her mother died by suicide.[1]

When she was 18, Meara spent a year studying acting at the Dramatic Workshop at The New School and at HB Studio[5] under Uta Hagen in Manhattan. The following year, 1948, she began her career as an actress in summer stock.[1]

Career
Comedy team

Publicity photo of Meara and Jerry Stiller, 1965
Meara met actor-comedian Jerry Stiller in 1953, and they married in 1954. Until he suggested it, she had never thought of doing comedy. "Jerry started us being a comedy team," she said. "He always thought I would be a great comedy partner."[1] They joined the Chicago improvisational company The Compass Players (which later became The Second City), and after leaving, formed the comedy team of Stiller and Meara. In 1961, they were performing in nightclubs in New York, and by the following year were considered a "national phenomenon", said the New York Times.[1]

Their often improvised comedy routines brought many of their relationship foibles to live audiences. Their skits focused on domestic themes, as did Nichols and May, another comedy team during that period from the Chicago Compass Players project. "They were Nichols and May without the acid and with warmth," notes author Lawrence Epstein.[6] They also added a new twist to their comedy act, he adds, by sometimes playing up the fact that Stiller was Jewish and Meara was Catholic.[7] After Nichols and May broke up as a team in 1961, Stiller and Meara were the number-one couple comedy team by the late 1960s. And as Mike Nichols and Elaine May were not married, Stiller and Meara became the most famous married couple comedy team since Burns and Allen.[8]

After some years honing the act, Stiller and Meara became regulars on The Ed Sullivan Show, with 36 appearances,[8] and other TV programs, including The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. They released their first LP in 1963, Presenting America's New Comedy Sensation: Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara Live at The Hungry I, which became a hit. By 1970, however, they broke up their act because it was affecting their marriage: "I didn't know where the act ended and our marriage began," complained Meara in 1977.[8] Stiller agreed, fearing, "I would have lost her as a wife."[8]

Television, stage, film, video
During the 1970s, Meara and Stiller wrote and performed many radio commercials together for Blue Nun Wine. She had a recurring role on the sitcom Rhoda as airline stewardess Sally Gallagher, one of the title character's best friends. She also had a small role as Mrs. Curry opposite Laurence Olivier in The Boys from Brazil (1978).

In 1975, she starred in her own series, Kate McShane, on CBS. She was nominated for an Emmy Award as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1976, however, the show was cancelled after 10 episodes.[9][10][11]

Also in the 1970s, Meara provided narration for segments of the educational television series Sesame Street, consisting of scenes from silent films.


Meara in an episode of The Corner Bar, 1973
Meara costarred with Carroll O'Connor and Martin Balsam in the early 1980s hit sitcom Archie Bunker's Place, which was a continuation of the influential 1970s sitcom All in the Family. She played the role of Veronica Rooney, the bar's cook, for the show's first three seasons (1979–1982). During that time, she acted in the movie Fame (1980), in which she played English teacher Elizabeth Sherwood.[12] She also appeared as the grandmother in the TV series ALF in the late 1980s. The Stiller and Meara Show, her own 1986 TV sitcom, in which Stiller played the deputy mayor of New York City and Meara portrayed his wife, a television commercial actress, was unsuccessful. From 1999 to 2007, Meara guest starred on The King of Queens (where her husband played Arthur Spooner), first as Mary Finnegan, then as Veronica Olchin (mother of Spence, who was played by Patton Oswalt). Veronica and Arthur were married in the series finale.

Starting in October 2010, Meara and Jerry Stiller began starring in a Yahoo! web series called Stiller & Meara produced by Red Hour Digital, a production company owned by their son Ben Stiller.[13][14]

She accepted a role in the off-Broadway play Love, Loss, and What I Wore with Conchata Ferrell, AnnaLynne McCord, Minka Kelly, and B. Smith.[15] She taught a technique and scene study class at HB Studio until her death.[citation needed]

Writing and consulting
In 1995, Meara wrote the comedy After-Play, which became an off-Broadway production.[1][16] In her later years, she portrayed recurring roles on the television shows Sex and the City (as Mary Brady) and The King of Queens (as Veronica Olchin). During the 2004–05 season, she appeared in an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

She was the consulting director of J.A.P. – The Jewish American Princesses of Comedy, a 2007 off-Broadway production that featured live stand-up routines by four female Jewish comics juxtaposed with the stories of legendary performers from the 1950s and 1960s: Totie Fields, Jean Carroll, Pearl Williams, Betty Walker, and Belle Barth.[citation needed]

In 2009, Meara wrote her personal life reflections in a New York-focused online blog, titled Mr. Beller's Neighborhood -- New York City Stories. In it, Meara recalled her mother's death and her childhood experiences at Catholic boarding school.[17]

Personal life
Religion
Meara was born, baptised and raised a Roman Catholic. She converted to Judaism six years after marrying Stiller.[18][19] She insisted that she did not convert at Stiller's request, explaining, "Catholicism was dead to me". She took her conversion seriously and studied the Jewish faith in such depth that her Jewish-born husband quipped, "Being married to Anne has made me more Jewish".[20] They discussed how they met and their early career during a guest appearance on the TV game show What's My Line? in 1968.[21]

Children
Together, Meara and her husband had two children, Amy (born 1961) and Ben (born 1965).

