Ben Stiller is making an effort to break away from the stereotype of the so-called “Nepo baby” as his kids have called him out for being somewhat absent during their upbringing.
In a recent appearance on “The View,” Ben, whose parents are legendary actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, shared how his upbringing has shaped his approach to parenting as he discussed his new documentary, “Stiller & Meara: Nothing Lost.”
The 59-year-old actor, who shares daughter Ella, 23, and son Quinlin, 20, with his wife Christine Taylor, mentioned a recurring theme he noticed while working on a film about his late parents.
“We have kids who are now actors, and having that experience became part of the film in terms of talking to kids about how these things are passed down cyclically and through generations,” Ben noted.
“You want to do better than your parents,” he continued. “Sometimes it works out better in some areas, and sometimes it gets tougher in others. That’s just part of the journey we all go through.”
He also appeared on “Today,” where he commended co-host Savannah Guthrie for engaging in tough discussions with his children on camera.
“I started thinking deeply about my parents’ relationship,” he said, reflecting on the documentary’s process.
As he engaged with his wife and kids for the film, he found himself having more personal conversations than ever before.
“As I watched the cut, I thought, ‘Oh, wow, we’ve never talked about something this personal before,'” he reflected in an interview published recently.
In the documentary, Ben’s children voiced their feelings about his absence during their formative years.
Ella pointedly told him, “I literally have no recollection of you being around when I was a child.”
When Ben asked Quinlin if he related to Ella’s remarks, his son responded that parenting often seemed to take a backseat to everything else.
Quinlin shared that, “After a hard day, or when something goes wrong, you can find yourself in a mess, which can take some of the fun out of things.” He added, “It’s tough trying to juggle everything—director, actor, producer, writer—but you’re also just a dad.”
The younger Stiller expressed his frustration over his father’s extended absences due to work commitments.
Ben acknowledged his initial belief that he was doing better than his father, but has come to realize that wasn’t necessarily the case.
In the documentary, he mentioned, “I thought I was done. I’d fly home on weekends and seek out fun spots for the kids, thinking I was being a good dad. But hearing their stories made me see that to them, my experience mirrored what I faced as a kid, and I had no clue.”
In a recent interview, he candidly admitted to feeling he had “failed” at parenting.
