Tropic Thunder is easily one of the funniest movies of the 2000s, even if the raunchy action comedy likely couldn’t be made today. The all-star cast is fantastic, and it is certainly one of Ben Stiller’s best films. Stiller gives such an over-the-top hilarious performance, that some fans don’t know he directed the movie as well. Stiller balanced both responsibilities perfectly, but one scene did have the cast members confused whether or not a piece of direction was coming from Stiller, or his character in the film.

In one of the scenes, Stiller’s character, actor Tugg Speedman, is telling Steve Coogan’s character, film director Damien Cockburn, to cut. Tugg is being periodically dunked in a pool of water, desperately asking the director to stop filming, so his “cuts” are pretty agitated. However, considering Stiller was actually the director of the very real film they were making, Coogan didn’t know whether or not the “cut” direction was to him as an actor or not. Coogan explained (via Instagram):

I can imagine that would be so confusing. The point of Tropic Thunder are the several layers of irony that the movie is operating under. The cast of the film are playing a ridiculous band of actors who are making a movie, so there is emphasis on the “movie-within-a-movie trope.” Throwing in the fact that one of the lead actors is the director of the film is even more confusing.

As a result of this mess. Stiller realized he had to come up with alternative phrases for the cast and crew to know when a direction was coming from him as the filmmaker, rather than him as his character in a scene. In true Ben Stiller/comedy movie fashion, the phrase he decided on was hilarious, and incredibly direct. Stiller said:

Well I guess you can’t get more on the nose than that. However, as someone who has seen the movie a million times, I think that phrase is still something Tugg Speedman would say in the film during that scene, so it still could be confusing. They probably should have used a classic code word like “pineapple” or something totally random to take the cast and crew out of the film, but I guess Stiller’s style ended up working out.

This kind of meta aspect of the film is what makes the end product so great, and makes the audience feel like the cast is laughing at themselves through their characters, which is always fun to watch.

You can revisit Ben Stiller, Steve Coogan, and the rest of the iconic cast in Tropic Thunder, which is currently streaming with a Peacock subscription. Fans of Stiller should also check out his upcoming 2026 film, Focker-In-Law, which hits theaters on November 25th.

Not too long ago, I wrote about one of my father’s and my father-in-law’s favorite movies, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, and it was directed by the one and only Ben Stiller.

However, I feel like even though Stiller has a rock solid filmography when it comes to movies that he’s directed, a vast majority of people still think of him as the fashion model, Derek Zoolander (Which he also directed), or as the bumbling lead in the Meet the Parents series (which we’re getting a fourth movie soon starring Ariana Grande, by the way).

But, like other prominent actors/directors, such as Clint Eastwood, Robert Redford, and Jodie Foster, I think we need to celebrate Ben Stiller’s directing career as well, since I don’t think nearly enough people talk about it.

First Off, His Directorial Debut, Reality Bites, Still Resonates With Gen X

There are a select few directors who make a great, career-defining movie on their first try, and then there are directors who make good, fairly competent movies on their first attempt, and 1994’s Reality Bites fits somewhere closer to the latter. However, this is coming from a Millennial. When Reality Bites came out, I was only 11 years old, and so I didn’t even see it when it first debuted.

Do you know who did, though? My Gen-X, older sister, and this is a movie that’s a lot more catered to people like her than it is to people like me. For Generation X, Reality Bites has become a bit of a cult movie that resonates with them, and I can see why.

Starring Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke, Janeane Garofalo (Does it get more ‘90s than her?), and Ben Stiller, Reality Bites is about an aspiring documentarian (Ryder) who’s just trying to get her name out there and forge relationships, namely with Ethan Hawke, who plays a guitarist. It’s all about struggling after college to make a way for yourself, and it certainly feels like a time capsule.

That said, it’s important that it DOES feel like a time capsule - one that perfectly encapsulates the anxieties and struggles of being a recent adult in the ‘90s. It may not entirely speak to me, but for a certain demographic, this feels like it was specifically made for them, and it was Stiller’s directorial debut. A generational cult classic? Quite the start.

You Want Silly Movies? Check. You Want Dark Comedies? Check Again.

I mentioned earlier that Stiller directed Zoolander (both movies) and that's about as silly as it gets. And, when it comes to early 2000s films, I think a lot of people will tell you that the first Zoolander is an important comedy for just how absurd it is. Honestly, when I think of early 2000s comedies, Zoolander is right up there with movies like Wedding Crashers, Old School, and Dodgeball, when it comes to overall silly comedies.

However, the first Ben Stiller-directed movie that I ever saw wasn't Reality Bites, but rather, a pitch-black dark comedy starring Jim Carrey. Now, Jim Carrey WAS my childhood, and I watched him in pretty much everything back in the ‘90s. Carrey was always an expert in playing weirdos, and that's what I was accustomed to seeing whenever my dad would take me to see Jim Carrey movies.

But, by 1996, I was 13-years-old and could see PG-13 movies on my own, which is just what I did when I saw that year's Jim Carrey movie, The Cable Guy. That said, The Cable Guy wasn't like other Carrey films, as he wasn't just weird in this one. He was creepy!

In this story, Carrey plays an obsessive cableman just looking for a friend. His idea of “friendship” verges on being an outright stalker, and Carrey is funny, but also genuinely unsettling. Plus, the crazy thing is, the same guy who developed the “Blue Steel” face in Zoolander is also the same guy who made Carrey creepily sing “Somebody to Love” by Jefferson Airplane. Now that's what I call directorial range!

Plus, I Don't Think It Should Be Understated Just What A Risk-Taking Movie Tropic Thunder Actually Was

People are always talking about “movies that could never be made today” (though the recent Scary Movie's whole schtick was about being as politically incorrect as possible…and audiences approved). Do you know one movie that I genuinely do think was pretty audacious upon its release? 2008’s Tropic Thunder, which was Stiller's fourth directorial effort.

The story of actors filming a war movie who are actually dropped off into a real war zone, Tropic Thunder is absurd to the nth degree, but also has a genuine, IDGAF, punk rock attitude that is wholly unique and impressive for its time, and still today, really.

Yes, everybody remembers it for Robert Downey Jr. as a dude playing a dude disguised as another dude, but the dirty (and some might even say “mean-spirited”) jokes in this movie really are quite shocking. Especially for modern audiences.

Which I think is really cool. Given the safe comedy that Ben Stiller typically stars in, one would probably not imagine that he would make a vulgar movie like Tropic Thunder, but he did, and we're all the better for it.

And Television! Can I Talk About Severance?

For a while now, television has been a great second home for filmmakers to explore more long-form, versatile projects, and I think one would be hard-pressed to find a more versatile project than Severance (when are we getting Season 3, by the way?), which is probably one of the most inventive sci-fi shows in the past 10 years.

The gem of Apple TV, Severance is all about work/life balance, and the mysteries in-between. At times darkly funny, but also strangely eerie (even verging on creepy), Severance is the brainchild of Dan Erickson, but a lot of the series is directed by Ben Stiller, and it shows!

Adam Scott - who was also in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty - is our protagonist, and Stiller does a great job of showing how work can both give one’s life purpose but also be life-draining, and he handles the mystery of what’s really going on extremely well.

Severance is just another example of how we can’t quite peg what kind of director Ben Stiller wants to be, which is really rewarding for somebody who follows his work.

In The End, Stiller Will Likely Always Be Known For Comedic Roles, But He Is One Hell Of A Director

As I hope you can see, if you scroll through Stiller’s filmography, you’ll find a number of comedic performances in the Actor column. However, if you check out his Director column, you’ll see just how versatile he’s always been.

From cult movies to silly comedies to dark comedies, to TV work (Let’s not forget The Ben Stiller Show), Stiller has definitely made a name for himself as a director if you’re looking.

Which is important, because again, I don’t think “Director” is the first word that comes to most people’s minds when they think of Ben Stiller, but it should be, since he’s one of the greats.

So, out of all of the projects that he’s directed, which one’s your favorite? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

If you watched the New York Knicks game last night, you no doubt noticed a lot of celebrities in the background. Madison Square Garden played host to Taylor Swift, Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David, Timothée Chalamet, Kylie Jenner, Mariska Hargitay, Tracy Morgan, Adam Sandler, John McEnroe, Spike Lee and dozens more famous faces. The first few rows were particularly star-studded given the team is in the NBA Finals, but even during the regular season, you can always spot recognizable people in the background. That’s because the Knicks actually give away tickets to celebrities, but there are reportedly expectations.

The specifics of how many tickets are available and who gets them are only known to the organization, but enough celebrities have talked about the basic process that we know, in general, how it works. Former players and celebrities send word to the team that they’d like to attend the game. Based on a variety of factors including celeb status, how often you go and what your relationship is to owner James Dolan, the team decides who is on the list and makes a seating chart.

The theory is that celebrities are part of the entertainment. Fans get a kick out of seeing them. Their presence makes Madison Square Garden feel more exclusive, and it adds some excitement to the background. That’s why the tickets are free, but the expectation is apparently that you’re paying attention and into the game, that you’ll appear on camera and that, in some cases, you’re willing to film quick little shoutouts or segments to play on the jumbotron.

Some celebrities reportedly aren’t interested in doing that. They’d rather attend games on their own terms. That’s allegedly why Spike Lee purchases his own tickets and why some celebrities are usually a few rows back from the action. They’d rather just be a paying customer like anyone else. Others like Ben Stiller, however, happily accept the free tickets and are always game to pump up the crowd and have their pictures taken.

There are, of course, consequences if you take the tickets and don’t follow the rules. A story went around a few years ago that Emily Ratajkowski and Irina Shayk were comped tickets in the Garden’s so-called celeb row but then left before the Knicks completed a big comeback in a key regular season game.

Ratajkowski reportedly asked for comp tickets to a Rangers game not long after, another team Dolan owns, and she was told she could buy tickets if she wanted to attend. An MSG spokesman even confirmed to Page Six on the record that they denied her comp tickets.

The Knicks definitely leave a lot of money on the table by giving away these seats. The richest in New York City were reportedly paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to sit near the floor during the last two games, but I get why the Knicks hold many of those seats for celebrities. It’s been so much fun watching videos of all the famous people reacting to OG Anunoby’s gamewinner, as well as talking about Taylor Swift's girl squad coordinated shirts, Tina Fey dealing with manspreading and more.

My dad and my father-in-law couldn’t be any more different. They’re both unique individuals and I love them for different reasons. Be that as it may, I find that both my biological pa, and my pa through marriage love the same Ben Stiller movie, and that’s The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

I find that strange since neither of my fathers like Ben Stiller when it comes to his other movies. But Walter Mitty? Oh, man. My FIL will watch it anytime it's on TV, and my dad, who hasn’t seen a movie in theaters since Covid, still reminisces over what a good movie it is.

So, why do they both love it so much? Well, I have some theories.

Firstly, Both Of My Dads Call It A Beautiful Movie, Visually Speaking

Once again, my two dads couldn’t be any more different when it comes to their taste in films. My dad is a BIG fan of musicals, and he loves lavish sets and big dance numbers (as well as movies that make him cry). My FIL, on the other hand, is big into action flicks. When I told him that the Sisu movies were streaming, he told me, “Yeah, I know. I already watched them.”

And yet, they both call The Secret of Life of Walter Mitty a “beautiful” movie, and it might be because the cinematography by Stuart Dryburgh is absolutely gorgeous. But it also might be because there’s a sharp contrast between the “secret life” inside Walter’s head, and the mundane job that he actually works at (and escapes from) throughout the film.