Death
Meara died on May 23, 2015, at her home in Manhattan at the age of 85, having suffered multiple strokes.[22]

Filmography
Film
Sources: TCM;[23] AllMovie;[24] Film Reference[25]

Year Title Role Notes
1970 The Out-of-Towners Woman in Police Station
1970 Lovers and Other Strangers Wilma
1972 Irish Whiskey Rebellion Goldie Fain-Follies Star
1977 Nasty Habits Sister Geraldine
1978 The Boys from Brazil Mrs. Curry
1980 Fame Mrs. Sherwood
1984 In Our Hands Documentary
1986 The Longshot Madge
1986 The Perils of P.K.
1987 My Little Girl Mrs. Shopper
1989 That's Adequate Charlene Lane
1990 Awakenings Miriam
1992 Through an Open Window 24-minute short
1992 Highway to Hell Medea
1993 So You Want to Be an Actor Herself Short subject
1994 Reality Bites Louise
1994 The Search for One-Eye Jimmy Holly Hoyt
1995 Heavyweights Alice Bushkin
1995 Kiss of Death Bev's Mother
1996 The Daytrippers Rita Malone
1998 The Thin Pink Line Mrs. Langstrom
1998 Southie Mrs. Quinn
1999 The Diary of the Hurdy-Gurdy Man
1999 Judy Berlin Bea
1999 Brooklyn Thrill Killers 29-minute short
1999 A Fish in the Bathtub Molly
2000 Amy Stiller's Breast Herself Short subject
2000 The Independent Rita
2001 Zoolander Protestor Uncredited
2001 Keeping It Real: The Adventures of Greg Walloch Documentary
2001 Get Well Soon Linda
2002 Like Mike Sister Theresa
2002 The Yard Sale 19-minute short
2003 Crooked Lines[26] Hard Boiled
2004 Chump Change Casting Director
2006 Night at the Museum Debbie
2007 The Mirror
2007 The Shallow End of the Ocean Voice of Alice 28-minute short
2009 When the Evening Comes Marion Corrado
2009 The Queen of Greenwich Village 13-minute short
2009 Another Harvest Moon Ella
2014 Simpler Times 33-minute short with Jerry Stiller
2014 Planes: Fire & Rescue Winnie Voice
Television

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Sources: Film Reference;[25] TV.com[27]

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1954–55 The Greatest Gift Harriet 219 episodes
1954 The Philco Television Playhouse Betty Blake Episode: "Man on the Mountaintop"
1959 The DuPont Show of the Month Performer Episode: "Oliver Twist"
1960 Ninotchka Anna ABC TV movie [28]
1964–65 Linus! The Lion Hearted Voice Animated TV series, 3 episodes
1971 Dames at Sea Joan Television Special [29][30]
1971-72 The Courtship of Eddie's Father Bunny Sterling
Annie Dempsey 2 episodes
1971-73 Love, American Style Various roles 2 episodes
1973 The Paul Lynde Show Grace Dickerson 3 episodes
1973 The Corner Bar Mae/Jennifer Bradley Cast member, 7 episodes
1974 Medical Center Rose Miller Episode: "The Enemies"
1975 Kate McShane Kate McShane Cancelled after 10 episodes
1976–77 Rhoda Sally Gallagher 7 episodes
1977–78 Take Five with Stiller & Meara
1979-83 Love Boat Various roles 3 episodes
1979–82 Archie Bunker's Place Veronica Rooney 52 episodes
1979–82 HBO Sneak Previews Costarred with Jerry Stiller
1983 The Other Woman Peg Gilford TV movie (CBS);
Meara co-wrote the teleplay with Lila Garrett [31][32]
1986 The Stiller and Meara Show Performer Co-writer; Canceled after a few weeks
1987 Saturday Night Live Bartender Episode: "Charlton Heston/Wynton Marsalis"
1987–89 ALF Dorothy Halligan 7 episodes
1987–89 CBS Schoolbreak Special Mrs. Salters Episode: "The Day They Came to Arrest the Book"
1988-93 Murder, She Wrote Winnie Tupper Banner
Mae Shaughnessy 2 episodes
1990 Monsters Greta Episode: "One Wolf's Family"
1991 The General Motors Playwrights Theater Rose Finker Episode: "Avenue Z Afternoon"
1991 American Playhouse Bernice Shapiro "The Sunset Gang": segment: "The Detective"
1992–99 All My Children Peggy Moody 5 episodes
1992–99 CBS Schoolbreak Special Patricia Lennon Episode: "Love off Limits"
1994 In the Heat of the Night Roda Episode: "Poor Relations"
1994 Great Performances: The Mother Mrs. Geegan PBS TV movie, Oct. 24, 1994 [33]
1994 Murphy Brown Reena Bernecky 2 episodes
1996 Homicide: Life on the Street Donna DiGrazi 2 episodes
1997 Jitters mother TV Movie [34]
1999 After Play Writer and cast member
1999-02 Oz Aunt Brenda O'Reily 2 episodes
1999
2003–07 The King of Queens Mary Finnegan (1999)
Veronica Olchin (2003–07) 10 episodes
2001 What Makes a Family Evelyn Cataldi TV movie (Lifetime) [35]
2001 Ed Barbara Gennacarro Episode: "The Test"
2001 Will & Grace Mrs. Friedman Episode: "Star-Spangled Banter"
2002–04 Sex and the City Mary Brady 4 episodes
2003 Good Morning, Miami Claire's Friend Episode: "The Slow and the Furious"
2003 Charlie Lawrence Pauline Lawrence Episode: "If It's Not One Thing It's Your Mother" [36]
2004–12 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Ida Becker Episode: "Scavenger"
Episode: "Dreams Deferred" [37]
2006 Four Kings Ruth Episode: "Pilot"
2009 Mercy Estelle Thalberg Episode: "The Last Thing I Said Was"
2009–10 Wonder Pets! Granny Ginny 2 episodes
2010 Gravity Mrs. Talbot Episode: "Old People Creep Me Out"
2011 Rip City Myrt TVLand sitcom pilot that did not sell [38]
Theatre
Year Title Credit(s) Notes Ref.
1956 A Month in the Country Katina the maid Phoenix Theatre, Off-Broadway [39]
1956 The Good Woman of Setzuan Niece [40]
1957 Miss Loneyhearts Sick-of-it-All Music Box Theatre, Broadway [41]
1958 As You Like It Audrey Joseph Papp Public Theater, Off-Broadway [42]
1958 Ulysseys in Nighttown Various roles Rooftop Theatre, Off-Broadway [43]
1971 The House of Blue Leaves Bunny Flingus Truck and Warehouse Theatre, Off-Broadway [44]
1984 Spookhouse Performer Playhouse 91, Off-Broadway [45]
1984 A... My Name Is Alice Writer Top of the Gate, Off-Broadway [46]
1988 Romeo and Juliet Nurse Joseph Papp Public Theater, Off-Broadway [47]
1988 Eastern Standard May Logan John Golden Theatre, Broadway [48]
1993 Anna Christie Marthy Owen Center Stage Right, Broadway [49]
1995 After-Play Terry Guteman
Playwright Theatre Four, Broadway [50]
2000 Down the Garden Paths Playwright Minetta Lane Theatre, Off-Broadway [51]
2011 Love, Loss and What I Wore Performer Westside Theatre, Off-Broadway [52]
Radio
I'd Rather Eat Pants, National Public Radio, 2002
Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.
1976 Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actress - Television Rhoda Nominated [53]
1976 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series Kate McShane Nominated
1981 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Archie Bunker's Place Nominated
1982 Nominated
1997 Guest Actress in a Drama Series Homicide: Life on the Street Nominated
1984 Writers Guild of America Awards Original/Adapted Comedy Anthology The Other Woman Won
1993 Tony Awards Best Featured Actress in a Play Anna Christie Nominated [54]
1996 Outer Critics Circle Award John Gassner Award After-Play Won
On February 9, 2007 Meara and Jerry Stiller received stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7018 Hollywood Blvd.


