"Zoolander" star Ben Stiller's parents Jerry Stiller, Anne Meara (Photo : REUTERS/PHIL MCCARTEN)
Comedian Anne Meara, the mother of "Zoolander" star Ben Stiller and wife of "The Kings Of Queens" star Jerry Stiller, died on May 23, Saturday. She was 85.
Through a representative, Meara's family confirmed her death on May 24, Sunday, without providing details about the circumstances of her death, according to Reuters. The statement read, "She is survived by her husband and partner in life Jerry Stiller. The two were married for 61 years and worked together almost as long."
Born in New York on Sept. 20, 1929, Meara was known for her opposites-attract comedy routine with her husband. In the 1960s, the duo was known as comedy team Stiller and Meara, a popular comedy duo on American television at the time.
Meara met Jerry at an agent's office in 1953 and they married a few months later. In 1954, she joined the cast of the short-lived NBC soap opera "The Greatest Gift." She and her husband made 36 appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show."
Days before his mother's death, Ben was one of the celebrities who performed skits for the three-hour live entertainment event "Red Nose Day" on NBC along with Jennifer Aniston, Julia Roberts, Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine and Zac Efron, among others.
In 2001, Ben and his father Jerry co-starred in "Zoolander," which also featured Owen Wilson, Christine Taylor, Will Ferrell, Milla Jovovich, David Duchovny, Judah Friedlander, Nathan Lee Graham and Angelina Jolie's father Jon Voight, among others.
Ben is currently filming "Zoolander 2," which was written by Aniston's boyfriend Justin Theroux. The sequel will star Justin Bieber, Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Penelope Cruz, Kristen Wiig and Olivia Munn, among others.