This juxtaposition, especially later in the movie, really transports the viewer, just like it transports its titular character. And, I think both my dads really appreciate this, since it’s like going on a visual vacation!

They Also Love Ben Stiller As A Milquetoast With A Rich, Inner World

Both of my dads regale me with stories of their work-life (they’re both retired now), and I think that’s another reason why they like this movie so much: It shows what it’s like to be older (and more subdued) and still working a familiar job.

Walter Mitty works for Life Magazine as an assets manager working in the photo negatives department. The magazine is in a state of flux, as it’s changing from analog photos to digital. Also frustrating is that some of Walter’s higher-ups are younger than him. In this way, Walter grows very introspective and wonders what he’s actually done with his life.

He goes on an adventure to locate a missing negative from a famous photographer (played by Sean Penn), and the film speaks to any hardworking employee who might feel like they’re wasting their life at their day job. Now, both of my fathers tell me that they were anything but milquetoasts while at work, but I think they like seeing what they avoided by putting themselves out there, as opposed to Mitty.

I Also Think It Just Speaks To Them Personally

Here’s the thing about getting older. If we’re lucky, we all get to do it. There have been plenty of movies about aging, but few movies like Walter Mitty about watching the younger generation take over. That definitely plays a part in this movie, as Walter secretly daydreams about beating up his younger managing director (played by Adam Scott), who is transitioning the magazine to being all-digital.

But, the film also plays into the idea of pursuing one's dreams, especially when you’re older. In a lot of ways, Walter Mitty is the ultimate midlife crisis movie, and maybe that speaks to both of my dads, who by the time of this movie's 2013 release, had made it out the other end of “mid life” and saw that what was waiting for them wasn't all that bad after all.

I think this feeling could be common to people of a certain age, and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty still speaks to that call to adventure within every man, which might be why both of my dads love it. Because sometimes, a good movie is all you need to fulfill that call.

Actor Ben Stiller is known for many things these days, but when people aren't talking about Severance, they're usually linking him to the New York Knicks. He's a diehard fan who even had beef with Pat McAfee last playoff season. Yet, on Monday night, he was beefing with some fans. People went after Stiller on social media, and it's because he skipped out on a playoff game... to attend the Met Gala.

As the Knicks took on the Philadelphia 76ers in Round 2 at Madison Square Garden, Stiller was with his wife, Christine Taylor, at the Met Gala. Even before this was known, sports pundits like Peter Schrager were already pushing fans to call out anyone who attended the event rather than be in their seats on celebrity row:

Dave Portnoy, owner of Barstool Sports, was also prepared to stoke the flames, doubling down on how unacceptable it would be for Ben Stiller to miss the game to attend the fundraising gala when his team continues its campaign toward an NBA Championship:

Portnoy is known in the sports world for stirring the pot, and to be fair, some fans did defend Ben Stiller in the replies. Stiller and his wife Christine did separate for a while before getting back together, and this could have marked a "happy wife, happy life" moment. Secondly, it's not as if this will be the only game in the series:

As for what Stiller had to say whilst appearing on the red carpet, he mentioned that he intended to follow the game on his cellphone as the nights festivities went on. Some x commenters found this hilarious, because obviously he was relying on his phone when he has a reserved seat waiting for him at the arena a little over three miles away.

As Ben Stiller was posing for the cameras (wearing an orange tie in honor of the Knicks I might add), Timothée Chalamet decided to leave the event to Kylie Jenner and show up to support the team. He was at the game, and considering the fans no longer believe Kylie is their good luck charm, a few might've been glad she wasn't:

In the end, the Knickerbockers didn't need Ben Stiller in the stands to handle NBA superstar Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers. They handily thrashed them in Game 1 on Monday night, in a blowout victory of 137 to 98. Stiller finally took to social media to share his reaction to the game, and his response was a completely on brand joke:

Superstition is a thing in the sports world, and there's a part of me that believes if Ben Stiller thought funding another Met Gala on Wednesday and attending would help the Knicks win another game, he'd do it. I'm sure there'd be some people who'd love to see another night of celebrities in wild outfits, so maybe New York just comes together and does an impromptu second Met Gala to help the Knicks?

I'm doubtful that will happen, and fully expect Ben Stiller to be attending the next Knicks game on Wednesday, May 6th at 7:00 p.m. ET. Meanwhile, the 2026 TV schedule rolls on with new shows popping up left and right, so be sure to check in and see what's on.

One of the biggest detriments to the entire 2026 TV schedule, if not all of existence, is that we can’t properly look forward to Severance Season 3 showing up anywhere on it. Thankfully, however, the new episodes are closer than ever to coming together, with the latest production window set to kick off very soon, and star Adam Scott is as jazzed as anyone to bring the (assumedly) penultimate season to life. Perhaps even more so, since he already knows how it all ends.

Scott’s acting achievements were celebrated over the weekend, as he was on-hand to receive the Canal+ Icon award at Canneseries, where he spoke to Variety about initially vying for the dual-performance role of Mark Scout, and why it has been a testament to everything he’s wanted to do across his career. He also spoke excitedly about the upcoming season, since he’s already feasted on those scripts. Here's what he said when asked about his knowledge of Severance's future.

Speaking about Season 3 specifically, Adam Scott couldn't exactly dip into spoilers, but it really doesn't take much to send me up the hallway walls with anticipation.

Obviously the first two seasons were amazing due to all of the surprises and bazonkers reveals that popped up, from all things goat-related to Gemma's tragic experiences as a Lumon experiment. So simply hearing that Season 3 will have surprises is kind of a no-brainer. But like...the absolute best kind of no-brainer.

This is exactly like hearing Dylan's "The egg bar is coveted as f--k," because of course the assumption is that a corporate-crafted egg bar is going to be choice, but calling it "coveted as f--k" goes beyond...okay, maybe those two things aren't exactly the same. But I'm too giddy to worry about making that much sense at the moment. Not quite "Irving standing on Bert's doorstep" giddy, but close.

Adam Scott also shared his thoughts on Severance's fandom sharing quite a lot of the same Venn diagram space as fans of David Lynch and Mark Frost's Twin Peaks. At least in thematic terms of mysterious locations, mysterious deaths (or not-deaths), and oddball characters in hyper-normalized settings. As Scott put it:

Of course, Twin Peaks was infamously forced by network execs into revealing the answer to its core "Who Killed Laura Palmer?" mystery in the middle of its second season. It never recovered, critically or ratings-wise, and was thereafter canceled, to be followed by the film Fire Walk with Me and the revival series Twin Peaks: The Return.

Severance, which totally needs to add a Log Lady to the Severed Floor, has thankfully avoided any kind of similar fate thus far, and has continued to pile on intriguing mysteries even as other are answered. Even things that don't qualify as mysteries, such as whose side Ms. Cobel will be on in Season 3, are worthy of the same amount of speculation, which is a sign of a great show, at least in my (kind) eyes.

The big question I'm taking from Scott's comments, however, is how much fans should read into the actor bringing up The Sopranos' ending while addressing the Apple TV series. As he put it:

Honestly, if a third season was never in the cards, then I think Severance Season 2's finale succeeds in inspiring a somewhat similar angst-ridden need to know exactly what happened in the next few seconds as The Sopranos' much-debated ending did. Which doesn't guarantee that Dan Erickson and the creative team don't have a similar idea up their collective sleeves, but I'm hoping Scott's comparison just means fans are going to talk about Severance's ending a lot after it's over.

Even just saying "after it's over" makes me want to have a meltdown, like finding out I'm a first-draft invite to Ricken's next dinner party. Never that. Please, God, never that.

Severance Season 3 is set to start filming in mid-2026, and will hopefully be streaming via Apple TV subscription before Disney or Netflix has bought a majority share in Lumon.

One of the exciting 2026 movie releases coming out down the line is Focker-In-Law, which is the fourth movie to come out of the Meet The Parents movies after wrapping production back in the fall. Since it stars Ariana Grande as the son of Greg Focker’s girlfriend, some fans of the singer/actress are apparently learning about the comedy movies for the first time, and Stiller inserted himself into the online discourse.

We’ve known that Ben Stiller and Robert de Niro would be reuniting 15 years later for Focker-In-Law for some time now, but this week the first trailer for the movie was released. So naturally a lot more people are talking about the upcoming sequel. Check out what one Twitter user said about the Meet The Parents movies:

One fan of Ariana Grande took to the internet to ask whether she should watch the previous three movies before checking out Focker-In-Law this holiday season. Funny enough, Stiller saw the comment and responded like this:

A user called @pearlmuffins was looking for some feedback about the Meet The Parents movies, but I bet she wasn’t expecting the star of all four movies to comment on the subject. Ben Stiller suggested that she doesn’t have to have seen the other movies (Meet The Parents, Meet The Fockers and Little Fockers) to enjoy the upcoming one, but threw out his support for two out of three of the films. I guess he’s aware (and fine to admit) the third movie didn’t turn out very well – and it does have a 34 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes to underline it.

When someone asked Stiller about why he dunked on Little Fockers, he dropped yet another tweet in response. Check out the other exchange:

• @SEANMX_7 on X:"So what went wrong with Little Fockers? You worked on it."
• Ben Stiller: "We always try. Fully."

Not all the Meet The Parents may not have been hits, but Ben Stiller sounds pretty stoked for Focker-In-Law. The actor has said that the idea to return to the comedy franchise came from realizing he was the same age De Niro was when they made the first movie. Check out the Focker-In-Law trailer below:

How fun does this look? Following Ariana Grande showing promise for her humor on SNL and the Wicked movies she’s playing the daughter-in-law-to-be of Greg Focker. Funny enough, this time around De Niro’s Jack Byrnes and Grande’s Olivia have a positive relationship and Stiller’s Greg is the one who’s not on board with his son (Superman’s Skyler Gisondo) marrying her.

We can’t wait to see how it stacks up with the Meet The Parents movies. Focker-In-Law is heading to theaters on November 25.

When it comes to comedies being released as part of 2026 movie schedule, one of the most exciting titles is Focker-In-Law a.k.a the fourth Meet The Parents movie. The sequel will not only reunite Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro in their hilarious roles of Greg Focker and Jack Byrnes, respectively. Ariana Grande is now in the mix as the latest in-law-to-be. Per Stiller, Grande and De Niro together will be a particular highlight of the film.

Ben Stiller offered up some new details about the upcoming movie, which wrapped filming back in October. Check out what he had to say:

The 82-year-old actor is, of course, one of the most iconic Hollywood actors, who’s known for starring in acclaimed dramas like Taxi Driver and The Irishman. However, he's also proven to be a rather gifted comedic actor, particularly in the Meet The Parents movies. During his recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Stiller had a lot of sweet things to say about De Niro, but I'm particularly pumped that the Oscar winner is going to get some sweet screen time with Grande’s character.

Per what we know about Focker-In-Law, Stiller decided to make the sequel much because he’s now the age De Niro’s character was in the original 2000 film, and thought it would be fun to return to the franchise to see Greg Focker dealing with his own kid bringing home his future wife. While we’d expect Greg to have a similar reaction that Jack did to his son’s fiancée, it sounds like Jack and Grande’s character, Olivia, will get along just swimmingly.

It’s the perfect setup, isn’t it? Greg might think he can finally bond with his father-in-law on the very thing that brought them at odds years ago, but it sounds like him being “stuck on the outside” again will mean that Jack will be all in on Olivia.