Anne Meara, who was half of one of the most successful male-female comedy teams of all time and who went on to enjoy a long and diverse career as an actress and, late in life, a playwright, died on Saturday in Manhattan. She was 85.

Her death was confirmed by her husband and longtime comedy partner, Jerry Stiller, and her son, the actor and director Ben Stiller. They did not provide the cause.

Ms. Meara was an experienced but relatively unknown stage actress when she joined forces with Jerry Stiller as members of the Compass Players, an improvisational theater troupe that evolved into Second City, and later on their own as Stiller and Meara. (Another male-female team, Mike Nichols and Elaine May, also got their start with the Compass Players.) Stiller and Meara began performing in New York nightclubs in 1961 and within a year had become a national phenomenon.

But even during the act’s heyday, Ms. Meara also pursued a separate career as an actress. She had already amassed an impressive list of stage credits before beginning her comedy career, including an Obie Award-winning performance in “Mädchen in Uniform” in 1955 and roles in several Shakespeare in the Park productions. (She was a witch in “Macbeth” in 1957.)

She later appeared both on and off Broadway, in films, and especially on television, where she was seen on a wide range of series, from “Rhoda” and “Archie Bunker’s Place” on CBS to “Sex and the City” and “Oz” on HBO.

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A tall redhead with a brassy voice and a self-confident demeanor, Ms. Meara was a natural for comedy but frequently played dramatic parts as well. “Comedy, drama, it’s the same deal,” she said in an interview for the Archive of American Television in 2008. “You don’t really act differently; you just make adjustments.”


ImageAnne Meara in her West Side apartment in 1995.
Anne Meara in her West Side apartment in 1995.Credit...Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times
Anne Meara was born in Brooklyn on Sept. 20, 1929, and raised in Rockville Centre on Long Island. An only child, she was the daughter of Edward Meara, a lawyer, and the former Mary Dempsey, who committed suicide when her daughter was 11. After studying for a year at the Dramatic Workshop at the New School in Manhattan, Anne began her career in summer stock in 1948.

She met Mr. Stiller in 1953 and married him soon after, but it would be some time before they began working as a team. The idea, they both agreed, was his; she did not think of herself as a comedian, but because work was scarce she reluctantly agreed.

“Jerry started us being a comedy team,” she said in 2008. “He always thought I would be a great comedy partner. At that time in my life, I disdained comedians.”

In the 1960s Stiller and Meara were regular guests on the variety and talk shows of Ed Sullivan and many others, and performed in nightclubs all over the country. In the 1970s their voices were heard on radio commercials for Blue Nun wine and other products.

Ms. Meara and Mr. Stiller’s relationship was the basis for their best-known comedy routines, which told the continuing story of Hershey Horowitz and Mary Elizabeth Doyle, a short Jewish man and a tall Catholic woman who had virtually nothing in common except their love for each other.

On their first date, arranged by a computer, Hershey and Mary Elizabeth were surprised to learn that they lived on the same block but knew none of the same people. (There was one significant difference between the real-life couple and the comedy version: Ms. Meara, though born and raised Roman Catholic, converted to Judaism in 1961.)

By the end of the decade, Mr. Stiller and Ms. Meara were both concentrating on their individual careers, but they continued to perform together from time to time. She made several guest appearances on the sitcom “The King of Queens,” on which Mr. Stiller (who had also memorably played Frank Costanza on “Seinfeld”) was a regular; her character married his in the series finale in 2007.

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Image
Jerry Stiller and Ms. Meara on the set of "The King of Queens" in 2003.<br /><br />
Jerry Stiller and Ms. Meara on the set of "The King of Queens" in 2003.

Credit...Stefano Paltera/Associated Press
In 2010 they began appearing in a series of web videos produced by their son in which they sat on a couch and talked, to the camera and occasionally to each other, about a variety of topics.

In 1975 Ms. Meara starred in “Kate McShane,” an hourlong drama about a lawyer that, despite generally good reviews, was canceled after two months. “They never really made her a full-blooded woman,” she said of her character in 2008. “She had no love life; she was really a nun.”

That was her only starring role on television, but she kept busy in a range of supporting roles on the small screen well into the 21st century. In addition to her prodigious prime-time work, she appeared occasionally on the soap opera “All My Children” in the 1990s. During her career, she was nominated for four Emmy Awards and won a Writers Guild Award as a co-writer of “The Other Woman,” a 1983 TV movie.

