{"id":2101958,"date":"2025-10-19T14:53:41","date_gmt":"2025-10-19T14:53:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2101958"},"modified":"2025-10-19T14:53:41","modified_gmt":"2025-10-19T14:53:41","slug":"who-were-ben-stillers-parents-all-about-his-upbringing-with-dad-jerry-stiller-and-mom-anne-meara","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/who-were-ben-stillers-parents-all-about-his-upbringing-with-dad-jerry-stiller-and-mom-anne-meara\/","title":{"rendered":"Who Were Ben Stiller\u2019s Parents? All About His Upbringing With Dad Jerry Stiller and Mom Anne Meara"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Ben Stiller<\/strong> examined his parents <strong>Jerry Stiller<\/strong> and <strong>Anne Meara<\/strong>\u2019s enduring legacy \u2014 and the downside of their fame \u2014 in the 2025 documentary<em> Stiller &amp; Meara: Nothing Is Lost<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Jerry and his wife were not only partners in life, but they also formed a popular comedy duo that performed in major venues across the U.S. throughout Ben and his sister <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/entertainment\/celebrity\/articles\/ben-stiller-sister-amy-stiller-224641140.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:Amy Stiller;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\"><strong>Amy Stiller<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s childhood in the 1960s and \u201870s.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">In <em>Stiller &amp; Meara: Nothing Is Lost<\/em>, Ben admitted that his parents\u2019 connection was volatile and that he remembered hearing \u201craised voices\u201d often in his childhood.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cThey were very close but they were also very different, too,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/entertainment\/celebrity\/articles\/ben-stiller-admits-making-mistakes-225509701.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:Ben Stiller Admits to Making \u2018Mistakes\u2019 As a Father to His 2 Kids, Ella and Quinlin;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\">Ben Stiller Admits to Making \u2018Mistakes\u2019 As a Father to His 2 Kids, Ella and Quinlin<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Keep scrolling for more on Jerry and Meara\u2019s life and careers.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">Who Was Jerry Stiller?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Jerry served in the U.S. Army in World War II and returned home to study at Syracuse University. He took part in various New York theatre productions in the early \u201850s, before meeting Meara in 1953.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The two were married the following year and soon began performing together as a comedic duo. Jerry and Meara were among the earliest members of the famed Second City improv troupe in Chicago, which subsequently launched the careers of <strong>Bill Murray<\/strong>, <strong>Tina Fey<\/strong>, <strong>Stephen Colbert<\/strong> and <strong>Amber Ruffin<\/strong>, among countless others.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Jerry and Meara became recurring guests on <em>The Ed Sullivan Show<\/em> in the 1960s and hosted their own short-form series that aired after <em>Saturday Night Live<\/em> in syndication.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Aside from his comedy team, Jerry memorably played George Constanza\u2019s curmudgeonly father Frank Costanza on the classic TV sitcom <em>Seinfeld<\/em>, for which he earned an Emmy Award nomination. Other notable roles included starring opposite <strong>Kevin James<\/strong> as Arthur Spooner in <em>The King of Queens<\/em> and doing voiceover work for Disney.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p><span class=\"caption\">Stiller and Meara in June 2012.<\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Taylor Hill\/FilmMagic<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Jerry frequently appeared in his son Ben\u2019s projects, with notable roles in both <em>Zoolander<\/em> films and <em>Heavyweights<\/em>, among others.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Ben announced his father\u2019s death at age 92 from natural causes in May 2020 and paid tribute to his comedic legacy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cI\u2019m sad to say that my father, Jerry Stiller, passed away from natural causes,\u201d <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BenStiller\/status\/1259759084309446657\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:he tweeted;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">he tweeted<\/a>. \u201cHe was a great dad and grandfather, and the most dedicated husband to Anne for about 62 years. He will be greatly missed. Love you Dad.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">Who Was Anne Meara?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The comedian had a very difficult childhood, as her mother <strong>Mary Dempsey<\/strong> died by suicide when Meara was only 10 years old.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">As a teenager, Meara studied under famed acting teacher <strong>Uta Hagen<\/strong> at New York City\u2019s prestigious New School. However, she credited her future husband Jerry with convincing her to try comedy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cJerry started us being a comedy team,&#8221; <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2015\/05\/25\/arts\/anne-meara-comedian-and-actress-dies-at-85.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:she revealed;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">she revealed<\/a>. &#8220;He always thought I would be a great comedy partner.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Aside from her comedy team with her husband, Meara was nominated for four Emmy Awards throughout her life. She won a Writers Guild of America Award for cowriting the 1983 TV movie <em>The Other Woman<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Like her husband, Meara worked extensively in TV sitcoms, including <em>Rhoda<\/em>, <em>Archie Bunker&#8217;s Place<\/em> and <em>Alf<\/em> throughout the 1970s and \u201880s. She memorably played Steve Brady&#8217;s mother Mary on <em>Sex and the City<\/em> and joined her husband Jerry on <em>The King of Queens<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/entertainment\/celebrity\/articles\/ben-stiller-kids-felt-never-140050633.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:Ben Stiller\u2019s Kids Felt Like He Was \u2018Never Around\u2019 Growing Up and More Takeaways From His Doc;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\">Ben Stiller\u2019s Kids Felt Like He Was \u2018Never Around\u2019 Growing Up and More Takeaways From His Doc<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Meara faced numerous health issues throughout her life, with her son Ben later revealing that she struggled with alcoholism.