Grande previously said being on Focker-In-Law was actually more physically taxing than the Wicked movies, because she plays a triathlete, who’s kind of obsessed with exercise. She teased that she spent all day “doing burpees and high knees with Robert De Niro.” The detail definitely seems to prove further that Jack and Olivia will be buddies if they are even working out together! I can’t wait to see this chemistry unfold on the big screen, as it sounds like it will be comedic gold.

Along with Grande joining the cast and the return of Stiller/De Niro, other returning cast members are Owen Wilson, Blythe Danner and Teri Polo. Superman’s Skyler Gisondo will play Greg and Pam’s son, Henry Focker and Beanie Feldstein and Eduardo Franco are also part of the cast. Rumors have also swirled about Barbra Streisand possibly returning as Greg’s mom, though that remains to be seen. In any case, fans can see Grande and De Niro chop it up on the big screen when Focker-In-Law hits theaters on November 25 later this year.

Comedy fans should be excited, because Meet the Parents 4 is officially happening! The movie, which is titled Focker In-Law, is set to include an all-star cast featuring franchise alums like Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro and Owen Wilson, and it will also add newcomers in Ariana Grande and Skyler Gisondo. It’s a rare blockbuster comedy, which we don’t usually see anymore. Now, Stiller is opening up about returning to the franchise as Greg Focker and working with such a huge, talented cast.

In a recent interview with Esquire, the Zoolander star opened up about his buzzy directorial project, Severance, as well as some of his beloved comedy classic films like Tropic Thunder. He also talked to the publication about Meet the Parents 4, hinting that the years may not have been kind to Greg. Based on the comments, Stiller shared, fans could be in for a truly funny story. He said:

The initial Meet the Parents movie is one of the best films of the 2000s. It follows Stiller’s Greg Focker, who meets his girlfriend’s overzealous parents. Her father, played by Robert De Niro, essentially tortures Greg, because he doesn’t believe he is good enough for his daughter. The following movies explore the hilarious dynamic deeper and, in the second film, Meet the Fockers, fans meet Greg’s eccentric parents, who don’t really mix with his father-in-law. And the third film, Little Fockers, shows the hilarity that ensues when kids are thrown into the mix.

Based on the info we know about Focker In-Law, the movie will show Greg in the same situation his father-in-law, Jack Byrnes, was once in, meeting his child's spouse to be. It’s a great idea and feels like a natural progression of the family dynamic. Both Stiller and De Niro seem excited by the idea, and fans were also clamoring for Barbra Streisand to return as Greg’s mother in the film. Stiller said of the story:

Stiller is clearly confident that Focker In-Law has something new to say and is a story worth exploring. Flipping Greg Focker into the very role that once made his life miserable feels like a full-circle moment that the movie series has been building toward for years. If Greg’s life didn’t exactly turn out the way he hoped, as Stiller says, this may be a prime opportunity for great comedic moments, and funny dialogue between himself and De Niro’s Jack. I personally can’t wait for this film and to see this cast reunite on the big screen with some exciting new faces as well

You can see Focker In-Law when it hits theaters on November 25 as part of the 2026 movie schedule. In the meantime, fans can revisit the original Meet the Parents film by streaming it with a Peacock subscription.

Y'all, I'm so tired, I could use a whole pallet of Booty Juice, but I can't seem to find it on shelves anymore. Which obviously means it’s beyond time for Ben Stiller & Co. to take audiences back into the world of Tropic Thunder’s all-star actor Tugg Speedman and Tom Cruise’s fan-favorite sleazeball Les Grossman. (Obviously Brandon T. Jackson’s Alpa Chino is also welcome, since Booty Juice was all him.) But how close are we to realistically getting a proper follow-ups?

Earlier in 2025, the Mission: Impossible franchise’s Christopher McQuarrie shared that he and Tom Cruise have had “fucking funny” conversations about Les Grossman, and said that there’s serious consideration been put into how to properly make that reprisal happen. Now, Ben Stiller addressed the idea of another Tropic Thunder project with Esquire, and it sounds like maybe getting into revival mode for the newest Meet the Parents sequel is greasing the mental gears to bring some of these characters back, even if there isn't a solid idea yet. As Stiller put it:

No shade on any generation within the Focker and Byrnes families, but I have to think if co-screenwriter John Hamburg can coax Stiller, Robert De Niro, Blythe Danner, Teri Polo and others back into the fold for a fourth film in this comedy franchise, somebody can crack the foundation on a way back into Les Grossman’s intimidatingly hairy arms.

Oh wait, what’s this? Ben Stiller already has this idea locked and loaded and is willing to share it with the world? Maybe I’m reading too much into this, but Stiller’s take on Les Grossman’s current career path sounds like an A+ launching pad for a new movie-within-a-movie. As he put it:

How brilliant would it be for Les Grossman to be one of the various billionaires making headlines for their attempts and interest in spending eleven figures on media companies. I could easily see Tugg Speedman and/or Robert Downey Jr.’s Kirk Lazarus in the middle of filming a movie for a studio that gets bought up in a merger, only for the project to go through major changes to better match Les’ vision. Or maybe it gets turned from an already finished movie into a TV series that requires complicated reshoots

Also, by having Tom Cruise’s character targeting a specific studio or platform, that would seemingly be an easy way to get a greenlight and a nice-sized budget. Whether or not it would end up being Netflix in the end, that’s a decisions to be made in rooms I’ll never see the inside of.

That said,, I think it’s worth pointing out that Tropic Thunder was distributed by Paramount, whose post-Skydance merger boss David Ellison is currently in a seemingly futile bidding war with Netflix to buy out Warner Bros. So I’m thinking DreamWorks Pictures and Red Hour Productions would probably avoid the Paramount route if all involved chose to partner with Netflix. On the flip side, Tom Cruise has been a vital piece of Paramount’s success thanks to Top Gun: Maverick and the Mission: Impossible franchise, so perhaps Les Grossman would try and pull a fast one on Ellison himself.

Ben Stiller has addressed why Tropic Thunder itself probably couldn't be made today, given the use of blackface (ironic or otherwise) and certain terminology. But it's not like that movie wasn't funny for 1,000 reasons beyond that. If we want more cringe moments, we don't need anything racial. Just throw Tim Robinson into the mix.

Seriously, though, even if it takes eons for this Tropic Thunder follow-up to come together, can we at least revive Booty Juice for 2026?

Ariana Grande is about to take the stage in one of the most anticipated movies on the 2025 movie schedule. Wicked: For Good, which is the second half of a massive musical undertaking, certainly had to be a lot of very exhausting work. It may be easy to assume that Grande's next film, Focker-in-Law, wouldn't be as strenuous. However, it seems the actress' next film has been almost as bad, if not worse.

In the latest Meet the Parents sequel, Grande plays a character named Olivia Jones, and details about how she figures into the story remain mostly under wraps. While appearing on the Good Hang with Amy Poehler podcasr, though, Grande -- who recently wrapped on Focker -- revealed that she did some pretty serious physical exercise for the new movie. That was because it’ was specifically required for the character she is playing. She explained...

All the choreography and dancing the Wicked movies required was almost certainly a lot for the stars of the films. However, some may assume that, considering Ariana Grande’s pop star career, she’s had some experience with such work that it wasn’t anything she wasn’t able to handle. It’s less clear if she does burpees regularly.

On top of that, can we take a second and be in awe of the fact that Grande worked out with 82-year-old Robert De Niro and, from the sound of it, was taking her to school? Given that De Niro referred to the star as "Olivia," though, it's possible that Grande was describing a scene from the film involving Jones and Jack Byrnes.

Most notably, Grande says her Focker-in-Law character is “a lot of things,” with one of them being a triathlete, and that there's apparently a lot of biking in the movie. It seems that, while Grande clearly isn’t out of shape, she’s had a bit of a time keeping up with both her co-stars, who seem to be in good shape.

That said, the "7 Rings" singer confirms that making Wicked was quite a physical experience. It wasn’t just the physicality of the performance, though. Grande says that the costuming also had its own struggles, because nearly every outfit she wore in the musical duology included a corset. Only one outfit provided relief, as Grande continued…

From serious clothing to serious workouts. Let it never be said that Ariana Grande isn’t willing to put the work in. But maybe she'll eventually land a movie that doesn’t require quite so much.

Wicked: For Good soars into theaters on November 21, while Focker-in-Law hits the 2026 movie schedule on November 25.

Back in 2017, Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor split up after 17 years of marriage. Through living together during the COVID-19 pandemic, their relationship was mended. However, Stiller got real that not only did the pandemic bring him and his wife back together, but so did working on his documentary about his parents’ marriage.

After Taylor and Stiller got back together during the pandemic, The Brady Bunch Movie alum felt like the two being in one house during quarantine with their teen kids gave them time to talk without distractions. On the other hand, the Meet the Parents actor said to E! News at the Oct. 5 NYFF63 premiere of Stiller & Meara: Nothing is Lost that he also credits his documentary about his parents for rekindling his marriage:

The Night at the Museum actor is absolutely right. While it’s easy for two people to grow apart, coming back together requires effort from both partners. They both have to want to fix things to continue having a lasting marriage.

Ben Stiller’s Fox television pilot Heat Vision and Jack may not have worked out, but it did allow him to meet Christine Taylor. They got married in 2000 and have two kids. Taylor even co-starred in Stiller’s best movies, like the Zoolander movies, Tropic Thunder and Dodgeball. But when Taylor previously spoke about her 2017 split on The Drew Barrymore Show, she said she and her husband were starting to grow apart and wanted different things.

I think it’s really beautiful that Ben Stiller telling his parents’ love story for Stiller & Meara helped him find a way to work on his own. In the documentary, we see Stiller and his sister, Amy, sift through archival footage of their parents in and outside of their comedy duo, and about how professional success can strain a marriage. But as Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara stayed together for six decades, I’d like to believe that the comedic actor learned the value of showing up for each other despite the hurdles.

The Zoolander couple may have been separated for a few years during their split, but it didn’t mean their connection was gone. Stiller continued to tell E! News how grateful he was that wanting to work things out in his marriage was what his wife wanted, too:

It proves right there how much Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor care about each other in choosing not to spend their lives apart. While the COVID-19 pandemic was a difficult time in terms of health, work and relationships, it also became an unexpected blessing for certain spouses and their kids to spend more time with each other while in quarantine.

Just like Ben Stiller’s documentary showed his parents balancing career and marriage despite the obstacles, its director clearly found inspiration in his parents’ love story to revive his own marriage with Christine Taylor. It’s a full-circle moment that proves sometimes revisiting one couple’s past can be applied to healing your own love story.

The 2025 movie release of Stiller & Meara: Nothing is Lost hits select theaters on October 17th, and can be streamed on your Apple TV+ subscription on October 24th.

Late night's latest roller coaster ride has seemingly already come to an end, at least until the next massive drop gets revealed, with Jimmy Kimmel Live! returning to ABC less than a full week after the network suspended Kimmel and pulled his talk show off the air. Much about the ordeal has been shocking to both audiences and those in Hollywood, but it's not so shocking that many of Kimmel's supporters shared love for the comedian to celebrate his return, including famed friends such as Jennifer Aniston and Ben Stiller.

But let's start off with one of the more unexpected, and yet totally logical and on point, reactions to Kimmel taking the late night spotlight back, from none other than Monica Lewinsky. She knows a thing or two about making headlines in relation to controversial situations involving a current president. As she shared on Instagram:

Gotta love that positivity, not to mention how far Lewinsky has come in her life and career since the '90s.

Jennifer Aniston shared Jimmy Kimmel Live!'s first behind-the-scenes pic in a week, while Simon Pegg took to Instagram Stories sharing a video the late night staple posted of other news anchors talking about his return.

