Biography
Comedian and actor Jerry Stiller first gained widespread recognition in the 1960s as one half of the duo Stiller & Meara, then experienced a notable return to prominence during the 1990s through his television roles. Born Gerald Isaac Stiller in Brooklyn, New York, on June 8, 1927, he completed high school and served in the armed forces during the final phase of World War II. Upon his return, he attended Syracuse University and earned a bachelor’s degree in speech and drama in 1950. He launched his acting career by accepting available parts, among them a minor comic turn in a 1953 Broadway staging of William Shakespeare’s Coriolanus that also featured a young Jack Klugman and future director Gene Saks. That year, Stiller encountered actress Anne Meara at an agent’s office after her audition had gone badly; he offered her coffee since a full dinner was beyond his means. They connected immediately and wed in 1955.
After pursuing stage work together, Stiller proposed they try comedy once married. The couple moved briefly to Chicago and joined the Compass Players, an improvisational group that later became Second City. There they developed routines centered on their contrasting backgrounds—Meara of Irish Catholic descent, Stiller from Polish and Galician Jewish roots—along with the humor in romantic ups and downs and everyday modern life. They performed in nightclubs and, after an appearance on Merv Griffin’s daytime program, caught the attention of Ed Sullivan, who booked them repeatedly on his variety series. Between 1960 and 1971, Stiller & Meara appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show more than thirty times, which helped establish them as one of the country’s leading comedy acts.
During their partnership they issued three albums: Presenting America’s New Comedy Sensations in 1963, Ed Sullivan Presents the Last Two People in the World in 1967, and Laugh When You Like in 1972. The final release marked the end of their joint act; they disbanded it after agreeing it was straining their marriage. Though officially retired as a team, they later collaborated on a popular series of Blue Nun wine radio commercials. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s Stiller maintained steady work in film and television, guesting on sitcoms and variety programs such as The Carol Burnett Show, Rhoda, The Love Boat, and Hart to Hart, as well as appearing in films including Airport 1975, The Ritz, and John Waters’ original Hairspray.
In 1993 he joined the cast of Seinfeld as Frank Costanza, the volatile father of George Costanza; the role revived his career, especially after a memorable episode introducing the invented holiday Festivus, for which Stiller later contributed the foreword to a book. Additional projects included a supporting part in Zoolander, directed by and starring his son Ben Stiller. Following Seinfeld’s conclusion in 1998, he briefly considered stepping away but instead took the role of Arthur Spooner on the new series The King of Queens, which ran nine seasons and featured him in 195 episodes. In 2001 he released the memoir Married to Laughter: A Love Story featuring Anne Meara. Anne Meara passed away on May 23, 2015, at age 85, after which Stiller retired from performing. On May 11, 2020, Ben Stiller announced on social media that his father had died at his Manhattan residence at the age of 92.
After pursuing stage work together, Stiller proposed they try comedy once married. The couple moved briefly to Chicago and joined the Compass Players, an improvisational group that later became Second City. There they developed routines centered on their contrasting backgrounds—Meara of Irish Catholic descent, Stiller from Polish and Galician Jewish roots—along with the humor in romantic ups and downs and everyday modern life. They performed in nightclubs and, after an appearance on Merv Griffin’s daytime program, caught the attention of Ed Sullivan, who booked them repeatedly on his variety series. Between 1960 and 1971, Stiller & Meara appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show more than thirty times, which helped establish them as one of the country’s leading comedy acts.
During their partnership they issued three albums: Presenting America’s New Comedy Sensations in 1963, Ed Sullivan Presents the Last Two People in the World in 1967, and Laugh When You Like in 1972. The final release marked the end of their joint act; they disbanded it after agreeing it was straining their marriage. Though officially retired as a team, they later collaborated on a popular series of Blue Nun wine radio commercials. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s Stiller maintained steady work in film and television, guesting on sitcoms and variety programs such as The Carol Burnett Show, Rhoda, The Love Boat, and Hart to Hart, as well as appearing in films including Airport 1975, The Ritz, and John Waters’ original Hairspray.
In 1993 he joined the cast of Seinfeld as Frank Costanza, the volatile father of George Costanza; the role revived his career, especially after a memorable episode introducing the invented holiday Festivus, for which Stiller later contributed the foreword to a book. Additional projects included a supporting part in Zoolander, directed by and starring his son Ben Stiller. Following Seinfeld’s conclusion in 1998, he briefly considered stepping away but instead took the role of Arthur Spooner on the new series The King of Queens, which ran nine seasons and featured him in 195 episodes. In 2001 he released the memoir Married to Laughter: A Love Story featuring Anne Meara. Anne Meara passed away on May 23, 2015, at age 85, after which Stiller retired from performing. On May 11, 2020, Ben Stiller announced on social media that his father had died at his Manhattan residence at the age of 92.
Albums
