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Actor:

Jerry Stiller

  • Born: Jun 08, 1927 in Brooklyn, New York
  • Occupation: Actor
  • Active: '80s-2000s
  • Major Genres: Comedy
  • Career Highlights: Seize the Day, Those Lips, Those Eyes, The Ritz
  • First Major Screen Credit: The Ritz (1976)

Biography

To the public at large, Jerry Stiller is best known as the husband and comedy partner of actress/director Anne Meara, and as the father of comedian Ben Stiller. For those addicted to the NBC sitcom Seinfeld, Stiller will never be anyone else than Frank Costanza, the eternally kvetching father of born-loser George Costanza (Jason Alexander). While Stiller would be the first to welcome recognition on these terms, to acknowledge him for the above-mentioned reasons alone would be grossly unfair. A stage performer from the age of 10, Stiller majored in drama at the University of Syracuse, then took to the road in a touring company of Peter Pan. Honing his comic timing to perfection under the tutelage of revue director Billy Barnes, Stiller chose to concentrate his laughmaking skills in the Classics, specifically Shakespeare. He made his off-Broadway debut in a 1953 production of Coriolanus, and subsequently paid homage to the Bard of Avon as a member of such prestigious troupes as the Stratford (Connecticut) Shakespeare Festival and Joseph Papp's Shakespeare in the Park. Stiller made his Broadway bow in 1975 as ill-tempered gangster Carmine Vespucci in Terence McNally's The Ritz, a part he recreated in the 1976 film version. Among his many other film credits are Lovers and Other Strangers (1970), Hairspray (1988) and the made-for-television Seize the Day (1987). The actor's series-TV resumé includes the roles of Barney Dickerson in The Paul Lynde Show (1972), Gus Duzik in Joe and Sons (1975) and Sid Wilbur in Tattinger's (1988). He also co-starred with wife Anne Meara in the syndicated Take Five with Stiller and Meara (1977), and provided voiceovers for the animated Linus the Lionhearted (1964) and the multipart Ken Burns TV special Baseball (1994). Jerry Stiller has been honored with the Radio Advertising Bureau's Voice of Imagery Award for his persuasive radio and TV spots on behalf of the Public Broadcasting System. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

 
 
Wikipedia: Jerry Stiller
Jerry Stiller
Birth name Gerald Stiller
Born June 8 1927 (1927--) (age 80)
Flag of the United States Flag of New York New York City, New York, USA
Other name(s) Jerry Stiller
Spouse(s) Anne Meara
(1954Present)

Jerry Stiller (born June 8, 1927) is an American comedian, actor, and father of Ben Stiller and Amy Stiller. He also spent many years as a comedy team with his wife Anne Meara.

Biography

Personal life

Stiller, one of four children, was born Gerald Stiller in New York City, the son of Bella (née Citrin) and William Stiller, a bus driver. His paternal grandparents were Austrian Jewish immigrants and his maternal grandparents were Russian Jews. A drama major at Syracuse University, he gained a Bachelor of Science in Speech and Drama. He is a brother of Tau Delta Phi fraternity, Tau Zeta chapter.

Stiller has two grandchildren (both of them are from his son, Ben, with actress Christine Taylor): Ella Olivia Stiller (b. April 10, 2002) and Quinlin Dempsey Stiller (b. July 10, 2005).

Resurgence

Beginning in the 1990s his career experienced a resurgence with a recurring role as George Costanza's father Frank in the situation comedy Seinfeld from 1993 to 1998 and as the very similar character of Arthur Spooner in the situation comedy The King of Queens from 1998 until 2007. Stiller and Anne Meara are the parents of actor Ben Stiller (with whom he co-starred in the movies Zoolander, Heavyweights, Hot Pursuit and The Heartbreak Kid), and actress Amy Stiller.

In the late 1990s Stiller appeared in a series of Nike television commercials as Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi, recreating famous scenes with game-uttered quips from the legendary coach. They have also been featured in humorous radio commercials for United Van Lines and other companies, as their comedy routine can easily be followed solely by listening to them.

On February 9, 2007, he and his wife were honored with a joint star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

As author

Stiller wrote the foreword to the book Festivus: The Holiday for the Rest of Us (ISBN 0-446-69674-9) by Allen Salkin, released on October 26, 2005, and appears in the intro and outro of the Rush 30th Anniversary Tour and on the band's DVD R30 Live In Frankfurt.

His memoir Married to Laughter: A Love Story Featuring Anne Meara was published in 2000.

Filmography

Appearing as Frank Costanza on Seinfeld.
Enlarge
Appearing as Frank Costanza on Seinfeld.

Movies

Short Subjects

See also

External links


 
 

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Copyrights:

Actor. Copyright © 2006 All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
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