Similar to the outpouring of positivity and kind messages accompanying his first public post since the suspension, lots of celebs were in full support of Kimmel getting back into the flow of things, and praising him and the rest of the show's team for handling it all with poise and as much respect as one could hope for.

Check out some of those reactions below from stars like Walton Goggins and Kimmel's friendly late night rival Stephen Colbert, who received quite a bit of support from Kimmel after his own network-related issues. (I.e. The Late Show getting canceled altogether.)

• BEN STILLER: What a brilliant monologue from Jimmy Kimmel.
• WALTON GOGGINS: Go get em Jimmy…. You Redwood you 🌲🌲🌲
• THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT: Welcome back, brother! ❤️
• KATE FLANNERY: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
• CHRIS DAUGHTRY: 🙌🙌🙌🙌

Comedian Deon Cole brought up the mega-kerfuffle with Conan O'Brien with his own response, as seen below, along with several other celebs' reactions.

• DEON COLE: Been thru this with Conan and I must say VERY WELL DONE!!! Congrats.
• DAVE BAUTISTA: ❤️
• LAURA BENANTI: 🙌🙌🙌
• MICHELLE VISAGE: YESSSSSSS
• ELIZABETH PERKINS: Thank you thank you!
• MELANIE GRIFFITH: ❤️❤️❤️❤️

In the immediate aftermath of the suspension, a lot of fans reportedly took it upon themselves to cancel Disney+ and Hulu in protest. While the exact changes in customer numbers will likely always be a mystery to audiences, Disney's stock did falter in the aftermath, and the fact that ABC's reversed the suspension so quickly has caused many to think that all the sub cancellations had an impact behind the scenes.

Jimmy Kimmel surprised audiences by talking to Robert De Niro during the opening monologue, as well as thanking his sometimes rival Ted Cruz for speaking up. The host got a bit choked up when addressing how the wife of Charlie Kirk has handled things in the aftermath of his murder. But after the monologue, the show continued without making the suspension a sticking point, with Glen Powell promoting Chad Powers and Sarah McLachlan

Though it's obvious not everyone is going to be on the same side here, the majority of non-hyperbolic responses online seem to be positive in nature, and even some who don't agree with Kimmel's politics at all were willing to offer olive branches to say that it was a respectful return.

For the foreseeable future, Jimmy Kimmel Live! is back to airing weeknights on ABC at 11:35 p.m. ET.

The Meet The Parents movies are set to come back as the first sequel in over 15 years, following the announcement that Focker-In-Law is officially set to be part of 2026 movie releases. Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Owen Wilson, Blythe Danner and Teri Polo are all set to return to the franchise, and Ariana Grande and Superman’s Skyler Gisondo are set to join them. But a “popular question” over the weekend for Ben Stiller ahead of this past Sunday’s Emmys was all about if Barbra Streisand is involved.

Ben Stiller Weighs In On Getting Barbra Streisand In Focker-In-Law

As you may recall, the legendary actress played Roz, the mother of Stiller’s Greg Focker, alongside Dustin Hoffman’s Bernie back in the 2004 sequel, Meet The Fockers, and then in 2010’s Little Fockers (both of which were box office hits). But will Streisand be in Focker-In-Law? Here’s what Stiller had to say when he was asked by E! News on the Emmys carpet:

During the interview that had Stiller there for Severance having the most Emmy nominations of the night, it was clear that he'd had been asked a few times before the 2025 Emmys were announced about the possibility of Streisand returning to the role of Mrs. Focker. Stiller’s wife, Christine Taylor, quipped that it was a “very popular question” that night.

Barbra Streisand's Viral Comments On Her Meet The Focker's Salary

Well, there’s actually a big reason why a lot of journalists must have been asking Stiller that question. Back in June, Streisand was asked the same question, and she revealed that she didn’t feel she got paid enough on the comedy and was “pissed off” about it. The 83-year-old actress shared that she’d only come back if they paid her “a lot of money” this time around. In her words:

Streisand didn’t say how much she made for the movie and who got paid more, but it sounds like she’ll need some convincing. That being said, the actress has seen Wicked with Grande, which she watched with her grandchildren. She said “they loved” it, so perhaps getting to star alongside the fellow triple threat might sweeten the deal.

Focker-In-Law has already started production as of last month, with Grande set to play the fiancée of Greg Focker's son (Gisondo). Ben Stiller has said that the premise will kind of “mirror” the first film since he’s now the same age as De Niro was for Meet The Parents. It’s set to be released November 25, 2026.

Comedy is a lot harder to pull off successfully than it's often given credit for. It makes sense that some of the best filmmakers in history began their careers as comics, or at least comedic actors, given how a great comedian's mind works. They see the world in completely different ways, and that way of looking at things often means great movies, like some of the best rom-coms of all time, but they aren't always comedies. Here is our list of great comics who became great filmmakers.

Mel Brooks

You really couldn't have this list without Mel Brooks. His movies, which he's been making for an astonishing seven decades, never fail to disappoint. His career stretches back to the 1940s! He reinvented comedy on film with his early movies like The Producers, Blazing Saddles, and Young Frankenstein, and while he doesn't do as much directing these days, he's still killing it when he does.

Jordan Peele

Of all the comedians-turned-directors on this list, the biggest departure from his acting career to his directing career has to be Jordan Peele. He first entered our collective consciousness with his legendary sketch comedy show Key and Peele, but starting with Get Out in 2017, he's become one of the premier horror directors in modern Hollywood.

Amy Poehler

Like so many comedians over the last 50 years or so, Amy Poehler got her big break on Saturday Night Live. She left the long-running comedy show in 2008 to work on her next hit show, Parks & Recreation. In 2019, she directed her first movie, Wine Country, and followed that up with 2021's Moxie.

Christopher Guest

Some of the most quotable movies of all time have come from the collective minds of the ensemble casts that Christopher Guest has assembled for his movies, like Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, and A Mighty Wind. He serves as the director, but he gives great leeway to his fellow cast members in all of the movies.

Paul Feig

Though he's best known as a writer and a director these days, Paul Feig started as a stand-up comedian when he first arrived in Hollywood in the 1980s. He struggled as an actor before scoring a role in Heavyweights in 1995. While working on that movie, he met writer Judd Apatow and the two co-created Freaks and Geeks. The rest is history.

Ben Stiller

Ben Stiller's biggest early break came in the Ben Stiller Show on MTV, which blended sketch comedy with music videos. From there, Stiller basically took over Hollywood to the point that it seemed like he was making a dozen movies a year! Okay, maybe not that many, but he was in a lot of movies, including many that he directed, like Reality Bites, The Cable Guy, Zoolander, and Tropic Thunder.

Mike Nichols

EGOT winner Mike Nichols directed some of the most iconic movies in Hollywood history. Movies like The Graduate, Working Girl, and The Birdcage. Nichols started his career as part of the comedy duo Nichols & May alongside Elaine May, who also became a filmmaker of some renown.

Charlie Chaplin

There are few people in Hollywood history who are as important to the growth of the industry as Charlie Chaplin. Chaplin wrote, starred, and directed almost all his major hits from the silent era up until A Countess from Hong Kong in 1967. He even scored many of his movies. He started in show business in the very early 20th Century in comedic roles on stage before movies were even invented.

Rob Reiner

As the son of the great Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner has comedy in his blood. His biggest fame early came as Mike "Meathead" Stivic in All in the Family, but for most of the last half-century, he's been known for his writing and directing, creating such movies as This Is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride, and When Harry Met Sally..., among many others.

Chris Rock

Like many SNL alums, Chris Rock has had an incredible career in Hollywood. He started acting as a teenager in New Jack City, but he quickly became known for his stand-up act and his work on SNL. He's long been a writer and producer, and he started directing in 2003 with his directorial debut, Head of State. He's been busy directing ever since, in addition to everything else he does.

Judd Apatow

One of the most successful comedy directors in the last few decades is Judd Apatow. He's a one-man show, in many ways, writing, producing, and directing hits like The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, The King of Staten Island, and This Is 40. He's also produced a whole slew of successful comedies, like Bridesmaids, Anchorman, Step Brothers, and Pineapple Express. That doesn't even get into the TV shows he's produced or co-created, like Freaks and Geeks, Girls, and Crashing.

Harold Ramis

Without question, Harold Ramis belongs on the Mount Rushmore of comedy writers and directors. The list of movies he's directed and written (or co-written) is amazing. Caddyshack, National Lampoon's Vacation, and Groundhog Day are just the tip of the iceberg. Like so many in his generation of comedians, he started in sketch comedy at Second City in Chicago.

Ricky Gervais

Ricky Gervais gained worldwide fame when he co-created, co-wrote, and starred in the original version of The Office in the U.K. He's created a slew of shows since, and could even be credited with helping create podcasts with his early podcast, The Ricky Gervais Show. The stand-up comedian started directing films in 2009 with The Invention of Lying.

Penny Marshall

We lost a lot when Penny Marshall died in 2018 at age 75. She began her career in comedic roles, most notably as Laverne DeFazio, first on Happy Days, then in her own spin-off, Laverne & Shirley. Before long, though, she transitioned to directing. Her first movie, Jumpin' Jack Flash, introduced the world to Whoopi Goldberg as a comedic actor (her lone previous credit was in the drama The Color Purple) and went on to direct beloved hits like A League of Their Own and Big.

Seth MacFarlane

Seth MacFarlane started mostly as a comedy writer, which is hardly a surprise. He then created the animated shows Family Guy and American Dad for Fox. He made his directorial debut with Ted in 2012.

Albert Brooks

The legendary Albert Brooks started his career in sketch comedy in collectives like The Credibility Gap and appeared on variety shows in the late '60s and early '70s as a stand-up. His first directing gig was as part of the first season of SNL, before directing his first feature, Real Life, co-written with his buddy Harry Shearer. His later movies include classics like Defending Your Life, Mother, and The Muse.

Keenen Ivory Wayans

The Wayans brothers have certainly left a huge mark on Hollywood over the years, and the oldest sibling, Keenen Ivory Wayans, is the one who got them all started. He created and directed In Living Color, which made him a household name, but he had already directed I'm Gonna Git You Sucka before that. His biggest success, of course, is the Scary Movie franchise.

Carl Reiner

Carl Reiner got his start as a writer and actor in comedy sketches on two shows starring Sid Caesar, Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour. He then teamed up with fellow writer from the shows, Mel Brooks, and together they released comedy albums in the early 1960s. By the end of the decade, he was directing movies, with his two most notable hits, The Jerk and Oh! God, coming in the late '70s.

Cheech Marin

One of the biggest comedy duos of the '70s is, of course, Cheech & Chong. Before long, Cheech Marin was directing movies without his partner, including his directorial debut, Born in East L.A., in 1987.

Woody Allen

WE couldn't have this list without Woody Allen. Setting aside any personal feelings people may have towards the actor for his questionable personal life, Allen is, hands down, one of the most successful comedy film directors in Hollywood history. The list of movies he's written, directed, and starred in is far too long to list here. He developed his famous persona while working as a stand-up comedian in New York in the 1960s.

Michael Keaton

Michael Keaton was one of the most successful comedic actors of the 1980s with movies like Mr. Mom, Beetlejuice, and Johnny Dangerously. He started taking on more dramatic roles as the decade came to a close, and of course, he starred as the Caped Crusader in Tim Burton's Batman. He made his directorial debut in 2008 with the drama The Merry Gentleman and, more recently, directed the underrated Knox Goes Away in 2023.

