A towering figure in American comedy, Ben Stiller began his on-screen career in the mid-1980s with a role in a television series. Are you familiar with the show where he played a student?
From the “Meet the Parents” series to “There’s Something About Mary,” “Zoolander,” “Night at the Museum,” and “Tropic Thunder,” Ben Stiller is a giant in the comedy scene, having entertained millions around the globe (and he’s a fan of a certain French actor everyone is after). But are you aware of his very first screen appearance, which dates back almost four decades, and recently produced the Apple TV+ series “Severance”?
Ben Stiller, a staple of the big screen, actually started his career on the small screen! It was in 1986, on the CBS series “Kate & Allie,” led by Jane Curtin and Susan Saint James and aired for six seasons. The show detailed the lives of two childhood friends whose different life paths had separated them but who reunite to face a common challenge: divorce!
Ben Stiller made his appearance in just one episode of “Kate & Allie,” during its fourth season, in an episode titled Too Late the Rebel. Then only about 20 years old, he portrayed a protesting student named Peter during a campus demonstration attended by Cathy. Aline accompanies her, bringing her own poignant memories of protests from the 1960s.
Here is a segment from the episode featuring Ben Stiller:
A year after this television debut, Stiller appeared in another series, the wildly popular “Miami Vice,” and then featured in shows like Saturday Night Live and The Ben Stiller Show. While Stiller had a minor role in Steven Spielberg’s “Empire of the Sun,” it wasn’t until 1995 that he truly made his mark in film with the romantic comedy “Reality Bites,” where he starred alongside Winona Ryder and Ethan Hawke and also served as director.
Trailer for the Apple TV+ series “Severance,” produced by Ben Stiller:
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A passionate journalist, Iris Lennox covers social and cultural news across the U.S.