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cMy mother had issues across her life with alcoholism,\u201d <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@requination\/video\/7297115582544071969\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Ben acknowledged;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Ben acknowledged<\/a> in 2023. \u201cShe got sober and really explored that stuff \u2026 She had so much trauma [in her life] and the thing that I\u2019m so grateful for is that, I think so many people who live with alcoholism in their families, it\u2019s never dealt with. It\u2019s never, ever explored or even talked about.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">He went on, \u201cWhat I\u2019m grateful for is she really delved into that in her therapy. For someone who\u2019s a functioning alcoholic, it\u2019s basically that you\u2019re trying to navigate that because it\u2019s not dramatic.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Meara died at age 85 in May 2015 after suffering multiple strokes.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">What Did Ben Stiller Say About His Parents?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Ben explored his complicated relationship with his parents in the 2025 Apple TV documentary <em>Stiller &amp; Meara: Nothing Is Lost<\/em>, which premiered at the New York Film Festival in October 2025.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">In the film, Ben <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/entertainment\/celebrity\/articles\/ben-stiller-says-resented-father-160456701.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:opened up about the resentment;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\">opened up about the resentment<\/a> he felt towards his father Jerry for not tackling his mom\u2019s alcoholism head-on.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cWhen [my mom] was drinking, my dad never really knew how to handle it,\u201d Stiller explained. \u201cI think he loved her so much and he was so committed to her. Also the act and what they did together was so important, that he had to figure out how to deal with that on his own. But I think I resented him for not acknowledging it to us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Ben said that he and sister Amy always knew that their father \u201cloved us more than anything,\u201d though it was always painful to see their mother struggle.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"GettyImages-620246922 Who Were Ben Stillers Parents anne meara jerry christine taylor\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/V4QAUjff.zY2TMRfMjLKJg--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/us_magazine_896\/607ceb45467d53e56509e516a968b066\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p><span class=\"caption\">Anne Meara, Jerry Stiller, Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor.<\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Patrick McMullan<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cI think he was just trying to figure out how to navigate that and I got so angry at him for not being there for us but I don\u2019t even think I understood that for awhile,\u201d he recalled.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">However, Ben and his wife, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/celebrities\/christine-taylor\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Christine Taylor;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><strong>Christine Taylor<\/strong><\/a>, also reflected on the way Meara was able to empathize and support them once she got sober.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cShe would see me as a new mother, during those moments where it was crazy and frenetic, and tell me how great a job I was doing,\u201d Taylor said. \u201cIt was a way to make me feel so good about what I was doing, but [also] her acknowledging what she couldn\u2019t do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Speaking to <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/7319395\/ben-stiller-documentary-stiller-and-meara-nothing-is-lost\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Time;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><em>Time<\/em><\/a> about the documentary, Ben stressed how important it was to show that his parents\u2019 fame was a double-edged sword.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cWhen people see the movie, you can see how organic it was for my sister and I to be a part of this world,&#8221; Stiller noted. &#8220;It was our reality and it&#8217;s what we grew up in and we loved it when we were kids. The flip side was, it took our parents away from us, which any creative endeavor does. You have a creative parent, part of them is going to be dedicated to their creativity, if they&#8217;re a real artist. They can&#8217;t deny that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.samhsa.gov\/find-help\/helplines\/national-helpline\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration<\/a> (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.tiktok.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ben Stiller examined his parents Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara\u2019s enduring legacy \u2014 and the downside of their fame \u2014 in the 2025 documentary Stiller &amp; Meara: Nothing Is Lost. Jerry and his wife were not only partners in life, but they also formed a popular comedy duo that performed in major venues across the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2101959,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[380331,343355,65245,397451,343225,343357],"class_list":["post-2101958","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-amy-stiller","tag-anne-meara","tag-ben-stiller","tag-comedy-team","tag-jerry-stiller","tag-stiller-meara"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Who-Were-Ben-Stillers-Parents-All-About-His-Upbringing-With.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2101958","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2101958"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2101958\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2101960,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2101958\/revisions\/2101960"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2101959"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2101958"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2101958"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2101958"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}