She had memorable character parts in movies as well, including a teacher in “Fame” (1980) and a personnel manager in “Reality Bites” (1994), Ben Stiller’s feature-film directorial debut. Onstage, she was in the original Off Broadway production of John Guare’s dark comedy “The House of Blue Leaves” in 1971 — her son had a small role in the 1986 Broadway revival and the lead role in a second revival, in 2011 — and she was nominated for a Tony for “Anna Christie” in 1993.

In addition to her husband and her son, Ms. Meara is survived by a daughter, the actress and comedian Amy Stiller, and two grandchildren.

Ms. Meara branched out into writing in 1995, when her comedy “After-Play” was presented Off Broadway. Her “Down the Garden Paths” had a brief Off Broadway run in 2000, with a cast headed by Eli Wallach and Anne Jackson.

“After-Play” has been produced by a number of regional theaters, sometimes with both Ms. Meara and Mr. Stiller in the cast. But neither of them was in the original cast, and she did not conceive it as a Stiller and Meara vehicle.

“I wanted to do something on my own,” she told The New York Times in 1995. “It’s the same way he feels good about doing ‘Seinfeld.’ The irony is, I feel we’re closer personally than when we were out going to nightclubs.”

Anne Meara Biography (1929-)
Born September 20, 1929, in New York, NY; daughter of Edward Joseph and Mary(maiden name, Dempsey) Meara; married Jerry Stiller (an actor and comic), September 14, 1954; children: Amy (an actress), Benjamin (an actor and director). Addresses: Agent: Innovative Artists, 1505 10th St., Santa Monica, CA 90401.

