Jerry Stiller, 'Seinfeld' actor and father of Ben Stiller, dies at age 92
Ben Stiller took to social media on Monday to announce the death of his father Jerry Stiller at 92.
"I’m sad to say that my father, Jerry Stiller, passed away from natural causes. 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," the actor tweeted.
Jerry Stiller is best known for his role as George Costanzas’ father Frank on 'Seinfield'. He also played the role of Arthur Spooner on the series 'The King of Queens'. Jerry had also made several appearances in films like Zoolander, Heavyweights, Hot Pursuit, The Heartbreak Kid, and Zoolander 2 alongside his son, Ben.
During the early days of his career, Jerry and his wife Anne Meara had worked together in a comedy duo called 'Stiller and Meara' during the 1960s and 1970s. The pair had been married for around 62 years until Meara died in 2015.
Fans and followers rushed to comment on Ben's social media post and expressed their condolences. One such user shared, "Inna illahee wa inna illayhee raji’un (To God we belong, and to Him is our return). Very sorry to hear this, Ben. My condolences to you and your family. Jerry was one of my favorites. May his memory be a blessing. RIP Jerry Stiller."
A second user shared, "I'm so sorry to hear this. He was a wonderful talent. My deepest sympathy to you and your family." A third chimed in, "Oh man, so so sorry to hear this Ben. Your father, as Arthur in King of Queens, brought so much laughter & joy to my wife & I. Just a few weeks ago we introduced him/his character to our kids and they loved him, laughed with him, too. He was such a talent, so sorry for your loss."
"So very sorry to hear this, Ben. He was always a joy to be around, as was your wonderful mother. Sending love and condolences to you and your family," wrote another.
Stiller and Meara tied the knot in 1955 and began working as a comedy duo in 1961. The pair used their marriage as a source for the content of their act, Nickiswift reports.
Back in 2008, Meara spoke to The Times and said, "Jerry started us being a comedy team. He always thought I would be a great comedy partner. At that time in my life, I disdained comedians."
The two had started out by performing at nightclubs in NYC and became nationally known within a year of starting. They went on to perform on 'The Tonight Show' and also made around 36 appearances on 'The Ed Sullivan Show'.
In 1977, the pair opened up on why they decided to stop the act in 1970. Jerry said, "I love Anne, but if I had depended on her in my professional life, I would have lost her as a wife." Meara added to this, "I didn't know where the act ended and our marriage began."