Ben Stiller opens up about parenting mistakes that still haunt him

Ben Stiller opened up about his struggles as a father and admitted he “f***** up” while raising his two children, Ella and Quinlin, with wife Christine Taylor. 

The 59-year-old actor reflected on how his choices as a parent were shaped by his own childhood and the lessons he learned later in life.

Ben said that growing up as the son of comedy legends Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara have a lasting impact on him and his sister, Amy. 

Their parents were often away performing, leaving the kids missing them deeply. “I just remember missing them terribly,” Ben shared, adding that he and his sister would entertain themselves by acting out “Jesus Christ Superstar” at home.

Looking back, the Night at the Museum star admitted that he made similar mistakes with his own children. 

“I probably f***** up more with my kids than my parents did with us,” he said, recalling how his son once told him that being a dad might not have been his top priority. 

However, Ben realised that working too much when his kids were young kept him from building strong early bonds with them.

The Meet the Parents actor also reflected on his split from Christine in 2017 after 17 years of marriage, calling it both painful and necessary. 

“I feel bad about what breaking up did to the kids, but it was possibly the best thing to happen to Christine and me,” he said. 

The couple reunited in 2020, and Ben believes that the time apart helped them rebuild their relationship. “We don’t take it for granted anymore,” he said. 

"It’s not perfect, but that’s just life.”