Ben Stiller Reveals “Worst Decision” He Made About Daughter Ella

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The reality of a decision Ben Stiller made still bites him all these years later. 

In his new documentary, *Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost*, comedian Ben Stiller shares memories of his parents, Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, and reflects on his own experiences as a father. He recalls a difficult moment involving his daughter, Ella Stiller, and his wife, Christine Taylor.

In a documentary, 59-year-old Ben Stiller revealed he removed a scene from *The Secret Life of Walter Mitty*, calling it “probably the worst decision I ever made in my life,” according to *Entertainment Weekly*.

Ella, who is now 23, has come to terms with not having a larger role in the 2013 film. She briefly appeared as young Odessa Mitty, the sister of her father’s character, but told Ben she was “really scared” during filming and felt her scene didn’t quite fit the story.

She’s come to terms with the decision, but Ben continues to find it difficult. He explained to his daughter that it touches on his personal struggles with being overly focused on work and striving for perfection.

Ella, Ben, and Christine’s son, Quinlin Stiller, also noticed his father’s intense focus on work, and the 20-year-old shared how it impacted their family.

Quin explained that after a difficult day, or when things aren’t going well, it’s easy to get lost in your own thoughts. Once you’re stuck in that headspace, it can be hard to break free, which really takes the joy out of a vacation.

He explained that it’s tough juggling so many roles – director, actor, producer, writer – and still being a good father. He felt like being a dad sometimes got pushed to the bottom of his priority list because of everything else he was trying to manage.

Hearing this was hard for Ben, as he’d seen his own parents struggle with stress and tension and didn’t want to repeat that pattern.

He admits in the documentary that he used to believe he was doing a much better job as a parent than his own parents had done. He thought he was succeeding – flying home on weekends and creating fun spaces for his kids on set. But looking back, he realizes his children experienced the same issues he did growing up, something he was completely blind to at the time.

Despite seeing their father’s strong dedication to acting and filmmaking, both Ella and Quin have chosen to pursue careers in the entertainment industry. In fact, Ella even appeared as a guest star on the last season of *And Just Like That*.

And Ben is now looking forward to working with them in a new capacity.

Ben Stiller told TopMob News last November that his children, who are now young adults and also actors, are very talented. He’s enjoyed small collaborations with them in the past and would love the opportunity to work with them on a larger project, saying it would be a lot of fun.

He believes that one day, they’ll be in positions to cast him in their projects, completing the cycle of collaboration.

For more from Ben, Christine and their family, keep reading.

Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor have been married since 2000 and separated in 2017, but they never officially divorced. After spending time together with their children, Ella and Quinlin, during the pandemic, they decided to get back together.

Ella frequently joins her father, Ben, at industry events. For example, she attended the Tribeca Film Festival in June 2023 for the premiere of a short film starring her mother, Christine, and the family coordinated their outfits in shades of black. She’s also been Ben’s date to several other high-profile events, including the 2022 Emmys, premieres of Free Solo (2018) and The Meyerowitz Stories (2017), and the opening night of the Broadway show Groundhog Day. In 2019, Ella and Ben attended the Golden Globes together to support Escape to Dannemora, a miniseries for which Ben was nominated for a directing award.

Ben recently shared his experience working with his daughter, Ella, on the set of *Escape to Dannemora*. He told TopMob he was “very proud” of her. The *Zoolander* actor said he was pleased with how well things went, noting that Ella treated him with a lot of respect. He joked that, as a parent of a teenager, he hoped they could maintain a polite dynamic on set, unlike their usual interactions at home, and that the experience was genuinely positive for both of them.

Besides a small part in *Escape to Dannemora*, Ella has also appeared in *Hubie Halloween* and *Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb*. Her father, Ben, mentioned in 2019 that she seemed eager to pursue acting. Her mother, Christine, shared in 2018 that she always supported Ella’s interest in following their footsteps. Christine explained, “She was born with a purpose, and I wasn’t going to stand in her way.” She described Ella as strong-willed and passionate about acting, adding that growing up in New York City exposed her to a lot of inspiring performances, fueling her desire to act. While she didn’t actively encourage it, she fully supported Ella’s ambitions.

Ben recently shared that his daughter, Ella, had talked to him about feeling like he wasn’t around enough when she was growing up, due to his work commitments. He told *Esquire* that it’s difficult to hear, as she expresses these feelings clearly. It’s especially hard because he remembers feeling similarly about his own parents, actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, and had vowed not to repeat that pattern. While it wasn’t easy to hear Ella say this, Ben understands it was important for her to express her feelings. He was also trying to balance pursuing his own career goals.

Ben clarified that Ella and her brother, Quinlin, weren’t tracking his absences; they simply missed spending time with him. He’s realized that children aren’t concerned with their parents’ careers. What they truly want is an emotionally available and supportive parent – something more valuable than any professional achievement.

Ben Affleck recently shared on *The Late Show With Stephen Colbert* that his daughter Ella turned him into a big Taylor Swift fan. He explained that playing Taylor Swift’s music helped calm Ella while he was teaching her to drive. He admitted he was a fan before, but now considers himself a “total Swiftie.”

Ben said Taylor’s music had a calming effect on both of them, and he went on to demonstrate his newfound fandom. He discussed getting into her later albums like *Folklore* and *Evermore*, specifically mentioning songs like “Cardigan,” “Betty,” and “August,” which tell the same love story from different perspectives. He even pointed out that the characters in those songs are named after Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively’s children, and he’s familiar with Taylor’s 10-minute version of “All Too Well” from her vault.

I’ve always admired Christine’s dedication to family. After they filmed *Tropic Thunder* together back in 2007, she stepped away from acting to really focus on raising their kids, and it never seemed like a difficult choice for her. She explained in an interview that when their daughter Ella was born, everything changed. She was overwhelmed with love and just wanted to be fully present, experiencing every moment. With Ben working so consistently, she felt it was important for one of them to provide that consistent stability at home. It was such a selfless decision, and Ben himself has said how incredibly grateful he is that she made it. It really showed me how much she prioritizes their family, and I’ve been a fan ever since.

Over ten years ago, Ben and Christine decided to eat a plant-based diet and encourage their children to do the same. In a 2012 interview with *People* magazine, Christine joked about their kids’ initial reaction to their healthy habits, saying, “They look at us like we’re drinking something from another planet! I tell them to just try it and join us.” She also shared that their children have opposite preferences – their daughter loves vegetables but not fruit, while their son prefers fruit over vegetables. Despite this, Christine remains optimistic, believing that, like many kids, her children will eventually appreciate their parents’ lifestyle. She says they’re simply “planting the seeds” for a healthier future.

Ella frequently joins her parents at events, but Quinlin typically avoids public appearances. He did, however, attend the Project A.L.S. Benefit in 2018 with his family. According to Christine, speaking with *Us Weekly* at the time, this was Quinlin’s first event and he was enjoying himself. She explained that their daughter attended the previous year and encouraged him to come, and that it was special to share the event with their close-knit group of friends who have watched their children grow up over the past two decades.

Quinlin also participated in the Project ALS 25th Anniversary Gala in 2023. Ben and Christine have been sharing causes important to them with their children. Christine, who serves on the organization’s board, told *Us Weekly* in 2018 that it meant a lot to her kids to come out on a school night, have fun, get dressed up, and learn about such a wonderful organization.

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2025-10-13 22:18