Ben Stiller Celebrity Interview

The 48-year-old Meet The Parents star Ben Stiller sits down for a new interview where he discusses he new movie ‘The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty’.

The film which was released in cinemas on Boxing Day, though Stiller insists he did not plan the picture as a Christmas movie. ‘I did know it was a positive movie, though,’ he says, ‘open-hearted and less cynical than the movies I have directed before.’

Those movies include Reality Bites, The Cable Guy and Zoolander. ‘But I didn’t think about this film being inspiring when making it,’ he continues. ‘I just wanted people to connect with it because I connected with this story.’

Stiller originally took a meeting with the producers simply to talk about playing the lead role of Mitty but loved the story so much he decided to direct as well. Like Mitty, Stiller enjoys his interior life and feels the character on screen is someone with whom many people can connect in today’s ever more disconnected world.

‘I do live in my head a lot,’ he concedes. ‘We all have things that we don’t say and ways we want to be that don’t necessarily come out in real life the way we want them to.

‘Also, this story is about a guy who learns to live life in the moment. As I get older, that’s something I think about a lot. As I start to feel life going by quicker and things happen that you can’t control, I want to appreciate where I’m at.’

Stiller describes himself as part of ‘the transitional generation’ who grew up without technology but are still young enough for it to play a major role in their lives – much like his character in Walter Mitty, who finds himself facing unemployment when Life Magazine shuts down and who struggles to connect with the world of romance through online dating.

‘It would be challenging for me to be in that situation, being single in your forties and facing that responsibility – to have to communicate via social media,’ says Stiller. ‘You have to put yourself out there; it’s expected. “What’s your Facebook, your Twitter?”

‘But what if you are like Walter and are not good at it? I am not good at it. It would be horrible to be single at this age and have to put your profile up. I have no idea how to sell myself and I really don’t want to.’

Neither does his onscreen character but he tries his best. The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty is a feel- good Christmas movie. ‘I do like movies that play a lot at Christmas,’ says Stiller.

‘I love It’s A Wonderful Life, I have great memories of watching that growing up. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer is special, the old A Christmas Carol and Scrooge with Albert Finney. I love seeing that too.’

The holiday season at chez Stiller sees the celebration of Hanukkah and Christmas ‘with lots of toys’. Stiller is married to actress Christine Taylor, the couple having tied the knot in 2000. They have appeared together on screen in Zoolander, Dodgeball, Tropic Thunder, and the TV show Arrested Development.

‘We have a place in Hawaii we like to go for Christmas,’ he says. ‘That’s where we go with the kids and we hang out, have presents.’

Stiller and Taylor have a daughter and son, Ella and Quinlin.

‘This is an important time of year and when I was growing up, Christmas with all the toys was so exciting,’ adds Stiller.

‘I always want my kids to have a great Christmas, that’s the most important thing.’

And if he gets that old Star Trek action figure from his wife, well, that’d make it even greater.

The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty is out NOW!

MARKMEETS – Being a trusted and recognised media source we have been featured across mulitple Newspapers, Magazines, radio and TV stations sharing our insider/expert knowledge by writing/chatting about a variety of entertainment topics from stars, to autographs. event reviews to breaking showbiz news.

“We’re Here To Inspire And Lead The Way In Entertainment”. – MarkMeets