Bob Odenkirk

Along with David Cross, Bob Odenkirk first broke big on Mr. Show with Bob and David, but that was after years in sketch comedy on shows like SNL and The Ben Stiller Show. He has gained his biggest fame more recently as the character Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad and the spinoff Better Call Saul (which somehow never won an Emmy).

Jerry Lewis

His comedy might not have been for everyone, but you can't argue with Jerry Lewis' incredible success over decades in Hollywood. Of course, he started as part of a duo with Dean Martin, but he soon took off on his own with movies like The Nutty Professor and The Bellboy. He directed both those movies as well, and would continue to direct his own movies throughout the '60s.

Donald Glover

While still in college, Donald Glover started doing sketch comedy in New York City. After graduating, he became a writer on 30 Rock first came to the public's attention in Community on NBC. His biggest critical success came with the show he created and produced the show Atlant,a in 2013. His first feature film directing gig came with Bando Stone & the New World, which is a companion piece to his album of the same name.

Jeff Garlin

For most people, Curb Your Enthusiasm is where they first saw Jeff Garlin, but his career goes back further than that. He also starred in The Goldbergs before abuse accusations led him to leave the show. Over the years, he's directed a number of movies, like the indie rom-com I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With and 2017's Handsome, which you can watch with a Netflix subscription.

Buster Keaton

Like Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton was a huge figure in the silent era of Hollywood. Also like Chaplin, the comedian started in theater at the dawn of the 20th century and then began writing, directing, and starring in his own films in the teens. He was one of the biggest stars of the early film industry, making more than a dozen hits in the 1920s.

Bob Saget

Not only is one of the dirtiest comedians of all time (and his version of The Aristocrats joke proves it), Bob Saget was also so beloved TV dad and wholesome host of America's Funniest Home Videos. Saget's first directorial credit came in the hilarious and underrated Dirty Work, working with Norm McDonald and Artie Lang on what must have been just a wild film shoot.

Aziz Ansari

Aziz Ansari had his breakout role as a member of the cast of Parks and Recreation, but he was already an experienced stand-up when that show took off. He directed his first film, Good Fortune, which he also wrote and stars in.

Jerrod Carmichael

Jerrod Carmichael is one of the most popular stand-up comedians in recent years and got his first major exposure with The Carmichael Show on NBC in 2015. He made his directorial debut in 2021 with On the Count of Three, which he also stars in alongside Christopher Abbott and an ensemble cast that includes Tiffany Haddish, J.B. Smoove, and Henry Winkler.

Bo Burnham

Bo Burnham made his name as literally a one-man show with his musical comedy YouTube channel that he started in 2006 (the very early days of YouTube). His first job as a director came in 2018 with Eighth Grade, which he wrote and stars in, as well.

Robert Townsend

Robert Townsend was groundbreaking as a Black comedian-turned-filmmaker in the 1980s when he wrote, directed, and starred in movies like Hollywood Shuffle, The Five Heartbeats, and Meteor Man, which is a comic book movie that deserves a reboot.

Bobcat Goldthwait

Without a doubt, one of the strangest movies mentioned in this list is Shakes the Clown, which was the first film directed by legendary stand-up comedian Bobcat Goldthwait. He's directed seven independent films since Shakes and they are always unique and funny.

The streaming wars have been going on for years now, with every service offering a handful of mega hit originals. Those with an Apple TV+ subscription know that Severance is at the top of that list, with fans eagerly anticipating the third set of episodes. Ben Stiller has been a producer and director on the show and recently offered an update about Season 3 that'll bum fans out.

What we know about Severance Season 3 is limited, but fans are hyped to continue the journey after Season 2's cliffhanger ending. While we wait for the next chapter, Stiller revealed in an interview with LA Times that he won't be in the director's chair at all during the third season. Instead he's working on a movie, and addressed this conflict by saying:

He's not wrong. Both TV and film schedules are notoriously grueling, often requiring long hours and months of time. Ben Stiller know what this is like on both sides of the camera, and it sounds like he had to miss out on directing Severance in order to work on an upcoming World War II survival movie.

The Zoolander star is still expected to stay on as a producer on Severance, even if he can't physically be on set to direct episodes in Season 3. Even after taking this step back, I assume Stiller will continue engaging with fans of the show on social media.

Since Stiller has never been featured on camera for Severance, it should be easy enough for the Emmy-nominated series to continue on without having the actor/filmmaker on set. The network will presumably just have to hire more directors to pick up the slack as he works on a film project. We'll just have to wait and see if any big names get the chance to join the beloved mystery/drama.

Severance is clearly one of the best Apple TV+ shows to watch, and two seasons in it still feels like we're a the tip of the iceberg narratively. There are still countless questions about Lumon Industries, Kier, and the entire Eagan family. Innies are starting to revolt, and it should be fascinating to see how this conflict plays out... especially for characters like Helly/ Helena.

The first two seasons of Severance are streaming in their entirety now on Apple TV+. While it was renewed for Season 3 back on March 21st, it's currently unclear when the next batch of episodes will be released to the general public. After all, Severance Season 3 hasn't even begun production at the time of writing this story. Hopefully we don't have to wait years this time around.

It’s been five months since Severance’s devastating Season 2 finale aired on the 2025 TV schedule, and I still get excited at the mention of an ORTBO (it happens more often than you’d think in my house) or when I recall Mr. Milchick’s marching band performance. As big of a fan as I am, I still wouldn’t have expected the Apple TV+ series to come into play during a screening of Zoolander, another of Ben Stiller’s best creations, and yet here we are, being gifted the musical mash-up I never knew we needed.

On August 16, a showing of the 2001 comedy Zoolander was held at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, where Ben Stiller made a surprise appearance as the titular character — a wildly exaggerated version of himself — to introduce the movie. That wasn’t the only bombshell of the evening, however, as the USC marching band then paraded onto the stage led by none other than Tramell Tillman. Check out the wild moment on Instagram:

Praise Kier, indeed! As cool as it was to see Tramell Tillman channeling his terrifying Mr. Milchick persona, the ridiculously good-looking actor Ben Stiller (as Derek Zoolander) was hoping for something more in line with the theme of the evening, saying (per Variety):

The Emmy-nominated Tramell Tillman immediately blew his whistle, with the band striking up the Powerman 5000 song “Relax,” which is featured in the movie. This appeased both the filmmaker and the crowd, who cheered as the band ran offstage and the movie began.

Despite Ben Stiller’s contribution to both Severance and Zoolander, I think it’s pretty safe to say that nobody would have ever expected a collaboration of the musical type between the two. This guy’s just full of surprises, though, because I certainly didn’t expect the Severance Season 2 finale to feature such an intricate number.

After the infamous Music Dance Experience in Severance Season 1 was one of the best music moments of that year, it was only natural that Ben Stiller and company would up the ante in Season 2. They did it in a big way, with Milchick first trading barbs with an animatronic Kier Eagan before going full band leader with a spirited performance to celebrate Mark S.’s completion of the Cold Harbor file.

If there was any question as to how good Severance’s second season was, just look at the record 27 Emmy nominations received by the show and its cast. At least we’ll have the awards show to look forward to as we deal with the long wait between Severance seasons.

We don’t yet know what Severance Season 3 will be about, but it will undoubtedly address the infuriating decision made by Mark (Adam Scott) at the end of the finale. In the meantime, at least we can continue to rewatch the first two seasons with our Apple TV+ subscriptions, and you never know when Tramell Tillman and the USC marching band will show up. Zoolander, meanwhile, is available to stream with a Netflix subscription or Paramount+ subscription.

I don’t know if you’ve heard or not, but Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro are coming back for another Meet the Parents sequel, an upcoming 2026 movie with an on-brand title of Focker in Law. With the franchise back in the spotlight once again, I’ve been thinking a lot about the iconic 2000s movie that started it all 25 years ago this October. I’ve been thinking about the funniest scenes, that legendary movie cat (Mr. Jinx), and how much I love this movie.

I’ve also been thinking about all those great characters, as well as the franchise’s worst: Pamela Byrnes-Focker (Teri Polo). Before you get all worked up, I don’t have a problem with Polo’s performance or anything like that. However, I can’t sit here and act like Pam’s anything but the worst. Hear me out…

Pam Byrnes Is One Of The Least Supportive Girlfriends And Worst Communicators

There have been a lot of rotten boyfriends and girlfriends in movies (especially comedies like this) over the years, and I’d totally put Pam Byrnes on that list. Throughout Meet the Parents, she’s not very supportive of Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) and is hands-down the worst communicator in the whole movie. She doesn’t tell her overbearing and intense-as-all-hell father, Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro), that she and Greg are living together, doesn’t tell Greg that he’s so freaking high-strung, and doesn’t fill in a lot of gaps.

I mean, just look at the section where they go to Kevin Rawley’s (Owen Wilson) house. Pam doesn’t tell Greg that they’re going to her ex-fiancé’s house until they get out of their cars in the driveway, setting up a disastrous afternoon. Sure, it leads to some hilarious and painfully awkward moments I still laugh about, but yeesh. It’s just one thing about this movie that hasn’t aged well.

I Know It's A Comedy, But She Totally Set Greg Up For Failure In Meet The Parents

I know, Greg Focker being a fish out of water in the Byrnes home and their way of life totally makes Meet the Parents such a funny movie, but she’s setting up her boyfriend and soon-to-be fiancé up for failure from the jump. She does have his back in the end when she gets Greg’s MCAT scores and shows her parents he was in the 97th percentile, but honestly, it’s too little too late.

Greg is a prickly dude, I’ll admit that, but he had no one on his side and no one supporting him throughout the whole weekend. I’m not saying Pam standing by him would have prevented the Mr. Jinx incident or the backyard pool flood or the big fire, but you know what I mean.

Even Watching As A Kid, I Thought, 'What Gives, Pam?'

I saw Meet the Parents at my best friend’s 12th birthday, and I remember thinking “what gives, Pam?” whenever everything was going down. I knew nothing about love, relationships, or adulting at the time (I’m still iffy on most aspects), but I knew that I didn’t like what she did to Greg during his downward spiral and fall from grace. Again, I didn’t think then, and I don’t think now that her being 100% supportive would have made Jack less of a psychopath, but some support would be nice.

It’s not like Pam Byrnes killed anyone or left Greg behind and became some cult leader, but her lack of communication, unwillingness to get her boyfriend's back, and fear of her admittedly crazy dad is just something I can’t get past.

Ben Stiller was asked about how long it would take to release Severance Season 2 over and over and over again. Now, it’s out, and because we had to wait three years between Seasons 1 and 2, he’s already getting questions about when Severance’s third season will come out. So, in response to the wait, the show’s director and executive producer got candid about how long it takes to make this show by making a comparison to The Bear that I've actually been thinking about for years.

Since Severance has a bunch of 2025 Emmy nominations for a season that took years to make, Ben Stiller was asked by Vanity Fair if this kind of acknowledgement felt like “affirmation of it being worth the wait.” Just by watching Season 2, I knew it was worth it; however, these nods certainly help. Nevertheless, the wait still seems to bother the director, as he explained:

This is how The Bear comes into this equation. So, let me present some facts for you. Season 1 of Severance premiered on February 18, 2022, and The Bear Season 1 dropped on June 23, 2022. Then, on the 2025 TV schedule, Severance premiered Season 2 on January 17, and a few months later, on June 25, The Bear dropped its fourth season.

