Comedian Jerry Stiller Dies at 92

The world woke up to some incredibly sad news on Monday morning, as we learned that beloved comedian and actor Jerry Stiller had passed away overnight. Stiller had a long career in comedy both on the stage and on the screen, and he passed away this weekend at the age of 92 years old. The news of Stiller’s passing came from his son, actor and filmmaker Ben Stiller, who posted a loving tribute to his late father on Twitter.

“I’m sad to say that my father, Jerry Stiller, passed away from natural causes,” Stiller wrote in the tweet. “He was a great dad and grandfather, and the most dedicated husband to Anne for about 62 years. He will be greatly missed. Love you Dad.”

Stiller had a long and illustrious career of comedy that spanned decades. He first rose to prominence in the 1960s, performing routines alongside his wife, Anne Meara. In addition to their work in front of live crowds around the country, Stiller and Meara also performed several times on The Ed Sullivan Show.

Over the years, Stiller appeared on several TV shows and in quite a few feature films, including Hairspray, Law & Order, Heavyweights, and The Love Boat. However, his most popular on-screen role came in 1993, when he first appeared on Seinfeld. Stiller played Frank Costanza, father of Jason Alexander’s George Costanza, for a total of 26 episodes of the show’s run. He was even nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for his work on the series in 1997.

Stiller went on to take a starring role in sitcom series The King of Queens, alongside Kevin James and Leah Remini. He played Arthur Spooner, the father of Remini’s character, who lived in the basement of the couple’s home in New York City.

Stiller also got the chance to work alongside his son, appearing in both Zoolander movies as Derek Zoolander’s manager, Maury. The comedian’s last on-screen role was actually in Zoolander 2, back in 2016.

In 2007, Stiller and Meara were given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.