Ben Stiller

12 films directed 2 Awards

Biography

Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller (born November 30, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. 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). Stiller is also known for his work in franchises such as the Meet the Parents films (2000–2010), the Madagascar franchise (2005–2012), and the Night at the Museum films (2006–2014). His films have grossed over $2.6 billion in Canada and the United States, with an average of $79 million per film. His awards and honors include an Emmy Award, a Directors Guild of America Award, a Britannia Award and a Teen Choice Award.

Stiller is the son of the comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. 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. The series ran on MTV in 1990 and Fox in 1992 and 1993, earning him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Program. Stiller was a member of a group of comedic actors colloquially known as the Frat Pack.

Transitioning to acting in films, Stiller made his directorial debut with Reality Bites (1994) and went on to direct and star in films such as The Cable Guy (1996) and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013). 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). His performances in independent films include Flirting with Disaster (1996), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), and the Noah Baumbach films Greenberg (2010), While We're Young (2014), and The Meyerowitz Stories (2017).

Most directed genres

Recurring actors

Awards and nominations

2005 MTV Movie Award for Best Villain
— Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series

The career in numbers

US$ 319 mi Total budget from 6 film(s) with data
US$ 638 mi Total box office from 6 film(s) with data
US$ 53 mi Average budget from 6 film(s) with data
US$ 106 mi Average box office from 6 film(s) with data
6.3 Average rating from 6 film(s) with data
2.0× Return on investment from 6 film(s) with data

Budget and box office do not exist for every film in our records. Averages are computed over the films that carry the figure, and the count beside each one says how many.

Films directed

Film	Year	Budget	Box office	Rating
Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost	2025	—	—	6.5
Zoolander 2	2016	US$ 50 mi	US$ 57 mi	4.9
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty	2013	US$ 90 mi	US$ 188 mi	7.2
Tropic Thunder	2008	US$ 92 mi	US$ 196 mi	6.7
Zoolander	2001	US$ 28 mi	US$ 61 mi	6.2
Heat Vision and Jack	1999	—	—	5.8
The Cable Guy	1996	US$ 47 mi	US$ 103 mi	6.0
Reality Bites	1994	US$ 12 mi	US$ 33 mi	6.5
Elvis Stories	1989	—	—	6.5
The Hustler of Money	1987	—	—	8.3
London	—	—	—	—
The Champions	—	—	—	—

Directors