Ben Stiller comes from a line of comedians, however the actor's 2025 documentary, Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Misplaced, peeled again the curtain on his relationship along with his sister, Amy Stiller.
Amy and Ben had been born to dad Jerry Stiller and mother Anne Meara in 1961 and 1965, respectively. Whereas Ben's performing profession received off to a sizzling begin within the late ‘80s and ‘90s — following within the footsteps of his well-known mother and father — Amy admitted within the documentary she went via a troublesome time making an attempt to duplicate her household's success.
“I had lots of alternatives, and I simply didn't know what to do with them,” she mentioned. “I didn't know who I used to be, and I look again on it and it was so painful.”
Ultimately, she was in a position to break via these moments of doubt, and has since earned greater than 50 credit to her title in present enterprise.
Scroll under for extra on Ben's sister and her leisure profession.
Who Is Amy Stiller?
Amy is the eldest little one of Jerry and Meara. She and Ben had been born and raised in New York Metropolis by their well-known mother and father, who gained stardom via standup as a comedic duo earlier than occurring to do their very own respective initiatives. Jerry was finest recognized for roles in Seinfeld and The King of Queens whereas Meara gained notoriety for Rhoda and The Different Lady. (Meara died in 2015 at age 85, and Jerry died in 2020 at age 92.)
The Stiller children received a style of the lifetime of an entertainer at an early age when Jerry and Meara took them on a chat present in 1974. In the course of the TV look, Amy and Ben performed their violins in entrance of the digital camera as their mother and father laughed.
“They simply needed to fill that section, select a skit,” Ben advised The Sunday Times in October 2025 of the second. “They thought that it will be cute and I by no means felt they had been making an attempt to take advantage of us. They had been simply making an attempt to be entertaining.”
Whereas issues usually appeared peachy for the household within the public eye, Ben confessed it was arduous on him and Amy to have their mother and father working on a regular basis.
“I simply keep in mind lacking them terribly,” Ben mentioned. “And once they would come again, my sister and I'd act out Jesus Christ Famous person or one thing within the lounge.”
Amy Stiller and Ben Stiller Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Photos for FLC
Amy Stiller Discovered It Troublesome to Get Her Massive Break
Ben briefly labored as a author on Saturday Night time Dwell within the years earlier than his massive break in 1998's There's One thing About Mary. Extra comedic roles adopted, thrusting Ben additional into the highlight whereas Amy labored as a waitress.
“I simply keep in mind after I did the Nurse [in] Romeo and Juliet, I simply keep in mind I wish to do that,” she mentioned within the documentary. “That's why all these years after I was waitressing and also you had been getting well-known, have you learnt how f***ing arduous that was for me? A few of it was character constructing, however to a degree.”
Ben agreed that his sister had a “robust highway” and confronted “ups and downs” throughout that time period. Specifically, Amy recalled her relationship with Jerry and the way it held her again from pursuing a few of the alternatives she dreamed of doing.
“Dad had an overprotectiveness that might stifle me, and I felt, like, paralyzed,” Amy mirrored. “The factor is, you had one thing you would sink your tooth into. I don't keep in mind, for me, something that I felt that approach about.”
She additional defined that being the eldest little one of two Hollywood legends was lots to stay as much as.
“I simply felt intimidated as a result of I used to be the oldest,” Amy mentioned. “Like, I had all these expectations. And it was a very robust time for ladies.”
Ben shared the sentiment that being the youngsters of well-known mother and father made it unimaginable to “fail anonymously,” as a lot of their lives had been being broadcast for the world to see.
Amy Stiller Turned an Actress
Amy's highway to stardom might not have been straightforward, however now, she's residing the dream. Like her mother and father and brother, Amy is an actress whose credit embrace Freeway to Hell, Legislation & Order, Pals and Freaks and Geeks. She has appeared in a number of of Ben's initiatives, together with Meet the Dad and mom, Zoolander, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Little Fockers and Zoolander 2.
Amy appeared on an episode of Ben's critically acclaimed Apple TV+ sensation, Severance, in 2022. Extra not too long ago, she acted within the 2025 quick Fireplace at Will. She additionally earned notoriety for her one lady present about her unconventional life, Simply Belief.
Amy Is an Aunt
Amy earned one other title — aunt — when Ben welcomed his first little one, daughter Ella, with spouse Christine Taylor in 2002. Their household expanded once more in 2005 when Christine gave delivery to son Quinlin.
Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Misplaced is out in choose theaters now and might be accessible to stream on Apple TV+ on October 24.
