Ben Stiller talked with Ellen DeGeneres about his teen daughter Ella's desire to
become a third generation actor, just like her parents and grandparents,
Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. The "Escape at Dannemora" director also
revealed his cameo as Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen on Saturday Night
Live was kind of a fluke.
Ben Stiller recently played President Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen in multiple episodes of Saturday Night Live, and the actor and comedian revealed how he first got the part. He said that he had no intention of becoming part of the Saturday Night Live cast of political impersonations when he contacted exec producer Lorne Michaels to get some tickets to the show.
“It’s really funny”, says Stiller. “I was going to take my daughter Ella — who’s actually here today — to see Saturday Night Live for the first time, and I emailed Lorne Michaels… and I said, ‘Hey, do you think I can come by’, and he said, ‘Sure, and by the way, do you happen to have a Michael Cohen lying around?’ Like a Michael Cohen impression. Which I didn’t. Because, who does, really?” So Stiller headed to YouTube to watch some of Cohen’s TV appearances and then sent Michaels a video of what he came up with, “and I was on the show that week”, he says.
Ellen later pointed out that Ella was in the audience, and Stiller shared that they were in Los Angeles to visit colleges. “It’s great”, quips Stiller, referencing the recent college cheating scandal. “She is going to Yale on a full football scholarship. And she’s going to major in photoshopping”.
The jokes alluded to the recent, high-profile college admissions scandal. More than 50 people, including actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin, were charged in a scheme in which wealthy parents allegedly bribed insiders to get their children into elite schools. While Huffman is accused of disguising a $15,000 charitable payment in the bribery scheme, Loughlin is accused of paying $500,000 in exchange for her two daughters to be designated as recruits for USC's crew team. The daughters were allegedly photoshopped into images to make them appear as athletes.
Stiller also discusses his daughter’s decision to become an actor, planning to join the family business as the third-generation of Stillers to enter showbiz (Stiller’s parents are famed comedy duo Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller, the latter known for his roles on “Seinfeld” and “King of Queens”). Stiller then reflected on the stress that goes along with the college admissions process. "There's crazy pressure the kids go through and the parents go through, but obviously you've got to draw the line", he said.
“It’s really funny”, says Stiller. “I was going to take my daughter Ella — who’s actually here today — to see Saturday Night Live for the first time, and I emailed Lorne Michaels… and I said, ‘Hey, do you think I can come by’, and he said, ‘Sure, and by the way, do you happen to have a Michael Cohen lying around?’ Like a Michael Cohen impression. Which I didn’t. Because, who does, really?” So Stiller headed to YouTube to watch some of Cohen’s TV appearances and then sent Michaels a video of what he came up with, “and I was on the show that week”, he says.
Ellen later pointed out that Ella was in the audience, and Stiller shared that they were in Los Angeles to visit colleges. “It’s great”, quips Stiller, referencing the recent college cheating scandal. “She is going to Yale on a full football scholarship. And she’s going to major in photoshopping”.
The jokes alluded to the recent, high-profile college admissions scandal. More than 50 people, including actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin, were charged in a scheme in which wealthy parents allegedly bribed insiders to get their children into elite schools. While Huffman is accused of disguising a $15,000 charitable payment in the bribery scheme, Loughlin is accused of paying $500,000 in exchange for her two daughters to be designated as recruits for USC's crew team. The daughters were allegedly photoshopped into images to make them appear as athletes.
Stiller also discusses his daughter’s decision to become an actor, planning to join the family business as the third-generation of Stillers to enter showbiz (Stiller’s parents are famed comedy duo Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller, the latter known for his roles on “Seinfeld” and “King of Queens”). Stiller then reflected on the stress that goes along with the college admissions process. "There's crazy pressure the kids go through and the parents go through, but obviously you've got to draw the line", he said.
After Ella added that she is interested in pursing a career in acting, Stiller said that he supported her decision. "She loves it and she's very passionate about it and she knows what she wanted to do", he said. "I knew when I was 10, 11 years old that I wanted to direct movies and eventually act, too. It's a crazy business, as you know, so I just kind of want to support her in any way possible... Legally".
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