Anne Meara
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Notes
Meara has been nominated for four Emmy awards
Biography
As one-half of the country's most renowned and universally beloved comedy duos, Anne Meara charmed millions with her hilarious and sometimes absurd banter with real-life husband Jerry Stiller. Known by many simply as Stiller and Meara, the pair incorporated their personal anecdotes - from relationship squabbles, to personality differences and cultural clashes - into their decades-long comedy act. Stiller and Meara's routine garnered national attention after numerous appearances on the seminal variety series "The Ed Sullivan Show" (CBS, 1948-1971). Apart from her husband, Meara also established a successful career as a hardworking actress, appearing in feature films and making memorable guest appearances on shows such as "The King of Queens" (CBS, 1998-2007) and "Sex and the City" (HBO, 1998-2004) throughout her career. Dedicated not only to her craft, but also to her family - raising their son, blockbuster movie star Ben Stiller - Meara shared her life with the world and made it collectively laugh, a feat that could only be accomplished by a true comedy legend. Her death on May 23, 2015 at the age of 85 was mourned by fans and fellow performers alike.
Born on Sept. 20, 1929 in Brooklyn, NY to Irish-born immigrants, Anne Meara began her entertainment career doing off-Broadway theater. She met the love of her life, fellow actor-writer Jerry Stiller, when they were members of the improvisational acting group The Compass Players (which was later renamed The Second City). The pair married in September 1954 and soon established themselves as the comedy team Stiller and Meara. Their act consisted mainly of true-to-life scenarios, from relationship quirks to cultural differences, which were often improvised and spoken with a thick Brooklyn accent. Meara was the loopy, Irish-Catholic counterpart to Stiller, a sarcastic and tightly wound Jewish husband. They made the rounds in the city's most famous clubs, including The Village Gate and The Blue Angel, and worked alongside the likes of Bill Cosby and Joan Rivers. Stiller and Meara finally reached mainstream status when they performed their comedy act on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in 1963, going on to make over 30 appearances on the legendary variety show.
In the early 1960s, Stiller and Meara formed a production company that allowed them to produce, write, and act in various TV and radio advertisements. One of their most famous projects was a series of radio commercials for Blue Nun Wine. When the popularity of variety shows began declining in the '70s, the comedy team's career also stalled. Meara, who made her TV acting debut on the short-lived soap "The Greatest Gift" (NBC, 1954-55), landed roles independent of her husband. She acted in her first feature film in the 1970 comedy "The Out of Towners" starring Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis, followed by "Lovers and Other Strangers" that same year. Meara showcased her dramatic side in the Nazi-themed thriller "The Boys from Brazil" (1976) and played a feisty educator in "Fame" (1980). She made frequent guest appearances on hit television shows, including "The Love Boat" (ABC, 1977-1986) and "Rhoda" (CBS, 1974-78), where she played a divorced airplane stewardess who befriends the spunky title character (Valerie Harper). Meara's success as a television actress continued throughout the next two decades, with recurring roles on "ALF" (NBC, 1986-1990) and "Murphy Brown" (CBS, 1988-1998). The comedy team of Stiller and Meara briefly reunited for a failed TV series titled "The Stiller and Meara Show," about the deputy mayor of New York and his wife, a commercial actress.
The Stiller and Meara union also resulted in two children who grew up following in their parents' footsteps. Their youngest child Ben, born in 1965, began his career as a stand-up comedian and became an international superstar, thanks to numerous hit comedy features he wrote, directed or starred in, including "Meet the Parents" (2000), "Zoolander" (2001), and "Night at the Museum" (2006). Her son's rise to fame reignited Meara's own acting career, and he often cast her and Stiller in several films, often as his character's colorful and bickering parents. She returned to series television with a recurring role on "The King of Queens" as the love interest of Stiller's character, and on HBO's acclaimed "Sex and the City," where she played the aging and passive-aggressive mother-in-law of Manhattan lawyer Miranda (Cynthia Nixon). In 2010, she reunited with her husband for a Web series titled "Stiller & Meara." Produced by their son Ben's Red Hour Digital Company, the series featured hilarious and candid interviews with Meara and Stiller on a variety of topics - from the homeless to controversial rapper Kanye West. Anne meara died in Manhattan on May 23, 2015. She was 85.
By Marc Cuenco
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Writer (Feature Film)
Misc. Crew (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Writer (Special)
Special Thanks (Special)
Cast (Short)
Life Events
1950
Apprenticed in summer stock in Long Island and Woodstock, NY
1954
Made off-Broadway debut in "A Month in the Country"
1954
Made TV debut as regular on short-lived series "The Greatest Gift" (NBC)
1958
Appeared in Broadway debut in "Ulysses in Nighttown"
1959
Joined St. Louis improvisational theater The Compass with husband Jerry Stiller
1960
Made her TV-movie debut in ABC's "Ninotchka"
1962
Formed comedy act with husband Stiller and made first of many appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show" (CBS)
1969
Appeared as a regular on TV game show, "You're Putting Me On"
1970
Starred on Broadway in award-winning play "House of Blue Leaves"
1970
Made feature film debut in "The Out of Towners" as a woman in a police station
1972
Cast as a TV series regular on the ABC sitcom "The Paul Lynde Show"
1972
Starred in the drama feature "Irish Whiskey Rebellion"
1975
Starred in the first network dramatic series to feature a woman lawyer, playing the title role on CBS' "Kate McShane"
1976
Joined the cast as a regular on the sitcom spin-off "Rhoda" (CBS)
1979
Cast as a regular on "Archie Bunker's Place" (CBS)
1986
Co-starred with husband Stiller in the TV-movie "The Stiller & Meara Show"
1987
Landed recurring role of Grandma Dorothy on the NBC sitcom "ALF"
1990
Acted opposite Robert De Niro and Robin Williams in Penny Marshall directed drama "Awakenings"
1994
Directed by son Ben Stiller in his first feature "Reality Bites"
1995
Made off-Broadway debut as a playwright with "After-Play"
1997
Co-starred as Hope Davis' mother in "The Daytrippers"
1999
Acted opposite her husband Stiller, Kevin James, and Leah Remini on "The King of Queens" (CBS)
1999
Starred opposite husband Stiller and Mark Ruffalo in the comedy film "A Fish in the Bathtub"
1999
Made cameo appearance in "Judy Berlin"
1999
Second play, "Down the Garden Paths" premiered at New Jersey's George Street Playhouse; daughter Amy had featured role in play; produced Off-Broadway in 2000 with Anne Jackson and Eli Wallach
2001
Made a cameo as a protestor in son Ben Stiller's comedy feature "Zoolander"
2002
Landed a recurring role on HBO's "Sex and the City" as Miranda Hobbes' (Cynthia Nixon) quirky mother-in-law Mary Brady
2006
Directed once again by her son Stiller in the family comedy "Night at the Museum"
2010
Co-starred with husband Stiller on the Web series "Stiller & Meara"
Videos
Trailer
Family
Companions
Bibliography
Notes
Meara has been nominated for four Emmy awards
