Ben Stiller reveals fame’s ‘dark underside’ from Hollywood childhood
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Ben Stiller reveals the price of fame and reveals growing up in a family of Hollywood stars gave him a front-row seat to the “dark underside” of the industry.
In a friendly conversation with Howard SternThe “Zoolander” star reflects on his complicated childhood as the son of beloved comedy legends Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara.
While her upbringing gave her an insider’s view of show business, it also gave her a glimpse into the toll fame can take behind closed doors.
“We grow up around this and we talk [in the movie] About all those things I saw with my family – actually when you’re a kid you see the dark side of those things. Stress. “His impact on relationships,” Stiller told Stern, referencing his upcoming documentary “Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost.”
WOODY ALLEN CALLS CANCELLATION OF CULTURE ‘STUPID’ AFTER DECADES-OLD SCANDAL
Ben Stiller reveals the “dark side” of fame from Hollywood’s childhood. (Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)
“You see this up close as a child and you still want to get into it.”
Stiller, 59, explained that his parents’ success opened doors but also gave him an unfiltered perspective on the ups and downs of Hollywood life.
His new documentary explores his parents’ union, both professional and personal, and how their relationship helped define his own sense of humor and ambition.
The “Zoolander” star’s new documentary explores the parents’ comedy partnership and its impact on his own Hollywood career. (Stefanie Keenan/VF25/WireImage for Vanity Fair; NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
Despite seeing the challenges that come with fame, Stiller said he never doubted his calling.
“If you have passion, you can do it,” he shared.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
Stiller revealed that the “worst decision” he ever made was removing his daughter Ella from the 2013 film “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” in which he both directed and starred. (Getty Images)
The actor and filmmaker, known for hits like “Meet the Parents” and “Tropic Thunder,” admitted that revisiting his parents’ journey through the lens of the documentary taught him as much about himself as it did about them.
Stiller made the comments after revealing that the “worst decision” he ever made was removing his daughter Ella from the 2013 film “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” which he both directed and starred in.
DO YOU LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Actor Ben Stiller and his children Quinlin Stiller (left) and Ella Stiller attend the hand and footprint ceremony held in Ben Stiller’s honor. (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
“I cut you out of ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.’ According to People magazine, that was probably the worst decision I’ve ever made in my life.” said the 59-year-old man to his 23-year-old daughter.
Ella Stiller admitted that the decision made creative sense, saying that the scene in which she plays Mitty’s daughter “didn’t make much sense in the movie.”
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION
But for Stiller, this choice carried more weight.
“For me, it goes a little deeper,” he explained. “What it comes down to is my own issues with my own obsessions with my work or my perfectionism.”
Her documentary, “Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost,” focuses on her parents, a mid-century comedy duo who later became regulars on “Seinfeld,” “Sex and the City” and “The King of Queens.”
