Ben Stiller is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and director. While his main claim to fame is as a comic actor, having appeared in films such as There's Something About Mary, Zoolander, and Meet the Parents, he has also had a prolific career as a director and producer.
Stiller was born in New York City to famous comedians Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. After dropping out of UCLA, Stiller got acting work in theater and on television in New York. After writing for Saturday Night Live, he created his own television show The Ben Stiller Show for MTV. Soon after, he directed his first film, the cult classic Reality Bites, starring Winona Ryder, Janeane Garofalo, Ethan Hawke, and himself. Next he directed The Cable Guy, starring Jim Carey.
Huge commercial success came with the comedic film Zoolander, in which Stiller also starred in the titular role. Following Zoolander, Stiller directed Tropic Thunder, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, and Zoolander 2.
James Thurber's 1939 short story, "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," has been adapted for movie audiences twice. In 1947, Danny Kaye played the eponymous role in a version that stayed very loyal to Thurber's story. This 2013 version, starring Ben...