Nationality
American
Gender
Female
Occupation
Actress, comedian
Birth Details
September 20, 1929
New York, New York, United States
Famous Works
CREDITS
Television Appearances
Series
Harriet, The Greatest Gift, NBC, 1954
You're Putting Me On (game show), 1969
Mae, The Corner Bar, ABC, 1973
Title role, Kate McShane, CBS, 1975-1976
Sally Gallagher, a recurring role, Rhoda, CBS, 1976-1977
Take Five with Stiller and Meara, syndicated, 1977
Cohost, HBO Sneak Preview, HBO, 1979-1982
Veronica Rooney, Archie Bunker's Place (also known as All in the Family, Justice for All, and Those Were the Days), CBS, 1979-1983
Anne Bender, The Stiller and Meara Show, NBC, 1986
Dorothy Halligan, a recurring role, ALF, NBC, 1987-1989
Voice, Good and Evil, ABC, 1991
Peggy Moody, All My Children, ABC, 1993-1997
Pilots
Title role, Kate McShane, CBS, 1975
Annie Bell, This Better Be It, CBS, 1976
Veronica Rooney, Gloria Comes Home, CBS, 1982
Anne Bender, The Stiller and Meara Show, CBS, 1986
Betty, Two Families, CBS, 2002
Specials
"Oliver Twist," The DuPont Show of the Month, 1959
Anna, Ninotchka, ABC, 1960
The Jonathan Winters Show, NBC, 1965
The Perry Como Christmas Show, NBC, 1966
Dames at Sea, NBC, 1971
Don Rickles--Alive and Kicking, CBS, 1972
Alan King Looks Back in Anger--A Review of 1972, ABC, 1973
Celebration: The American Spirit, ABC, 1976
The Mad Mad Mad Mad World of the Super Bowl, NBC, 1977
Voice of Nellie Cosgrove, 'Twas the Night before Christmas, ABC, 1977
Mrs. Salters, "The Day They Came to Arrest the Book," CBS SchoolbreakSpecials, CBS, 1987
Colin's mother, Colin Quinn Back in Brooklyn (also known as Colin Back to Brooklyn), MTV, 1989
Rose Finkler, "Avenue Z Afternoon," General Motors Playwrights Theatre, Arts and Entertainment, 1992
Patricia Lennon, "Love Off Limits" (also known as "Off Limits"), CBS Schoolbreak Specials, CBS, 1993
Through an Open Window, syndicated, 1994
Voice, Going, Going, Almost Gone! Animals in Danger, HBO, 1994
Mrs. Geegan, "The Mother" (also known as "Paddy Chayefsky's The Mother"),Great Performances, PBS, 1994
The Comedy Central Presents the New York Friars Club Roast of Jerry Stiller, Comedy Central, 1999
The Comedy Central Presents the New York Friars Club Roast of Rob Reiner, Comedy Central, 2000
Voice, They Came for Good: A History of the Jews in the United States, PBS, 2001
There's Something about Ben Stiller, Arts and Entertainment, 2001
Movies
Peg Gilford, The Other Woman, CBS, 1983
Louise Domino, Jitters, Lifetime, 1997
A tekeroelantos naploja (also known as The Diary of the Hurdy-Gurdy Man), 1999
Evelyn Cataldi, What Makes a Family, Lifetime, 2001
Episodic
"Man on the Mountaintop," Philco Television Playhouse, NBC, 1954
The Ed Sullivan Show (also known as Toast of the Town), CBS, multiple appearances, between 1963 and 1971
Hullabaloo!, 1965
"The Comedy Survival Kit," Kraft Music Hall, 1968
The Summer Smothers Brothers Show, 1968
That's Life, ABC, 1969
"Love and Marriage: Parts 1 & 2" and other episodes, Kraft Music Hall, 1970
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, multiple episodes, between 1970 and 1975
"Love and the Conjugal Visit," Love, American Style, ABC, 1971
The Carol Burnett Show, 1972
Annie, "We Love Annie," The Courtship of Eddie's Father, ABC, 1972
Bunny, "Thy Neighbor Loves Thee," The Courtship of Eddie's Father,ABC, 1972
Grace Dickerson, "The Landlord," The Paul Lynde Show, ABC, 1972
Grace Dickerson, "To Wed or Not to Wed," The Paul Lynde Show, ABC,1972
Grace Dickerson, "Howie's Inheritance," The Paul Lynde Show, ABC,1973
Grace Dickerson, "Barbara Goes Home to Mother," The Paul Lynde Show, ABC, 1973
"Love and the Clinical Problem," Love, American Style, ABC, 1973
"The Enemies," Medical Center, CBS, 1974
Panelist, Match Game 73, 1974
Tony Orlando and Dawn, 1975
Margaret Hanrahan, "Super Mom/I'll See You Again/April's Return," TheLove Boat, ABC, 1979
Mrs. Sherwood, Fame, 1980
Rose Vitelli, "Love, Honor, and Obey," The Love Boat, ABC, 1981
"We, the Jury," The Love Boat, ABC, 1983
Saturday Night Live, NBC, 1987
Winnie Tupper Banner, "Who Threw the Barbitols in Mrs. Fletcher's Chowder?," Murder, She Wrote, CBS, 1988
"One Wolf's Family," Monsters, 1990
Bernice Shapiro, "Yiddish," The Sunset Gang, PBS, 1991
Bernice Shapiro, "The Detective," The Sunset Gang, PBS, 1991
Women Aloud (also known as Funny Ladies), syndicated, 1992
Mae Shaughnessy, "Murder in White," Murder, She Wrote, CBS, 1993
Roda, "Poor Relations," In the Heat of the Night, 1994
Reena Bernecky, "Bye Bye Bernecky," Murphy Brown, CBS, 1994
Reena Bernecky, "Brown in Toyland," Murphy Brown, CBS, 1994
Dooley Harold, "Roll Out the Barrel," Good Advice, 1994
Donna DiGrazi, "Hostage: Part 2," Homicide: Life on the Street, NBC, 1996
Mary Finnegan, "S'aint Valentines," The King of Queens, CBS, 1999
Aunt Brenda O'Reily, "Legs," Oz, HBO, 1999
Barbara Gennacarro, "The Test," Ed, NBC, 2001
"Ben Stiller," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 2001
Mrs. Friedman, "Star-Spangled Banter," Will & Grace, NBC, 2001
Aunt Brenda O'Reily, "Wheel of Fortune," Oz, HBO, 2002
Mary Brady, "Unoriginal Sin," Sex and the City, HBO, 2002
Veronica, "S'poor House," The King of Queens, CBS, 2003
The View, 2003
Also appeared as Charlie's mother, "If It's Not One Thing, It's Your Mother," Charlie Lawrence; as guest panelist on To Tell the Truth;and on The Merv Griffin Show and The Sonny & Cher Show.
Other
Appeared in The Male Menopause.
Film Appearances
Wilma, Lovers and Other Strangers, Cinerama, 1970
Irate woman in police station, The Out-of-Towners, Paramount, 1970
Irish Whiskey Rebellion, GSF/Cinerama, 1973
Sister Hildegarde (some sources cite Geraldine), Nasty Habits (also known as The Abbess), Brut, 1976
Mrs. Curry, The Boys from Brazil, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1978
Mrs. Sherwood, Fame, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1980
Herself, In Our Hands, 1984
Mrs. Shopper, My Little Girl, 1986
The Perils of P. K., 1986
Madge, The Longshot, Orion, 1986
Charlene Lane, That's Adequate, 1989
Miriam, Awakenings, Columbia, 1990
Mia, 1990
Medea, Highway to Hell, Hemdale Releasing, 1992
Herself, So You Want to Be an Actor?, 1993
Louise, Reality Bites, Universal, 1994
Alice Bushkin, Heavyweights, Buena Vista, 1995
Bev's mother, Kiss of Death, 1995
Rita Malone, The Daytrippers (also known as En route vers Manhattan), Columbia/TriStar, 1996
Holly Hoyt, The Search for One-Eyed Jimmy, Cabin Fever Entertainment, 1996
Mrs. Quinn, Southie, Lions Gates Films, 1998
Molly, A Fish in the Bathtub, Curb Entertainment, 1998
Mrs. Langstrom, The Thin Pink Line, PARCO/Tokyo Theatres Co., 1998
Mrs. Perrett, Brooklyn Thrill Killers, 1999
Bea, Judy Berlin, Shooting Gallery, 2000
Rita, The Independent, New City Releasing, 2000
Chump Change, Miramax, 2000
Herself, Amy Stiller's Breast, 2000
Protestor, Zoolander, Paramount, 2001
First restaurant patron, Keeping It Real: The Adventures of Greg Walloch (also known as F**k the Disabled: The Surprising Adventures of GregWalloch), Avatar Films, 2001
Get Well Soon, Lions Gate Films, 2001
Hard-boiled woman, Crooked Lines, Crooked Lines Productions, 2001
Sister Theresa, Like Mike, Twentieth Century-Fox, 2002
Hank, The Yard Sale, American Film Institute/Yard Sale Productions, 2002
Stage Appearances
A Month in the Country, off-Broadway, 1954
Maedchen in Uniform, off-Broadway, 1955
Two Gentlemen of Verona, New York Shakespeare Festival, New York City, 1957
Nurse, Romeo and Juliet, New York Shakespeare Festival, 1957
Ulysses in Nightgown, New York City, 1958
Marion, Cock-a-Doodle Dandy, Carnegie Hall Playhouse, New York City, 1958
Bunny Flingus, The House of Blue Leaves, Truck and Warehouse Theatre, New York City, 1970
Spookhouse, Playhouse 91, New York City, 1984
Bosoms and Neglect, 1986
Nurse, Romeo and Juliet, New York Shakespeare Festival, AnspacherTheatre, Public Theatre, New York City, 1988
May Logan, Eastern Standard, Manhattan Theatre Club, New York City, 1988, then John Golden Theatre, New York City, 1989
Marthy Owen, Anna Christie, Roundabout Theatre Company, CriterionCenter Stage Right Theatre, New York City, 1993
Terry Guteman, After-Play, Theatre Four, New York City, 1995
Also appeared off-Broadway in Dandy Dick and The Silver Tassie.
Stage Work
Director, Matinee, Mazur Theatre, New York City, 1990
RECORDINGS
Albums
(With Jerry Stiller) Laugh When You Like, Atlantic, 1972
The End of the Pier, 1992
WRITINGS
Television Episodes
"Break Up to Make Up," ALF, NBC, 1989
Television Writing
Other
(With Lila Garrett) The Other Woman (movie), CBS, 1983
The Stiller and Meara Show (series), NBC, 1986
Stage Plays
After-Play, Manhattan Theatre Club Stage I, New York City, 1994, then Theatre Four, New York City, 1995
Down the Garden Paths, George Street Playhouse, New Brunswick, NJ,1999, then Minetta Lane Theatre, New York City, 2000-2001
Further Reference
OTHER SOURCES