That means in the time it took Severance to make Season 2, The Bear released Seasons 2 and 3 and was well on its way to dropping Season 4. That’s kind of wild, and it’s something Ben Stiller has thought about, as he said:

These days, it’s commonplace to wait well over a year for a new season of a series. However, there are a few that consistently drop every year, including The Bear, which can be streamed with a Hulu subscription. I don’t know about you, but I adore having an old reliable that I know will come out around the same time every year.

However, I also get why it takes shows a very long time. A project like Severance is complex in both plot and setting, so it takes longer to make it and release it to those with an Apple TV+ subscription, plus its episodes are twice as long as the aforementioned series. Meanwhile, The Bear, for the most part, takes place in the restaurant and has 30-minute episodes.

All that said, though, Stiller didn’t back away from how hard the wait for seasons can be on both the creatives and fans. He noted how the pressure builds the longer we go between seasons, saying:

It is certainly a conundrum, and comparing Severance to a show that’s released three seasons in the time it took to release one is quite a fact. However, I don’t think it’s one this Apple TV+ series should fret over.

As Season 2 proved, the wait was worth it, and the painstaking detail put into the series is one of the reasons it's so remarkable. It also proves that the time it takes to make a show doesn’t necessarily tell you anything about its quality.

The Bear and Severance are each excellent, and we’re getting more of both. Art takes time, and that time varies from project to project, so my advice is to just enjoy it as it comes, so these folks don’t have to stress about the amount of time they’re taking to make it. However, I do have to say, I am appreciative of the fact that Ben Stiller addressed the point about his show and the FX restaurant series that I’ve been thinking about for years now.

Adam Sandler absolutely crushed it with his 1996 sports comedy Happy Gilmore, which decades later is still beloved as one of the best movies of the ‘90s. That makes its sequel, Happy Gilmore 2, both highly anticipated and a risky venture. Now, as it hits the 2025 movie calendar on July 25, critics are weighing in on the final product. So is it a hole-in-one or will it make you want to take off your skate and try to stab somebody?

The story sees Happy Gilmore return to the golf course after nearly 30 years to earn money to pay for his daughter Vienna’s (Sunny Sanders) ballet school. Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald and Ben Stiller are among the actors reprising their roles for the new Netflix movie. In CinemaBlend’s review of Happy Gilmore 2, Corey Chichizola says it’s everything he was hoping for, with plenty of plot twists, cameos, constant humor and an emotionally impactful story. He gives it 4 out of 5 stars and says:

Jeff Ewing of Collider agrees, rating the movie 7 out of 10. Adam Sandler skillfully balances the old characters with the new, providing comedy and heart in equal measure, the critic says. The multitude of cameos are fun, but it borders on distracting at times. Ewing concludes:

Kate Erbland of IndieWire is mostly on board with Happy Gilmore 2 (available to stream with a Netflix subscription), grading it a B-. It’s not a hole-in-one, she says, but it sinks some solid shots with wacky gags and surprising sadness:

Frank Scheck of THR doesn’t pull punches when saying that Happy Gilmore 2 is a “terrible” movie, retreading the original with the same actors, the same soundtrack and constant callbacks. The sequel is “moronic, witless and relentlessly vulgar,” according to the critic, which is to say Happy Gilmore fans will love it. He continues:

Ethan Anderton of SlashFilm says Happy Gilmore 2 takes a big swing but completely whiffs it by doing something unforgivable in the opening sequence from which it can never recover. The sequel is, per the critic, “a poor excuse for nostalgic comedy, and you'd have more fun getting a colonoscopy with a rake.” Anderton gives it a 2 out of 10, writing:

With an original movie that’s considered such a classic, Happy Gilmore 2 had a pretty high bar to meet, so I’m not surprised that critics are having trouble finding common ground.

It sounds like we can expect tons of jokes, cameos and callbacks, as well as some pretty emotional story beats, and regardless of how well they all work, I don’t think any number of bad reviews would keep fans of the original from checking this one out. This sequel is now available to stream on Netflix.

As fans await the release of the long-awaited family comedy sequel Freakier Friday, another star-studded fan-fave from the early 2000s, Meet the Parents, is once again spreading its franchise wings with a new entry. It’s been 25 years since the flagship film hit theaters, and 15 years since its lackluster second sequel Little Fockers hit #1 at the box office, and co-stars Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro revealed why they’re reuniting for even more cross-generational awkwardness.

During the Tribeca Festival’s 25th anniversary screening and Q&A for Meet the Parents (via Deadline), several cast members reunited with O.G. director Jay Roach to watch what remains one of Ben Stiller’s best movies with an audience for the first time in years. When the discussion turned to the future of Gary Focker’s family, Roach championed screenwriter John Hamburg (who will direct the fourth film) for finding a “great new predicament” to center the new movie around.

Stiller opened up about why the timing for the untitled project lined up so applicably with everyone’s real lives, saying:

Gotta love how Ben Stiller slid that A+ compliment in there about Teri Polo still looking the same age she was when the first film was produced.

To be sure, the new film won't be hitting the 2025 movie schedule, so it'll technically arrive 26 years after the original, but the way Stiller put it, it doesn't matter so much how much time passed by between the films, because the cast and creatives' kinetic spark still survives. As he put it:

For all that the "having a baby" concept was handled not-so-ideally with Little Fockers, it sounds like the latest look at this expanding family will be a reflection of the first film, with Gary and Pam now more or less in the same shoes that Jack and Dina filled for the O.G. comedy, though Gary is nowhere near as intimidating and uncomfortable as his father in law. So it'll be interesting to see how those expectations are flipped around.

Robert De Niro Wanted To Get Another Sequel Going Years Ago

It's been a full 15 years since Little Fockers came out, but if Robert De Niro initially had his way, fans might have already heard about and seen another franchise sequel come to life in the meantime. The esteemed actor revealed how he tried to talk others into keeping the train rolling years ago.

By all means, the Fockers could easily remain a Hollywood first family for many decades to come, assuming no one in the clan suddenly goes sterile due to some wildly cringe-worthy accident. Of course, I'm going to need Ben Stiller to work on those discussed Severance spinoff ideas before going back to the Fockers drawing board again.

The currently untitled sequel will be hitting the 2026 movie schedule on November 25, 2026, just in time to make the holiday season a Focker-filled delight.

Pat McAfee already had to hear from Ben Stiller when his rousing speech during the NBA Eastern Conference Finals felt insulting to New York celebrities in attendance, and now he has to hear from a big name from Indiana: John Mellencamp. Despite McAfee hyping up the Indiana Pacers fans as they defeated the New York Knicks in Game 4 of the NBA playoffs, the Hoosier-born singer wasn't a fan of the ESPN commentator's behavior.

The Indiana Pacers didn't have many celebrity supporters in the building during Game 4, so it's a shame that two of their biggest ones may be at odds. In a statement made two days after McAfee's big speech, Mellencamp released the following on X:

I'm not sure if I'm reading into it too deeply, but I have to think John Mellencamp using the term "smackdown" had to be a rib at Pat McAfee being a WWE commentator. No doubt, McAfee's wrestling experience led him to give what was reportedly an impromptu speech that was not rehearsed ahead of delivery. It's worth noting that as someone living in Indiana, I've seen many residents collectively confused by the singer's issue with what seemed like a mostly light-hearted diss to Timothée Chalamet and others.

Pat McAfee rarely is quiet when it comes to criticism, so it was a given he wasn't going to ignore John Mellencamp's veiled criticism even though it didn't mention him by name. While the ESPN commentator has been known to drop a cryptic message on social media, he wasn't afraid to let people on X know who the singer was talking about in this scathing message:

Back when there was some talk going back and forth between Pat McAfee and Ben Stiller, I almost suspected it was a subtle build to some future upcoming WWE event we'd see later this year with a Peacock subscription. Now with John Mellencamp in the mix, I'm assuming there were actual hurt feelings about McAfee calling out celebrities at the event.

It's just another chapter in the storied rivalry between the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks. Both teams have met many times over the years in the playoffs, with plenty of storylines between players and celebrities alike. It's rare two people supporting the same team speak out against each other, though, which is what makes it so bizarre.

As the NBA playoffs continue on, be sure to check out the 2025 TV schedule to see what else is coming to television this summer. I know there are some summer shows I can't wait to get into once basketball is over, especially on the streaming side. Starting Five is coming from Netflix and with Tyrese Haliburton from the Pacers on the list of people covered, it should be a great season if they make the NBA finals.

The story of Severance is mysterious and important, and quite honestly, I didn’t think it’d expand beyond what is considered one of Apple TV+’s best shows. However, after Season 2’s remarkable run on the 2025 TV schedule, Ben Stiller has revealed that they have “two specific ideas” for spinoffs. So, that means I’ve come up with theories regarding what they would be about.

What Ben Stiller Said About Severance’s Possible Spinoffs

There are a bunch of questions regarding what will happen during Season 3 of Severance. During an interview with Variety, Ben Stiller and Adam Scott wouldn’t really answer any of them, understandably. However, when asked if they saw the series turning into a franchise, the director shocked me by revealing:

Frankly, I never thought Severance would go beyond Severance. So, it’s thrilling to know that there are ideas being thrown around for spinoffs, even if they are in the early early stages of formation or “nascent,” as Stiller put it.

He obviously wouldn’t reveal these ideas either, however, after learning that there are potential spinoffs being kicked around the severed floor, I’ve come up with two ideas myself.

My Two ‘Specific’ Ideas For Potential For Severance Spinoffs

While watching the first two seasons of Severance with my Apple TV+ subscription, I’ve had moments where I have thought about how much I’d love to learn more about various aspects of Lumon. There’s so much lore, history and complexity when it comes to this company, and that’s where both my spinoff ideas stem from:

1. A Prequel Series About Lumon’s Founding

As we’ve learned in various episodes of Severance, the Lumon lore and the Kier family history are wild. Episodes like “Woe’s Hollow” gave us some crazy insight into the founders of this company and the family Helena grew up in. We also know that while Lumon is a biotech company of sorts, it also has cult-like tendencies (i.e., the Waffle Party).

However, with every piece of knowledge we gain, I wind up with more questions.

I want to know how Lumon ended up this way and why the Keir family founded this company in the first place. We know this corporation has been in the family for generations, and both the family and some employees worship their founder in a very intense, almost religious way. So, there’s a lot of story to mine there. Therefore, let’s run a spinoff all the way back to the beginning to learn how on Earth this family wound up with so much creepy power and influence.

Ever since we saw the goats in Severance for the first time, I’ve been curious about the department known as Mammalians Nurturable. I want to know more about why Gwendoline Christie’s character, Lorne, is so connected to the animals. I want to know why their office is rolling green hills under fluorescent lights. And I still have questions about what the purpose of the goats even is.

I could see a whole spinoff about this department that’s basically separate from Severance, and I’d love it.

I would also take shows about Choreography and Merriment or Optics and Design. All the various departments of Severance are so deeply unique and mysterious that they deserve their own stories, and that could be accomplished with a spinoff.

Overall, I think the world of Severance is rich enough to warrant at least two spinoffs, and I think both of these would be cool. However, I’m positive that whatever Ben Stiller and co. have in mind is better, so here’s hoping that someday we’ll find out what their specific ideas are and they’ll turn into upcoming Apple TV+ projects.

If you keep up with new movie releases, you probably already know Hollywood doesn’t make comedies quite like it used to. Take 2008's Tropic Thunder, for instance: There’s been so much talk about whether it could still be made today that people often overlook how hilarious the Ben Stiller film is. One of the best parts, and for my money, one of Tom Cruise's best roles, is the sleazy agent Les Grossman—his name says it all! For years, there have been whispers about a possible standalone film featuring Les Grossman, and it looks like we might be getting more of him. It sounds like it’s going to be "f—ing funny!"

