Ben Stiller recently shared candid reflections on the complexities of growing up with famous parents, comedy legends Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. He detailed how their success offered an early, unfiltered glimpse into the challenging realities of life in the spotlight. Stiller, 59, opened up during a Wednesday, October 22, appearance on The Howard Stern Show.
“Growing up around that — and in the movie, we talk about all these things I saw with my parents — as a kid, you really see the dark side,” Stiller said. He noted the pervasive stress and its impact on relationships. Despite witnessing these struggles firsthand, he still felt drawn to a career in entertainment.
These insights are central to his new documentary, Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost. The film delves into his parents’ extensive careers and their 61-year marriage. Anne Meara passed away at 85 in 2015, followed by Jerry Stiller at 92 in 2020.
Creating the documentary offered Stiller a deeper understanding of both his parents and himself. The film also explores his own roles as a husband to Christine Taylor and a father to his two children, Ella, 23, and Quin, 20.
He reflected on his own parenting style in an October interview with The Sunday Times. Stiller admitted that, like many parents, he aimed to avoid mistakes made by his own parents, only to find it "impossible."
He described his relationship with his children as "really good," though at times "complicated" and "tense." Stiller confessed to misjudging the importance of early childhood bonds, prioritizing work over family when his children were younger.
His parents’ demanding careers "totally affected" him and his older sister, Amy. Stiller recalled missing them intensely during their late nights working in New York or weeks-long trips to Los Angeles.
He recounted performing for them upon their return, yet he feels he "probably messed up more with my kids than my parents did with us." A notable regret discussed in the documentary involves his daughter, Ella.
Stiller revealed his decision to exclude Ella from his 2013 film, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. He now regards this as "probably the worst decision I’ve ever made," adding that she was "so adorable."
Ella, however, assured her father she was "very afraid" to act at a young age. She also felt the role "didn’t make sense" for the film’s narrative. Stiller concluded that his decision stemmed from deeper personal issues, including an "obsession with work or, quote-unquote, perfectionism."
Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost is currently playing in select cinemas. The documentary will become available for streaming on Apple TV+ starting October 24.