Books
Stiller, Jerry, Married to Laughter: A Love Story Featuring Anne Meara, Simon & Schuster, 2000


Gerald Isaac Stiller (June 8, 1927 – May 11, 2020) was an American actor, comedian and author. He spent many years as part of the comedy duo Stiller and Meara with his wife, Anne Meara, to whom he was married for over 60 years until her death in 2015. Stiller saw a late-career resurgence starting in 1993, playing George Costanza's father Frank on the sitcom Seinfeld, a part which earned him an Emmy nomination. The year Seinfeld went off the air, Stiller began his role as the eccentric Arthur Spooner on the CBS comedy series The King of Queens, another role which garnered him widespread acclaim.[1]

Stiller is the father of actor Ben Stiller, and the father and son appeared together in films such as Zoolander, Heavyweights, Hot Pursuit, The Heartbreak Kid, and Zoolander 2. He also performed voice-over work for television and films including The Lion King 1½ and Planes: Fire and Rescue. In his later career, Stiller became known for playing grumpy and eccentric characters who were nevertheless beloved.[2][3]


Contents
1 Early life
2 Stiller and Meara
3 Resurgence
3.1 Seinfeld
3.2 The King of Queens
3.3 Other appearances
4 Author
5 Personal life
6 Death
7 Filmography
7.1 Film
7.2 Television
7.3 Stage
8 Accolades
8.1 Awards and nominations
8.2 Other
9 References
10 External links
Early life
The eldest of four children,[4] Stiller was born at Unity Hospital in Brooklyn, New York, to Bella (née Citron; 1902–1954) and William Stiller (1896–1999), a taxi and bus driver.[5] His family was Jewish. His paternal grandparents immigrated from Galicia (southeast Poland and western Ukraine), and his mother was born in Frampol, Poland.[6] He lived in the Williamsburg and East New York neighborhoods before his family moved to the Lower East Side,[7] where he attended Seward Park High School,[8] where he played Adolf Hitler in a school production.[9]

Upon his return from service in the U.S. Army during World War II,[10][11] Stiller attended Syracuse University, earning a bachelor's degree in Speech and Drama in 1950.[12][13] He also studied drama at HB Studio in Greenwich Village.[14] In the 1953 Phoenix Theater production of Coriolanus (produced by John Houseman), Stiller, along with Gene Saks and Jack Klugman, formed (as told by Houseman in the 1980 memoir Front and Center) "the best trio of Shakespearian clowns that I have ever seen on any stage".[15]

Also in 1953, Stiller met actress-comedian Anne Meara, and they married in 1954. Until Stiller suggested it, Meara had never thought of doing comedy. "Jerry started us being a comedy team," she said. "He always thought I would be a great comedy partner."[16] They joined the Chicago improvisational company The Compass Players (which later became The Second City) and, after leaving, began performing together. In 1961 they were performing in nightclubs in New York City and by the following year were considered a "national phenomenon", said the New York Times.[16]

Stiller and Meara

Stiller and Meara
The comedy team Stiller and Meara, composed of Stiller and his wife, Anne Meara, was successful throughout the 1960s, with numerous appearances on television variety programs, primarily on The Ed Sullivan Show.[17] In 1970, they broke up the live act before it broke up their marriage. They subsequently forged a career in radio commercials, notably the campaign for Blue Nun wine. They also starred in their own syndicated five-minute sketch comedy show on radio, Take Five with Stiller and Meara, from 1977 to 1978.[18]

From 1979 to 1982, Stiller and Meara hosted HBO Sneak Previews, a half-hour show produced monthly on which they described the movies and programs to be featured in the coming month.[5] They also did some comedy sketches between show discussions. The duo had their own 1986 TV sitcom, The Stiller and Meara Show, in which Stiller played the deputy mayor of New York City and Meara portrayed his wife, a TV commercial actress.

Resurgence
Seinfeld
Late in his career, Stiller earned the part of the short-tempered Frank Costanza, father of George Costanza, on the sitcom Seinfeld, a role which Stiller played from 1993 until 1998.[19] Stiller's character as initially envisioned was a "meek" and "Thurberesque" character that required him to wear a bald cap. After a couple of days of rehearsal Stiller realized the character wasn't working and asked Seinfeld co-creator Larry David if he could perform the character in a different way, which was more in line with his final characterization on the show.[20][21] 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.[19][22]

The King of Queens
After Seinfeld ended, Stiller had planned on retiring. However, Kevin James asked him to join the cast of The King of Queens. James, who played the leading role of Doug Heffernan, had told Stiller that he needed him to have a successful show. Stiller agreed and played the role of Arthur Spooner, the father of Carrie Heffernan, from 1998 until 2007. 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."[23]

Other appearances

Stiller in 2006
Stiller played himself in filmed skits opening and closing Canadian rock band Rush's 30th Anniversary Tour concerts in 2004. These appearances are seen on the band's DVD R30: 30th Anniversary World Tour, released in 2005. Stiller later appeared in cameos for in-concert films for the band's 2007–08 Snakes & Arrows Tour. 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.[24] He also made several appearances on the game show, Tattletales, with his wife, Anne Meara.

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. He also appeared in various motion pictures, most notably Zoolander (2001) and Secret of the Andes (1999). On February 9, 2007, Stiller and Meara were honored with a joint star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. On October 28, 2010, the couple appeared on an episode of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Stiller voiced the announcer on the children's educational show Crashbox. Starting in October 2010, Stiller and Meara began starring in Stiller & Meara, a Yahoo web series from Red Hour Digital in which they discussed current topics. Each episode was about two minutes long.[25][26] Stiller also worked as a spokesman for Xfinity.

