Ben Stiller to Explore His Parents' Legacy in New Documentary, Set for October Release
- - Ben Stiller to Explore His Parents' Legacy in New Documentary, Set for October Release
Michael NiedJuly 25, 2025 at 5:18 PM
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Anne Meara, Ben Stiller and Jerry Stiller
Ben Stiller is bringing his parents' story to life in a personal new project.
The 59-year-old actor and director is joining forces with Apple Original Films to direct and produce a documentary titled Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost, which will chart the lives of his famous parents Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara.
“I feel very fortunate to be partnering once again with the incredible team at Apple TV+, this time on a project that is very personal to me and my family," Ben said in a statement. "It’s exciting to finally get to share it with audiences; and a great honor to celebrate my parents, both as I knew them growing up, and as I’ve come to know them in new ways through the making of this film.”
Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost will premiere in select theaters on Oct. 17, before coming to Apple TV+ on Oct. 24.
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Ben Stiller (left) with his parents, Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller
Ben's film explores his parents' "impact on both popular culture and at home, where the lines between creativity, family, life and art often blurred," per Apple's logline.
Jerry and Meara worked as a comedy act before pursuing solo careers in the 1970s. Jerry went on to star in hit projects such as The King of Queens and Seinfeld. As for Meara, she appeared in Awakenings in 1990, and several TV shows, including Archie Bunker’s Place, Oz and Sex and the City.
Both stars shared the screen with Ben over the years, with all three appearing in 1995's hit Heavyweights. Meara joined forces with her son on 2006's Night at the Museum, and Jerry's final acting projects involved collaborations with his son in 2016 on Zoolander 2 and the animated TV movie Zoolander: Super Model.
After meeting a year prior, Jerry and Meara tied the knot in 1954. They welcomed their daughter Amy Stiller in 1961. Four years later, they gave birth to Ben.
Anne died at 85 in May 2015. Jerry followed almost exactly five years later in May 2020 at 92.
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Ben Stiller with his dad Jerry Stiller in 1998
Appearing on the Today show after his father's death, Ben expressed joy that his parents were able to reunite in the afterlife, saying, "They found each other and they were there for each other."
He continued, "Not to get too sappy, but I feel like they’re connected again."
During a June 2024 appearance on the Hey Dude…The 90s Called! podcast, Ben said that he had "amazing memories" with his parents, recalling time spent no sets and "going with my parents whenever they would go out and do, you know, do nightclubs or go to see them in the theater."
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Ben Stiller in March 2025
He added that he "loved" being on set with his parents, explaining how much he enjoyed "just to see the behind-the-scenes of what they were doing. I realized pretty young that I loved directing and movie making and was fascinated by that and wanted to learn about that."
Ben previously worked with Apple TV+ on Severance. He is an executive producer on the show and has directed several episodes.
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