Ben Stiller couldn't escape the candid thoughts of his kids in his upcoming documentary, "Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost." The film delves into his childhood and the bond between his parents, Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, while also exploring the actor's own journey as a father.
In the documentary, Stiller shares heartfelt conversations with his children, Ella Stiller, 23, and Quin Stiller, 20, and his wife Christine Taylor. Quin reveals that after a tough day, he feels like he's stuck in his own head, making it difficult to enjoy his time off. "You have all these hats that you're trying to balance," he says. "Being a director, an actor, a producer, a writer. But also just, like, a father. And sometimes, I felt that would come last to these other things."
Ella also shared her thoughts with her father, saying, "I literally can't ever remember you being around when I was growing up." As Stiller reflects on these confessions from his children, he admits that he thought he was doing a better job than his parents but couldn't see the similarities in their experiences.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Stiller confesses that he probably messed up more with his kids than his parents did with him. "My son tells me that being a dad might not have been at the top of my list," he says. While he recalls "things that weren't happy about my childhood," he adds that once he became a parent, he realized it was almost "impossible to avoid making the mistakes" his own folks made.
Stiller also admits that his relationship with his kids was strained when he and Christine decided to split in 2017. However, they reconciled during the pandemic and Stiller feels bad about what their breakup did to the kids but believes it was possibly the best thing for them. "We don't take it for granted any more," he says. "And if you are happy, you're going to be a better parent. You have hurdles and try to figure it out, and if you stay, all you can do is acknowledge the past and try to repair." Despite the imperfections, Stiller says their family is just living life as it is.