In a recent interview, writer and director Christopher McQuarrie discussed the possibility of bringing the husky but dance-savvy Grossman back for a future project (or projects). McQuarrie, who has long collaborated with Tom Cruise, made these comments during an episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast while speaking with host Josh Horowitz. He explained:

When asked whether Grossman would be the focal point of the project, the Top Gun: Maverick scribe points out that leading men have different responsibilities in movies, so this is the ultimate question. What does a return of the character look like? Would Les Grossman work best as a side character or could he lead a movie Michael Scott-style? Too much of a good thing is definitely not what I ultimately want.

The filmmaker explained the process he and Cruise have used for "riffing" on the character. According to the M:I director, it served as a way for both of them to "decompress," while on set for their most recent Ethan Hunt outing. He elaborated:

Honestly, it sounds like the two creators have gotten pretty deep into the Les Grossman possibilities. It makes sense. Cruise basically created and even pushed for the Tropic Thunder dancing and fat fingers, and has a vested interest in making the character work as his time playing Ethan Hunt comes to a close.

At the very least, it seems like both he and his longtime buddy are having a blast talking about what might happen. It would be a real bummer for Tropic Thunder fans if we don’t get to see more of Les Grossman on the big screen. Here’s hoping they figure out a cool way to bring him back!

While we wait for updates on a possible return of the Tropic Thunder OG, we can always check out Tom Cruise’s hilarious character, Les Grossman, since the movie is streaming with a Hulu subscription. As for the Jerry Maguire star and McQuarrie’s latest project, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is now in theaters, so don’t forget to look up the showtimes near you!

The 2025 NBA playoffs have been quite dramatic this year, as two storied rivals are battling for a chance to go to their first Finals in decades. The New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers faced off in the latter's arena for a crucial Game 4 matchup, and the stars were there to witness it. Timothée Chalamet, Spike Lee and Ben Stiller were among celebrities in attendance there to cheer on the Knicks, and Pacers fan Pat McAfee straight-up called them out when hyping up the crowd.

Weeks after I speculated he might be done with WWE, McAfee cut a promo in Gainbridge Fieldhouse that had the crowd fired up. The host of one of ESPN's hottest shows encouraged the crowd to boo the celebrity Knicks fans in attendance, and Ben Stiller wasn't too happy about being called out. Check out what Pat McAfee said, as well as Stiller's response below:

Ben Stiller is one of the few celebrities who is more than willing to interact with people on social media, whether it's about their love of Severance or to talk about the NBA. While the actor didn't explicitly say he was upset at Pat McAfee for what he did, I think calling the callout "weird" and making sure to point out that other Pacers fans were awesome spoke volumes about how he received the moment.

While the comedian received support from fellow New York Knicks fans, others were quick to call out that the moment didn't seem to be as malicious as he might've thought. Stiller did acknowledge the boos sent to him and other celebrities likely wasn't personal, but added an addendum. And we'll have to see holds up when the teams return to Madison Square Garden:

Ben Stiller's iconic movies remain celebrated, and he's also a great comedian. However, I think his love for New York might be blinding him a bit here. In fact, New York firefighter Hans Perez was in attendance at this very game thanks to Tyrese Haliburton after a video of Knicks fans throwing trash on him after a game went viral. Maybe a celebrity wouldn't call out other ones at a basketball game in New York, but that's not to say bad things haven't happened between both teams.

As for Pat McAfee, we'll have to see if he has anything to say back to Ben Stiller in regard to his show. Considering McAfee's status as one of the many commentators to grace the WWE over the years, I'll be eager to see if he leans into a potential feud.

As a wrestling fan very invested in all of this, I couldn't help but clock that Triple H was in the building last night, and he's worked with Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton before. If the WWE leans into a supposed feud between Pat McAfee and Ben Stiller, I think there's a chance we see a bizarre showdown between all four when SummerSlam is in East Rutherford, New Jersey, later this summer.

I'd be eager to stream that with a Peacock subscription, and maybe Trips has what it takes to bring all four together. This is all wishful thinking on my part, of course but, after that call-out at the NBA game, I can imagine such McAfee/Stiller showdown being a blast.

As for the Pacers and Knicks, they go head-to-head again on Thursday, May 29th at 8:00 p.m. ET amid the 2025 TV schedule. I think it'll be a must-watch game for those looking for some drama, and maybe we'll see Pat McAfee in the building for that game, where Ben Stiller could possibly get some sweet revenge.

Spoilers ahead for Severance Season 2, which can be streamed with an Apple TV+ subscription.

It’s now been over a month since the Severance Season 2 finale hit the 2025 TV schedule, and that heartbreaking final scene between Gemma, Mark and Helly has been living rent-free in my head. I know I’m not alone, because fans continue to crank out theories about what we’ve witnessed and what’s to come in Severance Season 3. It turns out executive producer Ben Stiller is listening (as is Lumon!), and he gave the loveliest explanation for why he’s joined the discourse.

It turns out Ben Stiller — who has directed more than half of the Severance episodes across two seasons — really enjoys jumping on social media to talk Season 2’s big goat reveal and weigh in on where the sprawling story is going. That’s not exactly common amongst TV creatives, but as Stiller told Variety:

There honestly may not be a healthier way to view the Internet than how Ben Stiller does, and I say we should all officially strive to be more like him. The Tropic Thunder star isn’t just paying attention to the fans who agree with everything he does and want to praise him. He listens to people with a different view and tries to understand why they don’t like something.

He also doesn’t take it that seriously (not all that surprising, coming from the guy who wrote, directed and starred in Zoolander). Even the disagreements are something he said he finds “fun,” and he likely takes away the perspective of a different corner of Severance’s audience.

Ben Stiller makes a good point that this kind of fan interaction wasn’t possible before social media. There was watercooler talk, of course, but the Internet has opened up fan reactions so that showrunners have instant access to honest feedback. What theories are being debated? What side characters are viewers interested in? Which stories are sending Redditors down the deepest rabbit holes?

Why shouldn’t Ben Stiller and others take advantage of this as a way to better understand the very people who are ingesting their media? Now, I’m not saying he should let that influence the product. Severance has had some brilliant minds behind it — including creator Dan Erickson — and Season 3 will feature some big creative changes, but knowing what your audience is talking about can’t be a bad thing.

Helly-related fan theories were particularly prevalent in Season 2, including that big ORTBO episode, and “Chikhai Bardo” — possibly one of the darkest episodes of television ever — pretty much brought all frivolous jokes about scary numbers to a halt after we realized it all just meant Gemma was being tortured.

Maybe Ben Stiller can shoot me a DM and tell me how I’m supposed to laugh at Dylan’s jokes without thinking about whether or not he’s a bad dad.

All kidding aside, I think it’s really cool that Ben Stiller cares enough about Severance and its fans to jump into the sometimes-scary world of social media to debate the show. Now let’s get to Season 3 already!

In the pages of DC Comics, Jimmy Olsen is known as Superman’s pal and, so far, it seems that’ll also be the case in James Gunn’s upcoming film centered around the Big Blue Boy Scout. Skyler Gisondo is set to play Olsen in the highly anticipated 2025 movie schedule release, and he’s downright perfect for the role. Years ago, however, Gisondo received some assistance in real life from co-stars Robin Williams and Ben Stiller. I just learned that the actors helped Gisondo score a prom date, and this makes them heroes in my book.

Skyler Gisondo worked with the two beloved actors on Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb. Apparently, principal photography took place amid prom season and, while Gisondo’ buddies scooped up their dates, he did the same on set. To do so, he enlisted the help of his two co-stars, who helped him record a video for the young lady he hoped to escort to the prom. Ultimately, they produced one of the funniest prom proposals I’ve ever seen, and you can check it out below:

First off, I’m still trying to figure out how I’m only now becoming aware of this entire situation. I’m a fan of Robin Williams, and I’d usually catch wind of his antics one way or another. Nevertheless, I’m glad to have found it now, and I’m loving it. Both Williams and Ben Stiller bring a lot of charm and wit to the proceedings. I especially can’t help but make note of Williams’ killer improv skills, and I keep replaying him calling for dancers as well as Cirque du Soleil performers. The monkey with the rose is a sweet touch as well.

This is all definitely funny, but it’s also incredibly sweet, considering that the two veteran actors didn’t have to go to such great lengths to help their younger co-star. It’s been said that not all heroes wear capes, and I think that certainly rings true in this case. A gesture like this shouldn’t be overlooked, and Skyler Gisondo seemed to appreciate it. Gisondo spoke to THR about it around that time, and it sounds like he and his colleagues had a fun time putting it all together:

I’m not sure if Kal-El will help Jimmy Olsen find a date in the highly anticipated Superman, but I’m excited to see their dynamic nonetheless. Few castings feel as appropriate as Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy, given he not only looks the part but he also exudes the DC character’s boyish charm. He also gives “aw, shucks” vibes, which was on display when he talked about bringing his “best” to the role of Olsen.

Quite frankly, I’m a tad envious of Skyler Gisondo for putting together a successful prom-posal with two comedic titans like Robin Williams and Ben Stiller. I would hope that Gisondo holds onto this memory fondly, given that Williams passed away in 2014 at the age of 63. All in all, this is a humorously sweet reminder of a moment in time that not only signifies humor but also Williams’ propensity for caring for co-stars and Stiller’s sheer kindness as well. Those are certainly qualities that make a hero.

You can see a hero rise when Superman opens in theaters on July 11. In the meantime, read up on other upcoming superhero movies that are headed to the big screen.

After waiting roughly eleven millennia (or three years) for Severance’s sophomore season to follow-up on the mind-shattering Season 1 cliffhanger, many fans quickly fell right back into hyper-theorizing habits like no time had passed. Now that its second finale is hitting the 2025 TV schedule, the hunger for the not-yet-confirmed Season 3 has fully taken over this particular outie’s brain, which makes the first big update about the mystery-thriller’s future so intriguing.

While creator Dan Erickson and the executive-producing director Ben Stiller are still the general head honchos behind the scenes of Severance’s endless and runnable hallways, it’s being reported by Nexus Point News that the co-showrunners for Seasons 1-2 have exited and been replaced, and the same goes for the entire writers room. It’s a shocking turn of events, considering the show’s brand of existential, easter egg-filled storytelling is such a draw for fans, but I’m choosing to be more excited than woeful.

Let's take a closer look at those dread-laden numbers, fellow Macrodats.

Severance Swapped Out Its Showrunners For Season 3

For its first two seasons, Severance boasted Chris Black (Monarch: Legacy of Monsters) and Mark J. Friedman (Wayward Pines) as showrunners, even though Erickson and Stiller often handle promotional interviews in the way that other series' showrunners tend to. In any case, both reportedly exited their roles in the gap between Season 2 and whatever comes next.

Taking over as co-showrunners are two highly talented creatives who are well-versed in genre storytelling. First is Mary Laws, who co-wrote Nicolas Winding Refn's The Neon Demon before writing and producing for AMC's Preacher, landing a similar stint on HBO's Succession, and showrunning Hulu's local-legend anthology Monsterland, among other projects.

Joining Laws will be Eli Jorne, who worked as a writer/producer on such wild-concept comedies as Elijah Wood's Wilfred, Patrick Stewart's Blunt Talk, and Jason Sudeikis' animation hybrid Son of Zorn. More recently, however, he's been a creative force for the indie wrestling drama Heels and The Walking Dead franchise, where he worked on the flagship series before creating the follow-up The Walking Dead: Dead City for Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Lauren Cohan.