Author
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.[27]

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).[28]

Personal life

Stiller's son, Ben
Stiller was married to Anne Meara for over 60 years, from 1954 until her death on May 23, 2015.[29] The two met in an agent's office. Meara was upset about an interaction with the casting agent, so Stiller took her out for coffee—all he could afford—and they remained together ever since. Meara was Irish Catholic and converted to Judaism before the couple's two children were born.[9] Their son is actor-comedian Ben Stiller (born 1965) and their daughter is actress Amy Stiller (born 1961).[30] He has two grandchildren through Ben.

Death
Stiller died from natural causes at his home on the Upper West Side of Manhattan on May 11, 2020, at the age of 92, less than a month before his 93rd birthday. His death was announced by his son, Ben Stiller.[31][32] Many actors Stiller worked with, including Seinfeld castmates Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander, Michael Richards[33] and King of Queens castmates Kevin James and Leah Remini, paid tributes to him on social media.[34]

Filmography
Film
Year Film Role Notes Ref(s)
1970 Lovers and Other Strangers Jim Uncredited [35]
1974 The Taking of Pelham One Two Three Lt. Rico Patrone [36]
Airport 1975 Sam [36]
1976 The Ritz Carmine Vespucci [36]
1977 Nasty Habits P.R. Priest [36]
1980 Those Lips, Those Eyes Mr. Shoemaker [36]
1986 Seize the Day Dr. Tamkin [36]
1987 Hot Pursuit Victor Honeywell [36]
Nadine Raymond Escobar [36]
1988 Hairspray Wilbur Turnblad [36]
1989 That's Adequate Sid Lane [36]
1990 Little Vegas Sam [36]
1992 Highway to Hell The Desk Cop [36]
Freefall Emily's Father Short
1993 The Pickle Phil Hirsch [36]
1995 Heavyweights Harvey Bushkin [36]
1997 Die Story von Monty Spinnerratz Prof. Plumpingham [37]
Camp Stories Schlomo [36]
Stag Ted [36]
The Deli Petey Cheesecake [36]
1999 A Fish in the Bathtub Sam Kaplan [36]
Secret of the Andes Dr. Golfisch [36]
The Suburbans Speedo Silverburg [36]
2000 The Independent Monty Fineman [36]
My 5 Wives Don Giovani [36]
Chump Change The Colonel [36]
2001 Zoolander Maury Ballstein [36]
On the Line Nathan [36]
2002 Serving Sara Milton the Cop [36]
2004 Teacher's Pet Pretty Boy Voice [38]
The Lion King 1½ Uncle Max Voice; Direct-to-DVD [36]
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy Man in Bar Uncredited [39]
2005 R30: 30th Anniversary World Tour Himself [40]
2007 Hairspray Mr. Pinky [36]
The Heartbreak Kid Doc [36]
2008 Snakes & Arrows Live Heidi [41]
2011 Swinging with the Finkels Mr. Winters [36]
2012 Foodfight! General X Voice [36]
Excuse Me for Living Morty [36]
2014 Planes: Fire & Rescue Harvey Voice [37]
2016 Zoolander 2 Maury Ballstein [42]
Television
Year Show Role Notes Ref(s)
1956–1957 Studio One in Hollywood Sergeant Joe Capriotti / Hugh 2 episodes [14]
1957 The Big Story Tyler Episode: "The Hoax"
1959 Armstrong Circle Theatre Pfc. Elwood Johnson Episode: "Thunder Over Berlin"
1962 The Defenders Sergeant Wysenski Episode: "The Empty Chute"
General Electric Theater Harold Episode: "Acres and Pains"
1964 Brenner Chris Zelco Episode: "The Plain Truth"
1964–1965 Linus the Lionhearted 3 episodes [43]
1969 That's Life Himself Episode: "Our First Fight"
1971–1972 The Courtship of Eddie's Father Mr. Landon / Paul Sterling 2 episodes [37]
1971–1973 Love, American Style Leonard Ferguson / Harry 2 episodes [37]
1972 The Carol Burnett Show Himself Episode: "#6.8"
1972–1973 The Paul Lynde Show Barney Dickerson 4 episodes [37]
1975–1976 Joe and Sons Gus Duzik 14 episodes [37]
1976 Phyllis Burt Hillman Episode: "Phyllis and the Jumper" [14]
Rhoda Lloyd Zimmer Episode: "A Touch of Classy" [14]
1979 Time Express Edward Chernoff Episode: "Garbage Man/Doctor's Wife"
1979–1983 The Love Boat Harlan Weatherly
Tony Vitelli
Bud Hanrahan 3 episodes [37]
1980–1982 Archie Bunker's Place Carmine 2 episodes [37]
1981 Madame X Burt Orland Television film
Hart to Hart Myron Finkle Episode: "Murder Takes a Bow" [14]
Private Benjamin Sgt. Muldoon Episode: "So Long, Sergeant Ross"
1982 Simon & Simon Harold Traxler Episode: "The Uncivil Servant" [37]
Alice Gordy Episode: "Do You Take This Waitress" [37]
1983 Reading Rainbow Dinosaur Comic Episode: "Digging Up Dinosaurs" [44]
Amanda's Sal Episode: "You Were Meant for Me"
The Other Woman Mel Binns Television film
1984 Trapper John, M.D. Artie Merrow Episode: "Where There's a Will" [36]
1985 The Equalizer Brahms Episode: "Pilot"
Tales from the Darkside Luther Mandrake Episode: "The Devil's Advocate"
1986 Screen Two Marty de Reske Episode: "The McGuffin" [37]
1987 Saturday Night Live Stu Episode: "Charlton Heston/Wynton Marsalis"
1988–1989 Tattingers Sid Wilbur 14 episodes [14]
1989 Murder, She Wrote SFPD Lt. Birnbaum Episode: "When The Fat Lady Sings" [36]
1990 Monsters Victor Episode: "One Wolf's Family" [37]
Sweet 15 Waterman Television film [45]
1991 American Playhouse Sam / Seymour Shapir 2 episodes [36]
Women & Men 2 Irving Television film
1992–1996 Law & Order Michael Tobis / Sam Pokras 2 episodes [36]
1993–1998 Seinfeld Frank Costanza 26 episodes [36]
1993 L.A. Law Nat Pincus Episode: "Rhyme and Punishment" [14]
1994 In the Heat of the Night Rabbi Feldman Episode: "The Rabbi" [37]
1995 Homicide: Life on the Street McGonnigal Episode: "In Search of Crimes Past" [36]
1996 Deadly Games Phil Cullen Episode: "Dr. Kramer"
1997 Subway Stories Old Man Television film [46]
1998 Touched by an Angel Maury Salt Episode: "Cry and You Cry Alone" [36]
The Larry Sanders Show Himself Episode: "I Buried Sid" [36]
Hercules Eagle Voice; Episode: "Hercules and the Promethus Affair"
1998–2007 The King of Queens Arthur Spooner 195 episodes [36]
2000–2002 Teacher's Pet Pretty Boy Voice; 11 episodes [36]
2003 Odd Job Jack Jim McDonald Episode: "A Candidacy of Dunces" [37]
Sex and the City Mr. Brady Episode: "One" [47]
2009 Wonder Pets! Old White Mouse Voice; 2 episodes [37]
Mercy Joe Thalberg Episode: "The Last Thing I Said Was" [36]
2010 Ice Dreams Skipper Television film [37]
2010–2011 Fish Hooks Principal Stickler Voice; 21 episodes [48]
2011 The Good Wife Judge Felix Afterman Episode: "Silver Bullet" [36]
2014 How Murray Saved Christmas Murray Weiner Voice; Television film [37]
2016 Zoolander: Super Model Maury Ballstein Voice; Television film (final film role)
2019–present Timon and Pumbaa at the Movies Uncle Max Voice; recording only
Stage
Year Title Theatre Role Ref(s)
1954 The Golden Apple Alvin Theatre Mayor Juniper [49]
1955 The Carefree Tree Phoenix Theatre, Broadway The Propertyman [49]
1956 Diary of a Scoundrel Styopka [49]
The Good Woman of Setzuan Policeman [49]
1957 Measure for Measure Barnadine [49]
The Taming of the Shrew Biondello [49]
1958 The Power and the Glory Mestizo [49]
1975 The Ritz Longacre Theatre, Broadway Carmen Vespucci [49]
1977 The Unexpected Guest Little Theatre, Broadway Harry Mullin [49]
1980 Passione Morosco Theatre, Broadway Berto [49]
1984 Hurlyburly Ethel Barrymore Theatre, Broadway Artie [49]
1993 Three Men on a Horse Lyceum Theatre, Broadway Charlie [49]
1994 What's Wrong with This Picture? Brooks Atkinson Theatre, Broadway Sid [49]
1997 The Three Sisters Criterion Center Stage Right, Broadway Chebutykin [49]
Accolades
Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Nominees Result
1997 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series Seinfeld Nominated
2001 Grammy Awards Best Spoken Word Album Married to Laughter: A Love Story Nominated
2007 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture Hairspray Nominated
Other
In 2007 Stiller and his wife Anne Meara received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[50]

