Ben Stiller's family acting legacy continues as his children, Ella and Quinlin, pursue their own acting careers.
Ben Stiller, known for his work both in front of and behind the camera, is watching the acting tradition he inherited from his parents extend to his own children. Alongside his wife of 25 years, actress Christine Taylor, Stiller has raised two children—Ella Olivia Stiller and Quinlin Dempsey Stiller—who are following the family’s path into the entertainment industry. As of 2025, both teens-turned-adults are actively pursuing careers in acting, carrying on the Ben Stiller family acting legacy.
Ella, born in 2002, has recently gained attention for her role in HBOMax’s And Just Like That, where she played Mia, the pregnant girlfriend of Brady Hobbes, son of Steve and Miranda. This casting gained extra resonance as Ella’s grandmother, Anne Meara, had appeared in the original Sex and the Cityseries, portraying Mary, Steve’s mother, in its fifth and sixth seasons.
Ben’s Perspective on Working with His Children
Ben Stiller welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with his children in their acting careers. He shared with E! News in November 2024,
“Both my kids are actors and not really kids anymore,”
and continued,
“And they’re both really good, so it’d be fun to work with them. I have done a couple of little things with them, but I’d love to. It’d be really fun.”
Their growing talents and shared profession create possibilities for family collaborations that connect generations.
Ella also expressed her excitement about working with her family. In a 2025 Teen Vogueinterview, she passionately said,
Image of: Ben Stiller
“I would love, love, love to work with everyone in my family,”
highlighting the inspiration she draws from her father:
“When you watch [Stiller’s] movies, so many of the little random parts in it are family members or a family friend or something […] you can put little parts of your own self and life into it.”
Ella Olivia Stiller: Following a Dramatic Path
Ella Olivia Stiller entered the world on April 9, 2002, in Los Angeles. She attended the Calhoun School in New York City, the same school her father graduated from in 1983, before pursuing formal drama training at The Juilliard School. She completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting in May 2024, marking a milestone she celebrated with a nod to Taylor Swift’s song
“Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?”
on Instagram, writing,
“YOU WOULDN’T LAST AN HOUR IN THE ASYLUM (@juilliardschool) WHERE THEY RAISED ME.”
During a Late Show appearance, it was also noted that Ella had introduced her father to Swift’s music.
From a young age, Ella appeared in minor roles within her father’s projects, including Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb and Hubie Halloween. She also acted in an episode of the miniseries Escape at Dannemora, which Ben Stiller directed. Talking about this experience, Ella described watching the show alongside her father as “so fun,” while Ben called it his
“favorite part of the whole part of the process.”
More recently, at age 23, Ella has secured more significant roles on both screen and stage. Beyond her role in And Just Like That, she made her off-Broadwaydebut in the dark comedy Dilaria, which premiered in June 2025. In an interview with Teen Vogue, she explained the appeal of the play:
“The main thing I love about the play, honestly, you read it and you think, ‘Oh wow, that girl Dilaria is insane,’
she said.
But you also relate to her. My hope is that every woman at least is seeing a little bit of themselves in Dilaria.”
Ella also shared her enthusiasm for working alongside Christopher Briney, star of The Summer I Turned Pretty:
“I honestly don’t think I’ve ever worked with an actor before, until him, where I genuinely am afraid every night that I’m going to crack up on stage,”
she said.
“There’s just something about the way that we play off each other and f— with each other.”
Christine Taylor Reflects on Ella’s Growth and Maturity
Christine Taylor, who has shared a long career and family life with Ben Stiller, admires their daughter’s maturity and self-awareness. On the Are You a Charlotte?podcast in March 2025, Taylor reflected on raising Ella in today’s world:
“I also feel like sometimes she’s more grown up, more mature, more self-assured and self-aware than I still am,”
Taylor said.
“She grew up in a time and in a world as a young woman who has a different level of knowing who she is and what she wants and can articulate it and state it and be OK with that.”
Ella’s ambitions extend beyond acting; she has expressed interest in writing and collaboration with her father. She told Teen Vogue,
“My dad and I talk a lot about writing together, and I think we eventually want to write a play together for the two of us, hopefully.”
Quinlin Dempsey Stiller’s Journey in Acting and Public Life
Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor welcomed their sonQuinlin Dempsey Stiller on July 10, 2005, also in Los Angeles. Raised alongside his sister in Manhattan, the siblings attended the same K-12school as their father. Quinlin’s public appearances have been more sporadic compared to Ella’s, but he has shared moments in the entertainment spotlight.
In 2018, Quinlin made a rare red carpet appearance with his parents at a Project ALS benefit, marking a milestone in his public engagements. Christine Taylor remarked on this step in an interview with Us Weekly:
“This is his first event. He’s done some red carpet things with his dad, but honestly he said, ‘Can I go take a picture?’ I think he’s just having fun with it,”
she said.
“Last year, our daughter came to the event for the first time and she encouraged him to come this year.”
Although less visible at industry events, Quinlin and Ben often share time together at New York Knicks basketball games. Photographs over several years capture the pair bonding courtside, including twinning at a 2018 game and attending the 2025 Playoffs’ Game 5 together, reflecting a shared passion outside of acting.
Quinlin’s acting work includes voiceover roles in animated films like Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa and Megamind, as well as a small role as a caddie in Happy Gilmore 2. In November 2022, Quinlin co-starred with his father, alongside John Travolta and his daughter, and LeBron James with his son, in a humorous advertisement for the video game God of War Ragnarök.
Ben Stiller’s Support and Concerns as a Parent in the Industry
Ben Stiller openly supports his children’s ambitions to build careers in entertainment, while remaining mindful of the challenges in the business. In February 2025, he told The Hollywood Reporter,
“I feel probably what my parents felt,”
adding,
“I recognize their talent and their desire to do it, and I support it a hundred percent. And I also know it’s a tough business, and as a protective parent, you don’t want your kids to have to suffer the slings and arrows.”
The siblings also rely on each other’s presence and encouragement through their journey. Quinlin joined Ella at her off-Broadway premiere of Dilaria in 2025 and had been there for her Juilliard graduation the previous year, a milestone commemorated by photos Ella posted on Instagram. This sibling bond strengthens their shared pursuit of continuing the Ben Stiller family acting legacy.
