Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller (born November 30, 1965) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. He is the son of veteran comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara . After beginning his acting career with a play, Stiller wrote several mockumentaries, and was offered his own show entitled The Ben Stiller Show , which he produced and hosted for its 13-episode run. Having previously acted in television, he began acting in films; he made his directorial debut with Reality Bites . Throughout his career he has written, starred in, directed, or produced more than 50 films, including The Secret Life of Walter Mitty , Zoolander , The Cable Guy , There's Something About Mary , the Meet the Parents trilogy, DodgeBall , Tropic Thunder , the Madagascar series, and the Night at the Museum trilogy. In addition, he has had multiple cameos in music v...