By Tim Nasson
Ben Stiller has Met the Parents and found that there was Something about Mary. In the process, he has become one of the big screen’s most valuable comedic assets. No big surprise, since his parents, Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, who have been married for 47 years, raised him in an entertainment-filled environment. “You’d think that I would
have veered off into other territory,” said Stiller in an interview promoting his latest film, Zoolander, in which he plays an aging yet world-famous male model.
“Something much different from the spotlight in which I grew up. But here I am, married to an actress [Christine Taylor, best known for playing Marsha Brady in the Brady Bunch movies] who is starring in my movie. My parents, my friends and even my dog have roles in Zoolander, too.”
Hair graying and receding, standing only 5’8” tall, 36-year-old Stiller is not the epitome of male model. He plays Derek Zoolander, 30-year-old Male Model of the Year for three years in a row.
Facing the devastating reality that he is no longer the world’s #1 supermodel, Derek searches for a purpose in life and returns to his southern New Jersey roots to work in the coal mines with his father (Jon Voight) and brother (Vince Vaughn). When that plan falters, Derek becomes friends with his arch-rival, Hansel (Owen Wilson), who has admired his work ever since seeing him pose in the International Male catalogue.
“I think that the fashion industry is so over the top. Male models, female, whichever. But male models are so incredibly good-looking and have such a good sense of humor. It’s almost like they are not even human. I hung out with a few of the big ones trying to learn a little from them,” Stiller said.
The plot of Zoolander revolves around Derek’s being hypnotized by Will Ferrell’s queeny Mugatu, a fashion designer intent on assassinating the Malaysian Prime Minister, who is hell-bent on doing away with child labor.
“I called in a lot of favors for this movie,” said Stiller, director of two previous films, The Cable Guy starring Jim Carrey, and Reality Bites starring Winona Ryder. “I am friends with some of the people who have cameos, like Lance Bass and L’il Kim. I was really glad to get David Bowie. He was the perfect person for the role of the referee during the catwalk contest that Derek and Hansel have.”
The concept for Zoolander came in 1996, when Stiller did a short starring Derek for the VH-1 Fashion Awards.
“I never thought that the skit would turn into a feature-length film, but one thing led to another, and here we are.”
Orgy curtailed
When Zoolander was originally rated R for its drug, orgy and erection scenes, Stiller cut the film so it could garner the more audience-friendly PG-13. “There is just less of the orgy and bobbing erection scenes. No scenes were completely cut out. Just parts of a couple.”
Next up for Stiller is a film with Drew Barrymore, and a new Disney film, Boys Town, in which he plays a homophobic DEA agent who is investigating the death of his brother. Thing is, he finds out that his dead brother was gay.
How about a sequel to There’s Something About Mary, Meet the Parents or Zoolander?
“I’ve never done a sequel. There may be a Meet the Fockers. I’d love to work with Robert DeNiro again. He is a comic genius.”
Stiller recounted how he called his father as a teen while tripping on acid. “My father was ready and eager to help me through the situation. I didn’t think it was all that extraordinary until I got older and talked with friends whose parents were not as supportive when they were young and foolish.”
In addition to being known for his look, Derek Zoolander has a unique voice. “It is a very bad Marilyn Monroe impersonation,” said Stiller. “When you’re a guy and not a drag queen and look nothing like Marilyn Monroe, all you can hope to do is sound like her if you try hard enough.”
While Zoolander takes place in present-day NYC, the soundtrack is retro ’80s. “It was not planned to be a retro soundtrack,” explained Stiller. “The song ‘Relax’ relates on a lot of different levels to my character, and the soundtrack materialized from that one song. Everything from Wham to Michael Jackson.”
Ben Stiller Interview with Tim Nasson for Zoolander.
