Jerry Stiller
Born: 1927-06-08 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
Died: 2020-05-11
Known For: Acting
Biography
Gerald Isaac Stiller (June 8, 1927 – May 11, 2020) was an American actor and comedian. He spent many years as part of the comedy duo Stiller and Meara with his wife, Anne Meara, to whom he was married for over 60 years until her death in 2015. Stiller saw a late-career resurgence starting in 1993, playing George Costanza's father Frank on the sitcom Seinfeld, a part which earned him an Emmy nomination. The year Seinfeld went off the air, Stiller began his role as the eccentric Arthur Spooner on the CBS comedy series The King of Queens, another role that garnered widespread acclaim. Stiller appeared together with his son Ben Stiller in films such as Zoolander, Heavyweights, Hot Pursuit, The Heartbreak Kid, and Zoolander 2. He also performed voice-over work for films and television, including The Lion King 1½ and Planes: Fire and Rescue. In his later career, Stiller became known for portraying grumpy and eccentric characters who were nevertheless beloved.
Filmography
2025
- Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost as Self (archive footage)
2016
- Zoolander 2 as Maury Ballstein
- Zoolander: Super Model as Maury Ballstein (voice)
2015
- Deli Man as Self
2014
- Planes: Fire & Rescue as Harvey (voice)
- How Murray Saved Christmas as Murray Weiner (voice)
- Simpler Times as Harry
2013
- Cousins as Charlie Gordon
2012
- Foodfight! as General X (voice)
- Excuse Me for Living as Morty
2011
- Swinging with the Finkels as Mr. Winters
2010
- Fish Hooks as Principal Stickler
2009
- The Good Wife as Judge Felix Afterman
- Celebrity Ghost Stories as Self
- Mercy as Joe Thalberg
- Ice Dreams as Skipper
2007
- Head Case as Self
- Hairspray as Mr. Pinky
- The Heartbreak Kid as Doc
2006
- Wonder Pets! as Old White Mouse (voice)
2004
- The Lion King 1½ as Uncle Max (voice)
- Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy as Man in Bar (uncredited)
- Teacher's Pet as Pretty Boy (voice)
- Kramer vs. Kramer: Kenny to Cosmo as Self
- Behind the Legend: Timon as Uncle Max (voice)
- Timon & Pumbaa's Virtual Safari 1.5 as Uncle Max (voice)
2002
- Serving Sara as Milton the Cop
- AFI's 100 Years... 100 Passions: America's Greatest Love Stories as Self
2001
- Zoolander as Maury Ballstein
- On the Line as Nathan
2000
- Teacher's Pet as Pretty Boy (voice)
- The Independent as Morty Fineman
- Chump Change as The Colonel
- My 5 Wives as Don Giovanni
1999
- Crashbox
- The Suburbans as Speedo Silverberg
- The N.Y. Friars Club Roast of Jerry Stiller as Self
- A Fish in the Bathtub as Sam
- Secret of the Andes as Dr. Golfisch
1998
- The King of Queens as Arthur Spooner
- Hercules as Eagle (voice)
- Hollywood Squares as Self - Panelist
- A Rat's Tale as Prof. Plumpingham
1997
- The View as Self
- Subway Stories as Old Man (segment "The 5:24")
- The Deli as Petey Cheesecake
- Stag as Ted
- Camp Stories as Schlomo
1995
- Deadly Games as Phil Cullen
- Heavyweights as Harvey Bushkin
- Going, Going, Almost Gone! Animals in Danger
1994
- Touched by an Angel as Maury Salt
- Baseball as Various (voice)
1993
- Homicide: Life on the Street as McGonnigal
- The Pickle as Phil Hirsch
- Tracey Ullman Takes on New York as Theatrical Producer
1992
- The Larry Sanders Show as Jerry Stiller
1991
- Highway to Hell as Desk Cop
- Women & Men 2: In Love There Are No Rules as Irving
- The Sunset Gang as Seymour Shapiro (segment "The Detective")
1990
- Law & Order as Michael Tobis
- Little Vegas as Sam
- Sweet 15 as Mr. Waterman
- Pair of Jokers as Scully Wexler
1989
- Seinfeld as Frank Costanza
- That's Adequate as Sid Lane
1988
- In the Heat of the Night as Rabbi Feldman
- Monsters as Victor
- Hairspray as Wilbur Turnblad
- Tattingers as Sid Wilbur
1987
- Nadine as Raymond Escobar
- Hot Pursuit as Victor Honeywell
- The Hustler of Money as Stu
- Shoeshine as Father
1986
- L.A. Law as Nat Pincus
- Seize the Day as Dr. Tamkin
- The McGuffin as Marty de Reske
1985
- The Equalizer as Brahms
- Screen Two as Marty de Reske
1984
- Murder, She Wrote as Lt. Birnbaum
- Tales from the Darkside as Luther Mandrake
1983
- Reading Rainbow as Dinosaur Comedian (voice)
- Amanda's as Sal Malzone
- The Other Woman as Mel Binns
1981
- Simon & Simon
- Madame X as Burt Orland
1980
- Those Lips, Those Eyes as Mr. Shoemaker
1979
- Hart to Hart as Myron Finkle
- Archie Bunker's Place
- Time Express
1977
- The Love Boat as Bud Hanrahan
- Nasty Habits as P.R. Priest
- Dick Clark's Good Old Days
1975
- Saturday Night Live as Stu (uncredited)
- Joe and Sons as Gus Duzik
1974
- Rhoda
- The Taking of Pelham One Two Three as Lt. Rico Patrone
- Airport 1975 as Sam
1972
- The Paul Lynde Show as Barney Dickerson
1971
- Great Performances as Mechanic
- A Memory of Two Mondays as Mechanic
1970
- The Flip Wilson Show as Self
- Lovers and Other Strangers as Jim
1969
- Love, American Style as Leonard Ferguson
- The Courtship of Eddie's Father as Paul Sterling
1968
- That's Life as Self
1967
- The Carol Burnett Show as Self
1965
- Hullabaloo as Self
1963
- The Danny Kaye Show as Self
1962
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as Self
- The Merv Griffin Show as Self
1961
- The Mike Douglas Show as Self
- The Defenders as Sergeant Wysenski
1958
- Kraft Music Hall as Self
1956
- Tony Awards as Self - Audience Member
1953
- General Electric Theater as Harold
1948
- Studio One as Sergeant Joe Capriotti
- The Ed Sullivan Show as Self
- Lamp Unto My Feet as Candide