Jerry Stiller

Jerry Stiller
Jerry Stiller

Stiller in New York City in November 2005
Born Gerald Isaac Stiller
June 8, 1927 (1927-06-08) (age 84)
New York City, U.S.
Nationality American
Education Seward Park High School
Alma mater Syracuse University
Spouse Anne Meara
(1954–present)
Children Ben Stiller,
Amy Stiller

Gerald Isaac "Jerry" Stiller (born June 8, 1927) is an American comedian and actor.

He spent many years in the comedy team Stiller and Meara with his wife Anne Meara. Stiller and 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.

He is best known for his recurring role as Frank Costanza on the television series Seinfeld and his supporting role as Arthur Spooner on the television series The King of Queens.

Contents

Personal life

The eldest of four children,[1] Stiller was born in Brooklyn, New York City, the son of Bella (née Citrin) and William Stiller, a bus driver.[2] He attended Seward Park High School.[3] A drama major at Syracuse University, he gained a Bachelor's degree in Speech and Drama in 1950.

In the 1953 Phoenix Theater production of Coriolanus (produced by John Houseman) Jerry Stiller (along with Gene Saks and Jack Klugman) formed "the best trio of Shakespearian clowns that [he] had ever seen on any stage."[4]

Stiller has two children, actor/comedian Ben Stiller and actress Amy Stiller.

Stiller and Meara

The comedy team Stiller and Meara, composed of Stiller and wife Anne Meara, was successful in the 1960s and 1970s, with numerous appearances on television variety programs such as The Ed Sullivan Show. Their career declined as variety series gradually disappeared, but they subsequently forged a career in radio commercials, notably the campaign for Blue Nun wine. They also starred in their own syndicated five-minute sketch comedy show Take Five with Stiller and Meara, in 1977–78. From 1979 to 1982 Stiller and Meara hosted HBO Sneak Previews, a half-hour show produced monthly on which they described the movies and programs to be featured in the coming month.[5] They would also do a few brief comedy sketches between show discussions. The duo's own 1986 TV sitcom, The Stiller and Meara Show, in which Stiller played the deputy mayor of New York City and Meara portrayed his wife, a TV commercial actress, was unsuccessful.

Resurgence

Seinfeld

Jerry Stiller played the irascible Frank Costanza, the father of George Costanza in the sitcom Seinfeld from 1993 to 1998. He was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series in 1997 and won the American Comedy Award for Funniest Male Guest Appearance in a TV Series for his portrayal of Frank Costanza.

The King of Queens

After Seinfeld's run ended, Stiller had planned on retiring, but Kevin James requested him to join the cast of The King of Queens. Kevin James, who played the leading role of Doug Heffernan, had told Stiller that he needed him in order to have a successful show[citation needed]. Stiller obliged, and played the role of Arthur Spooner, the always scheming (and again, irascible) father of Carrie Heffernan in the situational comedy The King of Queens from 1998 until 2007. Stiller has said this role tested his acting ability more than any others have and that, before being a part of King of Queens, he only saw himself as a "decent actor".

Other appearances

Stiller played himself in filmed skits, opening and closing Canadian rock band Rush's 30th Anniversary Tour concerts in 2004. These appearances are seen on the band's DVD R30 Live In Frankfurt, released in 2005. Stiller later appeared in cameos in later in-concert films for the band's 2008 Snakes & Arrows Tour.

Stiller is a martial arts enthusiast and has hosted the Kumite three times. He also routinely attends UFC events and can be seen in many backstage segments.

In the late 1990s Stiller appeared in a series of Nike television commercials as deceased Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi, which were removed after the Lombardi family members disapproved.

Stiller has appeared in various motion pictures, most notably Zoolander (2001) and Secret of the Andes (1999) with Nancy Allen.

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

On October 28, 2010, Stiller and his wife appeared on an episode of The Daily Show With Jon Stewart.

Starting in October 2010, Stiller and his wife began starring in a Yahoo web series called Stiller & Meara from Red Hour Digital, in which they discuss current topics. Each episode lasts about two minutes.[6]

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.

