1. Gerald Isaac Stiller was an American comedian and actor.
21 Facts About Jerry Stiller
1. 2.
Jerry Stiller 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.
3.
Jerry Stiller saw a late-career resurgence starting in 1993, playing Frank Costanza on the sitcom Seinfeld, a part which earned him an Emmy nomination.
4.
In 1998, Jerry Stiller began his role as Arthur Spooner on the CBS comedy series The King of Queens, another role that garnered widespread acclaim.
5.
Jerry Stiller appeared together with his son Ben Jerry Stiller in films such as Zoolander, Heavyweights, Hot Pursuit, The Heartbreak Kid, and Zoolander 2.
6.
The eldest of four children, Jerry Stiller was born on June 8,1927, at Unity Hospital in New York City, to Bella and William Jerry Stiller, a taxi and bus driver.
7.
Jerry Stiller's paternal grandparents emigrated from Galicia, and his mother was born in Frampol, Russian Empire.
8.
Jerry Stiller lived in the Williamsburg and East New York neighborhoods of Brooklyn before his family moved to the Lower East Side of Manhattan, where he attended Seward Park High School and played Adolf Hitler in a school production.
9.
Jerry Stiller studied drama at HB Studio in Greenwich Village.
10.
Also in 1953, Jerry Stiller met actress-comedian Anne Meara, and they married in 1954.
11.
Until Jerry Stiller suggested it, Meara had never thought of doing comedy.
12.
Late in his career, Jerry Stiller earned the part of the short-tempered Frank Costanza, father of George Costanza, on the sitcom Seinfeld.
13.
Jerry Stiller's character as initially envisioned was a "meek" and "Thurberesque" character that required him to wear a bald cap.
14.
Jerry Stiller agreed and played the role of Arthur Spooner, the father of Carrie Heffernan, from 1998 until 2007.
15.
Jerry Stiller said that this role tested his acting ability more than any other had, and that, before being a part of The King of Queens, he only saw himself as a "decent actor".
16.
Jerry Stiller played himself in filmed skits opening and closing Canadian rock band Rush's 30th Anniversary Tour concerts in 2004.
17.
Jerry Stiller made several appearances on the game show Tattletales with his wife, Anne Meara.
18.
Jerry Stiller appeared in various motion pictures, most notably Zoolander and Secret of the Andes.
19.
Jerry Stiller voiced the announcer on the children's educational show Crashbox.
20.
Jerry Stiller was married to Anne Meara for over 60 years, from 1954 until her death on May 23,2015.
21.
On May 11,2020, Jerry Stiller died from natural causes at his home on the Upper West Side of Manhattan at the age of 92.