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Ben Stiller Calls ‘Nepo Baby’ Label a Selling Point, Credits Parents With Early Breaks

He frames the advantage as passion born from growing up in the business, not simple entitlement.

Overview

  • In a newly aired Howard Stern interview, Stiller said he accepts the nepo-baby tag and described it as a “selling point.”
  • He acknowledged his mother, Anne Meara, secured him an audition that led to his first stage job in an off-Broadway revival of The House of Blue Leaves.
  • He also said his father, Jerry Stiller, helped him land a part in his first film, 1987’s Hot Pursuit.
  • While noting critics’ concerns about access, he argued that being raised around show business can instill commitment despite witnessing its pressures.
  • He pointed to his brief, four-episode stint on Saturday Night Live as evidence that connections do not ensure lasting success, as his remarks feed into the broader nepo-baby debate.