When Jerry Stiller told his father he wanted to become an actor, his father offered an alternate plan. He said, "Why don't you be a stagehand — that's like being on the stage — at least you'll be working every night," Stiller told Fresh Air in 1993.

Stiller did not heed his father's advice and went on to have a long career in show business. He performed comedy on stage and screen, and, in later years, made a name for himself playing George Costanza's hotheaded father on Seinfeld. Stiller died of natural causes, his son Ben Stiller tweeted Monday.

Stiller was born in Brooklyn in 1927. After serving in World War II, he teamed up with his wife, Anne Meara, to form the Stiller and Meara comedy duo — a practical move motivated by love. "We wanted to keep the marriage together," he joked — she was tall and Catholic, he was short and Jewish — and until they partnered up, "we never got jobs together," Stiller told the Archive of American Television.

Stiller and Meara enjoyed success as a duo for many years but eventually decided to pursue careers on their own. Looking back in 1993, Stiller told Fresh Air he and Meara were young parents juggling a show business schedule — and trying "to figure out a way to do everything."

"Here were a husband and wife working together and suddenly you're being asked to play Las Vegas," he recalled. "What do you do, pick up the two children and the nanny and go to Vegas and get ready to do the nightclub act?"


Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara pose on the set of The King of Queens in November 2003.
Stefano Paltera/AP
After stints on Broadway and on several TV shows in the 1970s, Stiller's most notable role came in the early '90s, when he joined the cast of Seinfeld.

Stiller said producer Larry David was looking for an actor who would "play it down" — and he did at first — but felt the approach wasn't working. So, in a final dress rehearsal in front of a live audience, Stiller played Costanza's temperament up — way up.

In a now-famous episode, the frequently furious Costanza is encouraged to recite the mantra "serenity now" every time he gets riled up. Stiller went on to earn an Emmy nomination for his work on Seinfeld. Years later, he played another angry dad on the show King of Queens.

Stiller was also a father in real life, but not one fueled by anger. His son, actor Ben Stiller, told NPR that his dad was always supportive — and hilarious.

"He just can't help but be funny because he's so committed to being who he is," Stiller said.

Long-Time Actress And Comedian Anne Meara Dies
ARTS & LIFE
Long-Time Actress And Comedian Anne Meara Dies
The father and son appeared together in Ben's Zoolander movies.

When Meara died in 2015, she and Stiller had been married for more than 60 years.

Ben Stiller said his mother's humor tended to be dark, but his father's was always intended to bring joy, and perhaps a bit of "serenity now," to others.