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

Filmography

  • Lovers and Other Strangers (1970) as Jim (Carol's Father) (uncredited)
  • The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) as Lt. Rico Patrone
  • Airport 1975 (1974) as Sam
  • The Ritz (1976) as Carmine Vespucci
  • Nasty Habits (1977) as P.R. Priest
  • Time Express (1979) (TV series)
  • Those Lips, Those Eyes (1980) as Mr. Shoemaker
  • Madame X (1981) (made for TV)
  • Simon & Simon (1982) "The Uncivil Servant" as Harold Traxler
  • The McGuffin (1985) as Marty
  • Tales from the Darkside (November 10, 1985) in "The Devil's Advocate" (TV)
  • Seize the Day (1986) as Dr. Tamkin
  • Hot Pursuit (1987) as Victor Honeywell
  • Nadine (1987) as Raymond Escobar
  • Hairspray (1988) as Wilbur Turnblad
  • That's Adequate (1989) as Sid Lane
  • Little Vegas (1990) as Sam
  • Sweet 15 (1990) as Mr. Waterman
  • Freefall (1992) as Emily's Father
  • Highway to Hell (1992) as The Desk Cop
  • Seinfeld (1993–1998) as Frank Costanza (TV)
  • The Pickle (1993) as Phil Hirsch
  • Heavyweights (1995) as Harvey Bushkin
  • Subway Stories (1997) as man in the subway
  • Camp Stories (1997) as Schlomo
  • Stag (1997) as Ted
  • The Deli (1997) as Petey Cheesecake
  • The King of Queens (1998–2007) as Arthur Spooner (TV)
  • The Suburbans (1999) as Speedo Silverburg
  • A Fish in the Bathtub (1999) as Sam
  • Secret of the Andes (1999) as Dr. Golfisch
  • The Independent (2000) as Monty Fineman
  • My 5 Wives (2000) as Don Giovanni
  • Chump Change (2001) as The Colonel
  • Zoolander (2001) as Maury Ballstein
  • On the Line (2001) as Nathan
  • Serving Sara (2002) as Milton the Cop
  • Teacher's Pet (2004) (voice) as Pretty Boy
  • The Lion King 1½ (2004) (voice) (direct-to-DVD) as Uncle Max
  • R30: 30th Anniversary World Tour (2005) as himself
  • Hairspray (2007) as Mr. Pinky
  • The Heartbreak Kid (2007) as Doc
  • Snakes & Arrows Live (video) (2008) as "Heidi"
  • Fish Hooks (2010) as Principal Strickler (voice)
  • Ice Dreams (2010) as Skipper
  • Excuse Me For Living (2012) as Morty[7]

Television

  • Fish Hooks as Principal Stickler
  • Archie Bunker's Place as Carmine – 1980
  • Celebrity Ghost Stories, Season 3, Episode 3(bio.HD)

Short Subjects

See also

References

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Jerry Stiller — in New York (2005) Jerry Stiller (* 8. Juni 1927 in New York City; eigentlich Gerald Isaac Stiller) ist ein US amerikanischer Schauspieler. Inhaltsverzeichnis …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Jerry Stiller — Stiller en Nueva York. Jerry Stiller (nacido el 8 de junio de 1927) es un actor y comediante estadounidense. Filmografia Lovers and Other Strangers (1970) como Jim (padre de Carol) (uncredited) Pelham un, dos, tres ( …   Wikipedia Español

  • Jerry Stiller — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Stiller. Jerry Stiller Jerry Stiller est un acteur et scénariste américain né le 8 juin 1927 à …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Stiller — can refer to:People* Amy Stiller (born 1961), American actress (daughter of Jerry Stiller) * Ben Stiller (born 1965), American actor (son of Jerry Stiller) * Bonner Lee Stiller, Republican member of the North Carolina General Assembly * Brian… …   Wikipedia

  • Stiller and Meara — (Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara), a husband and wife comedy team, were a big hit in the 1960s and 70s, making frequent appearances on television variety shows such as The Ed Sullivan Show . They are among the earliest famous graduates of the Second …   Wikipedia

  • Stiller — bezeichnet: Stiller (Max Frisch), Roman von Max Frisch Stiller ist der Name folgender Personen: Amy Stiller (* 1963), US amerikanische Schauspielerin Ben Stiller (* 1965), US amerikanischer Schauspieler Ernst Stiller (1844–1907), Mitglied des… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • STILLER, BEN — (1965– ), U.S. writer, director, actor. Born in New York, N.Y., to comedy duo Jerry Stiller and Ann Meara, Stiller attended college at UCLA for just nine months, but made his acting debut in New York in John Guare s The House of Blue Leaves… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Jerry Della Femina — Born Gennaro Tomas Della Femina July 22, 1936 (1936 07 22) (age 75) Brooklyn, New York Residence East Hampton, New York Nationality American …   Wikipedia

  • Stiller — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Stiller est le nom de famille de : Amy Stiller (née en 1961), actrice et scénariste américaine ; Ben Stiller (né en 1965), acteur, humoriste,… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Jerry Stahl — Born September 28, 1953 (1953 09 28) (age 58) Pen name Herbert W. Day …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”