Born in New York City

November 30, 1965

Benjamin Edward Stiller was born in New York City and grew up in Manhattan, the second child of Stiller and Meara.

Calhoun School

June 1, 1983

After he graduated from the Calhoun School in New York in 1983, he enrolled as a film student at the University of California, Los Angeles and joined Beta Theta Pi fraternity. After nine months, Stiller left school to move back to New York City. He made his way through acting classes, auditioning, and trying to find an agent.

The House of Blue Leaves

May 25, 1987

He landed a role in the Broadway revival of John Guare's The House of Blue Leaves, alongside John Mahoney, a play which later garnered four Tonys.

Empire of the Sun

December 9, 1987

While having a spot as a writer for Saturday Night Live, he also had a bit part in Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun.

The Hustler of Money

March 28, 1988

A 10 minute short called "The Hustler of Money", a parody of the Martin Scorsese film The Color of Money. The film featured him in a send-up of Tom Cruise's character and Mahoney in the Paul Newman role — only this time as a bowling hustler instead of a pool shark. The short got the attention of Saturday Night Live, which aired it in 1987

Saturday Night Live

September 24, 1989

In 1989, Stiller wrote and appeared on a season of Saturday Night Live as a featured performer. However, since the show did not want him to make any more short films for the show, he left after five shows.

The Ben Stiller Show

September 22, 1992

MTV offered Producer Jim Jones and Director Stiller (aka No Puzzle Productions) a 13-episode show in the experimental "vid-com" format entitled The Ben Stiller Show, mixing short comedy sketches with popular music videos. This show was the proving ground for much of Stiller's earliest style development and new gag ideas.

Dated Several Actresses

June 10, 1993

He dated several actresses during his early television and film career including Jeanne Tripplehorn(were engaged in 1993), Janeane Garofalo, Calista Flockhart, and Amanda Peet.

Frat Pack

January 1, 1996

Stiller is the "acknowledged leader" of the Frat Pack, a core group of actors that have worked together in multiple films. The group includes actors Jack Black, Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson, and Steve Carell.

There's Something About Mary

July 15, 1998

In 1998, Stiller put aside his directing ambitions to star in There's Something About Mary alongside Cameron Diaz, which skyrocketed Stiller's career. In that same year he also starred in several dramas including Zero Effect, Your Friends & Neighbors, and Permanent Midnight.

Mission: Improbable

Feburary 2, 2000

MTV again invited him to make another short film and he developed Mission: Improbable, a spoof of Tom Cruise's roles in the films Risky Business, Magnolia, Cocktail, and Mission: Impossible.

Marries Christine Taylor

May 18, 2000

In May 2000, Stiller married Christine Taylor, whom he met while filming a never-broadcast television pilot for the FOX network called Heat Vision and Jack, which starred Jack Black. The couple appeared onscreen together in Zoolander and Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. He and Taylor reside in Hollywood Hills.

Meet the Parents

October 6, 2000

2000 would be a better year for Stiller as he starred in four more films including one of his most recognizable roles, as a male nurse named Gaylord Focker in Meet the Parents.

Zoolander

September 28, 2001

Stiller developed a short film for the awards about a male model known as Derek Zoolander. It was so well received that Stiller developed another short film about the character for the 1997 VH1 Fashion Awards and finally remade the skit into a film.

The Royal Tenenbaums

December 14, 2001

After Stiller invited Owen Wilson to star in Zoolander, Wilson returned the favor and invited Stiller to play Chas Tenenbaum in The Royal Tenenbaums. Over the next two years, Stiller continued on with the lackluster box office film Duplex and several cameos in Orange County and Nobody Knows Anything!.

Highest Grossing Films

March 5, 2004

2004 would be Stiller's busiest year as he acted in six different films. All six of the films were comedies, and include some of his highest grossing films. They include Starsky & Hutch, Envy, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, an uncredited cameo in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Along Came Polly, and Meet the Fockers.

Madagascar

May 18, 2005

In 2005, Stiller would begin his first attempt at a computer-animated film with Madagascar, which performed so well at the box office that it resulted in a sequel due in 2008.

Night at the Museum

December 22, 2006

In 2006, Stiller had two cameos, one in School for Scoundrels, and Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny, of which he was the executive producer. In December, Stiller starred in the lead role of Night at the Museum. Although the film received many poor reviews, the film earned over $115 million in ten days.

The Heartbreak Kid

October 5, 2007

His most recent film, The Heartbreak Kid, was released on October 5, 2007.