Veronika, a 6-year-old Ukrainian refugee, shows her temporary home to
UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Ben Stiller.
Friday, June 17, 2022
Ben Stiller met Veronica, a 6-year-old Ukrainian refugee
You are my hero
On May 21, 2022, an internet user wrote on Twitter:
"GO TO WATCH THE SEVERANCE !!! It's so AMAZING! I can tell that it's the most wonderful series I have ever seen! And thank you and your team for the hard work in filming it Ben Stiller! I'm 16 and dreaming of being an director too. You're my hero."
Ben Stiller wrote back:
"Thank you! Definitely be a director if that’s your dream. Just start making things."
Ben Stiller in the Post Mortem with Mick Garris
Ben Stiller in the podcast "Post Mortem with Mick Garris" talk about his incredible career and new show SEVERANCE (May 11, 2022):
Derek Zoolander invites you to sign up for his University for male models
Promotional video in which Derek Zoolander invites you to sign up for
his University for male models.
Thursday, June 16, 2022
Wednesday, June 15, 2022
Ben Stiller joins Mike Birbiglia in the Working It Out
On June 13, 2022, Ben Stiller joins Mike Birbiglia in the Working It Out to
talk about everything from leaving the SNL cast within weeks of joining to
early nerve-racking test screenings for his film “Zoolander.” They also break
apart Ben’s genre-bending hit series “Severance” on Apple TV plus.
Ben aces the slow round with stories about growing up the child of
two comedy greats, not making the high school basketball team, and the magical
feeling of being backstage at “The $10,000 Pyramid” (VTR July 26, 1974).
One of Ben's fond childhood memories in the slow round is seeing
his parents at $10,000 Pyramid. Little Ben Stiller gets called up to the stage
by Anne Meara on her episode of Pyramid (with William Shatner).
Watch Ben's cameo on it:
Mike Birbiglia wrote on Twitter:
"This is a clip from
this week's episode of "Working It Out" with Ben Stiller. I've wanted him to
come on for two years and it finally happened!!!" (06/14/2022)
Ben
replied on Twitter:
"Thanks for finally making this happen
Mike. And I still remember getting to go up to the Winner’s Circle."
(06/14/2022)
Thanks for finally making this happen Mike. And I still remember getting to go up to the Winner’s Circle. https://t.co/xir1G6eRBL
— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) June 14, 2022
You can listen to the entire podcast here:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mike-birbiglias-working-it-out/id1515419751?i=1000566186415
Ben Stiller and Jerry Stahl attend Jerry Stahl In Conversation With Ben Stiller: Nein, Nein, Nein!
Actor Ben Stiller and Author Jerry Stahl attend Jerry Stahl In Conversation With Ben Stiller: Nein, Nein, Nein! at The 92nd Street Y, New York on June 12, 2022.
In 1998, Ben Stiller played the role of Jerry Stahl in the movie "Permanent Midnight". The film is based on the autobiographical book of Jerry Stahl of the same title.
Permanent Midnight DVD: https://ebay.us/p9rmHH
Permanent Midnight BOOK: https://ebay.us/ZuQorl
Permanent Midnight MUSIC (Movie Soundtrack): https://ebay.us/qHjlcT
Books by Jerry Stahl: https://ebay.us/CQzuId
 |
| Actor Ben Stiller and Author Jerry Stahl attend Jerry Stahl In
Conversation With Ben Stiller: Nein, Nein, Nein! at The 92nd Street Y,
New York on June 12, 2022. Photo by Mark Sagliocco/Getty Images. |
Wednesday, June 1, 2022
Ben Stiller and Jessica Lee Gagn茅 on crafting "Severance"s “Destabilizing” Visuals
Before meeting Ben Stiller, cinematographer Jessica Lee Gagn茅 was “really reticent” to enter the domain of television, given her negative perception of the work being done in that sphere.
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| Ben Stiller |
Up until six or so years ago, she considered TV to be “commercial” to
fault—gravitating instead to work that felt more “niche,” “indie” and
“fearless.” But then Stiller approached her for his acclaimed Showtime
limited series Escape at Dannemora, and her perspective shifted markedly.
“Working on things like Dannemora…I’ve realized that what you can do in television now is extraordinarily amazing,” Gagn茅 shares. “When you have the right tools, the right amount of time and the right people around you, you can really create a tour-de-force kind of thing.”
Gagn茅’s latest project with Stiller is the equally brilliant series Severance for Apple TV+, which all but defies categorization, by way of genre. The story centers on Mark (Adam Scout), who leads a team of employees at the mysterious Lumon Industries. Employees at this company are required to undergo a procedure called severance, which surgically divides their memories between their work and personal lives. This daring experiment in “work-life balance” is called into question as Mark finds himself at the center of an unraveling mystery that will force him to confront the true nature of his work… and of himself.
Gagn茅’s biggest challenge in Season 1 came in developing the “destabilizing imagery” at the heart of the show, alongside director-EP Stiller—the most notable example being the “Zolly” effect indicating the mental transition of workers from their “outie” to their “innie” selfies, on their elevator ride down to Lumon HQ. Making this challenge easier to navigate was the fact that she’s worked with Stiller more consistently than anyone else in her career, meaning that the shorthand they share is the most developed she’s experienced.
During a recent conversation with Stiller as part of Deadline’s video series The Process, the DP breaks down the work that went into cracking effects like the elevator Zolly and other aspects to the show’s language. She also speaks to her experience coming of age within the walls of her father’s video stores, key components of her creative process including the creation of mood boards, the New York bookstore she visits while prepping new projects, her penchant for “gritty and dirty” aesthetics, why she considers Stiller to be “extremely impressive as a director”, why she feels that “the director is always right” in the end, no matter how “annoying” that can be to say, and more.
Stiller speaks for his part to connecting with Gagn茅 after seeing her work on the indie Sweet Virginia and the “exciting creative relationship” he’s found with the cinematographer since. Other topics touched on by the multi-hyphenate include his and Gagn茅’s debate over the notion of bringing filmic aesthetics to Severance, Adam Scott’s “technical” brilliance as an actor, the visual inspirations behind Episode 7’s “Defiant Jazz” sequence, and breaking from the “grammar established” for Severance in the Season 1 finale.
Severance premiered on Apple TV+ in February and was renewed for a second season in April. Dan Erickson created and writes the show, which also stars Zach Cherry, Britt Lower, Tramell Tillman, Jen Tullock, Dichen Lachman, Michael Chernus, John Turturro, Christopher Walken and Patricia Arquette. Endeavor Content serves as the studio, with Arquette and Scott producing. Exec producers include Erickson, Mark Friedman, Chris Black, John Cameron, Andrew Colville, and the trio of Stiller, Nicky Weinstock and Jackie Cohn for Red Hour Productions.
By Matt Grobar
June 1, 2022 12:34pm
Watch Stiller’s entire conversation with Gagn茅
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