Portrait of Jerry Stiller

Jerry Stiller

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.

Born: June 8, 1927

Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Filmography

2025
Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost

as Self (archive footage)

2016
Zoolander: Super Model

as Maury Ballstein (voice)

2016
Zoolander 2

as Maury Ballstein

2015
Deli Man

as Self

2014
2014
How Murray Saved Christmas

as Murray Weiner (voice)

2014
Planes: Fire & Rescue

as Harvey (voice)

2012
Foodfight!

as General X (voice)

2011
2010
Fish Hooks

as Principal Stickler

2010
Fish Hooks

as Principal Stickler (voice)

2009
Mercy

as Joe Thalberg

2009
The Good Wife

as Judge Felix Afterman

2009
Ice Dreams

as Skipper

2007
Hairspray

as Mr. Pinky

2007
Head Case

as Self

2006
The Wonder Pets

as Old White Mouse (voice)

2004
The Lion King 1½

as Uncle Max (voice)

2004
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

as Man in Bar (uncredited)

2004
Behind the Legend: Timon

as Uncle Max (voice)

2004
Teacher's Pet

as Pretty Boy (voice)

2002
Serving Sara

as Milton the Cop

2001
On the Line

as Nathan

2001
Zoolander

as Maury Ballstein

2000
The Independent

as Morty Fineman

2000
Teacher's Pet

as Pretty Boy (voice)

2000
My 5 Wives

as Don Giovanni

2000
Chump Change

as The Colonel

1999
The Suburbans

as Speedo Silverberg

1999
Secret of the Andes

as Dr. Golfisch

1998
The King of Queens

as Arthur Spooner

1998
Hollywood Squares

as Self - Panelist

1998
Hercules

as Eagle (voice)

1997
The Deli

as Petey Cheesecake

1997
The View

as Self

1997
Subway Stories

as Old Man (segment "The 5:24")

1997
Camp Stories

as Schlomo

1997
Stag

as Ted

1997
A Rat's Tale

as Prof. Plumpingham

1995
Deadly Games

as Phil Cullen

1995
Heavyweights

as Harvey Bushkin

1994
Touched by an Angel

as Maury Salt

1994
Baseball

as Various (voice)

1994
Baseball

as (voice)

1993
The Pickle

as Phil Hirsch

1992
The Larry Sanders Show

as Jerry Stiller

1991
Highway to Hell

as Desk Cop

1991
The Sunset Gang

as Seymour Shapiro (segment "The Detective")

1990
1990
Law & Order

as Michael Tobis

1990
Law & Order

as Sam Pokras

1990
Sweet 15

as Mr. Waterman

1989
Seinfeld

as Frank Costanza

1989
That's Adequate

as Sid Lane

1988
Monsters

as Victor

1988
In the Heat of the Night

as Rabbi Feldman

1988
Hairspray

as Wilbur Turnblad

1987
Nadine

as Raymond Escobar

1987
Hot Pursuit

as Victor Honeywell

1987
Shoeshine

as Father

1986
L.A. Law

as Nat Pincus

1986
Seize the Day

as Dr. Tamkin

1986
The McGuffin

as Marty de Reske

1985
The Equalizer

as Brahms

1985
Screen Two

as Marty de Reske

1984
Murder, She Wrote

as Lt. Birnbaum

1984
Tales from the Darkside

as Luther Mandrake

1983
Reading Rainbow

as Dinosaur Comedian (voice)

1983
The Other Woman

as Mel Binns

1983
Amanda's

as Sal Malzone

1981
Madame X

as Burt Orland

1980
Those Lips, Those Eyes

as Mr. Shoemaker

1979
Hart to Hart

as Myron Finkle

1977
The Love Boat

as Bud Hanrahan

1977
The Love Boat

as Tony Vitelli

1977
Nasty Habits

as P.R. Priest

1976
1976
The Ritz

as Carmine Vespucci

1974
1974
1974
1972
The Paul Lynde Show

as Barney Dickerson

1971
1969
Love, American Style

as Leonard Ferguson

1965
Hullabaloo

as Self

1961
The Mike Douglas Show

as Self - Co-Host

1961
The Defenders

as Sergeant Wysenski

1958
1956
Tony Awards

as Self - Audience Member

1948
Studio One

as Sergeant Joe Capriotti