Weirdly enough, Severance's second season started to feel more like one of The Walking Dead's quasi-anthologized seasons where episodes focused on smaller groups rather than the entire ensemble. So Laws and Jorne together makes for a potentially perfect fit.

Severance Writers Room Has Been Completely Restaffed

The two other exiting writers noted in the initial report are producer Amanda Overton (Monarchy: Legacy of Monsters) and supervising producer Anna Ouyang Moench (Beef). No reasons were given for these or other exits, but one wonders if Monarch's upcoming second season had anything to do with it, given both Overton and Chris Black are involved with it. Meanwhile, Moench is noted as being an EP on the second season of Netflix's Beef, so that may have also been part of it.

Joining Mary Laws and Eli Jorne are a quartet of incoming Writers Room additions, which are noted as follows:

• Lauren Bello (Producer) - writer on Foundation, writer/editor on The Sandman
• Ezra Claytan Daniels (Co-Executive Producer) - writer on Night Sky, writer/editor on Doom Patrol, writer for Black anthology horror film Horror Noire
• Sean Clements (Co-Executive Producer) - host of podcast Hollywood Handbook, writer/producer on Ash vs Evil Dead, writer/actor/co-EP on Kevin Can F*** Himself
• Aiyana Kim White (Executive Story Editor) - writer/editor on Tiny Pretty Things, writer/co-producer on Lucifer, writer/co-EP on Cross

It's not clear whether or not these will be the only changes made to Severance's creative team, or if other writers will be added in time. It's assumed that Ben Stiller will still be handling at least half of any upcoming episodes as a director, but no word on what others may get behind the camera.

I'd Be More Worried If The New Creative Team Didn't Come From A+ Shows

More often than one might expect, creative teams get overhauled due to one or more problems cropping up behind the scenes, sometimes regarding workplace behavior more than anything creative-minded. And studio execs often fill the gaps by promoting from within, which isn't always the best move, depending on the show.

Thankfully, no such salacious. reports have surfaced tied to Severance as of yet, so if we can buy into the idea that the changes were organic and with the show's best interests in mind, then there's legitimate reason to be excited about these changes, as opposed to fretting over the quality of the show. Had the new showrunners been completely new to the industry, or had worked only on unscripted or completely disparate projects prior, it might have sparked a different and more desperate reaction.

But I love the fact that Severance's likely third season will be crafted by brains who worked on brainy and twisty shows like Succession, Ash vs Evil Dead, Doom Patrol and The Sandman. And hopefully they'll be way quicker about writing it all, too, while I'm throwing all my nearby coins into the wishing well.

Severance's Season 2 finale will be available to stream with an Apple TV+ subscription on Friday, March 21.

SPOILERS for Severance Season 2, Episode 6 are ahead. If you aren’t caught up, you can stream the series with an Apple TV+ subscription, then come back and read this.

As Severance Season 2 continues its run on the 2025 TV schedule, I’m becoming more fascinated by Mark, Helly and Helena’s relationship with each passing episode. During their trip to Woe's Hollow, Irv figured out that Helly was actually Helena, which meant both her innie and outie have been romantically involved with Mark, and this week, Helena decided to go meet Mark’s outie. However, he wasn’t fully having it, and ultimately bolted away from the interaction. So, obviously, I had to ask Adam Scott and Ben Stiller why this happened.

While Mark’s innie now knows that he’s been spending a lot of time with Helena, his outie only knows her as an untouchable, powerful, corporate figure. So, when she meets him at this restaurant he’s feeling a lot of unsettling emotions, as Scott said during CinemaBlend’s interviews with the Severance cast:

However, there’s also this kind of magnetic chemistry underneath the surface between the two. Mark is clearly confused by this in the moment, and as a viewer, I was fascinated by this too, because his outie does not know Helly. To that point, Adam Scott told me that this spark is not something his character was ready for, explaining:

During the scene, they’re bantering back and forth, but when Helena calls Mark’s wife Hannah instead of Gemma, something seems to flip for him. He starts to look more off-put by the interaction, and then once they say their goodbyes, the guy gets out of there. Explaining why his outie basically ran out of that restaurant, Scott told me:

Considering Mark’s outie has been working really hard to merge with his innie, interacting with a higher-up at Lumon must have been deeply unsettling, but also fascinating. Plus, there’s this romantic tension between Mark and Helly on the severed floor, and Helena played into that while she was pretending to be her innie. So, all those feelings are percolating under the surface of this conversation.

Ben Stiller touched on this point during our conversation, explaining:

That’s the question I want to leave us all with. Throughout Season 2, we’ve seen Mark experimenting in seemingly painful ways to merge his innie and outie. How is that impacting him? How is it impacting his emotions? And importantly in the case of this scene, are his innie’s feelings about Helly and Helena coming through?

We’ll just have to wait to find out as this great Apple TV+ show continues to drop on Fridays. In the meantime, I’ll be thinking about these words from Scott and Stiller, because I have a feeling they’ll carry a lot of weight as Season 2 continues.

Over the years, Bravo's Real Housewives franchise (which is streaming with a Peacock subscription) has become a huge sensation. Some of the shows are up there as the best reality shows of all time, allowing fans who watch women of a certain age and privilege in their complicated friendships. It turns out that one of those fans is actor/director Ben Stiller, who weighed in on the drama between Kyle Richards and Dorit Kemsley on RHOBH.

About a month ago while promoting Severance Season 2 (which is streaming with an AppleTV+ subscription) Ben Still told Bravo's Andy Cohen that he's up to date on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, even complimenting the show's editing. His fandom jumped out on Twitter this week, when he was reacting to Kyle and Dorit finally having a heart-to-heart at the most recent episode. As he shared:

Honestly, same. Kyle and Dorit have been a united front throughout most of their time together on RHOBH. And while there's been some discrepancy about exactly how close the two Housewives actually were, Season 14 has shown them at odds in just about every episode. That is, until the most recent episode.

Things definitely got spicy at Dorit's 4th of July Party, where she immediately clashed with Sutton Stracke. While Sluttons like me were bummed to see her storm out of the party early, it made room for an interesting exchange between Kyle and Dorit (to the delight of Ben Stiller). Fans loved Stiller's viral tweet, with some responses reading:

• Please try to enjoy all Housewives relationships equally. @BravoTV
• Yas king @BenStiller #rhobh @fearqueerhorror
• Mr. Stiller, your stock keeps rising by the day. A Housewives fan? I stan. But now I need to know who your top 3 housewives are. @MissSassbox
• Who is this Diva? @jendotlove
• OMG WELCOME TO BRAVO TWITTER! @GirlsLoveBravo

While Kyle and Dorit originally began bickering again, they managed to pump the breaks and decided to have a chat away from the other women inside. The two touched base about their respective separations, and the many connections they share in this regard. It was touching to see them finally find common ground, so I don't blame Stiller for weighing in.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is an iconic city of the franchise, one that can be aspirational thanks to wealth of the cast. But now that the Zoolander icon is caught up and tweeting along with new episodes, I'd love to see him spread his wings and try out some other cities.

Specifically, I think Ben Stiller owes it to himself to try out The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. RHOSLC is truly top tier Housewives, and each season manages to top the next in regards to sheer entertainment value. From the various Sprinter Van fights, to Jen Shah's arrest and conviction, to the Reality Von Tease reveal, it feels like the Varsity Squad of the franchise. Since Stiller is a storyteller himself, I have to assume he'll enjoy watching these dynamics fall out, especially since the cast is so hilariously bonkers. For now, we know he'll be tuning into Bravo when new episodes of RHOBH air Tuesdays as part of the 2025 TV schedule.

Ben Stiller's comedic taste has been made abundantly clear across his decades of work, and personally, I'm a fan of his unique sense of humor. Recently, he showed it off by retweeting a quietly funny, and random, moment from Step Brothers. Surprisingly, it also highlights an actor (who is connected to Stiller thanks to a show on the 2025 TV schedule) outside of Will Ferrell, and I'm so here for this!

The Adam McKay-directed moment Stiller loved highlights Derek (Adam Scott), Dale Doback (John C. Reilly), Dr. Robert Doback (Richard Jenkins) and Nancy Huff (Mary Steenburgen), among others. The scene takes place at the family dinner table while they wait on Brennan Huff (Ferrell). Self-obsessed Derek is in the midst of a crazy and extravagant fishing story when Dale interrupts him, masterfully the exchange bounces around the table after the posed question, only to land back on Derek, who has forgotten his place in the retelling.

The Severance director hyped it as one of the funniest scenes in all movies, ever. He seems to love the bit so much because of Scott’s performance specifically. The Parks and Rec star's demeanor in this small exchange does seem to rival his role on the Apple TV+ subscription show, Severance. Check it out for yourself below:

It’s a part of Step Brothers that flies by if you aren’t paying attention to it. What, I’m assuming, Stiller found impressively funny about the scene is that Scott sticks to the same level of obnoxiousness through the whole conversation, even when his son pipes up. His character is even bold enough to tell Reilly’s character it’s possible he ruined the whole evening by asking the harmless question. The absurdity and subtlety within the 1:34 run is quiet comedy gold, and it teases at the realities of these types of familial dynamics that can be found around the dinner table.

Stepping back, and realizing that Ben Stiller is praising an early Adam Scott role, you can’t help but wonder if it helped the Parks and Rec alum land his Apple gig. This was long before Severance, but it still made some fans pose the curious question to the Zoolander star too. @LobstaFace tweeted:

It’s no secret that Stiller fought for Scott's casting in Severance, and the big swing paid off. Little did the fans know this Step Brothers scene seems to be part of the reason why the director had such an affinity for the actor.

Stiller’s response to the question above was frank and definitive about the casting of the Big Little Lies alum, stating:

It’s great to know that Scott's commitment and comedy chops within this goofy role helped him land his role on Severance. The Party Down actor really pulled off a great performance in this 2008 flick. From the unexpected but funny musical numbers he participated in, to that parted hair-do, Scott never backed away from delivering Derek’s nauseating personality with humor and wryness. And while Severance is a totally different beast, the actor still brings the same level of commitment to playing Mark too.

One thing is for sure, Ben Stiller knows comedy. For him to hype this innocuous Step Brothers scene is pretty cool, and it’s even better to know that it’s part of why Adam Scott landed Severance. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go rent Step Brothers to relive the comedic layers of this Adam McKay film.

Severance is one of the best reasons, possibly the best reason, to have an Apple TV+ subscription. The long-awaited second season of the show is airing on the 2025 TV schedule after three years of waiting, and if anything about it is certain, it’s that executive producer and director Ben Stiller found the absolutely perfect cast for the series. In fact, Adam Scott leads the Severance cast as Mark so well it’s difficult to believe that Stiller apparently had to fight the platform to get him cast.

Prior to Severance, Adam Scott was best known for straightforward comedy in shows like the hit Parks & Recreation. While Severance is certainly a very different sort of show in tone, Ben Stiller tells THR that it was specifically because of Scott’s previous roles that he wanted him on the series, which is, from a certain point of view, also a workplace comedy. The director said…

There is humor in Severance, even if most of it comes from perpetual weirdness (what is up with the goats anyway?) rather than jokes. Also, the show does revolve around a workplace, so it does make some weird sense.

Having said that, it seems the execs at Apple didn’t immediately warm to the idea of Adam Scott leading Severance. The actor himself says he completely understands the reticence, calling his casting a “big swing.” Scott explained…

Risk-taking is something that studios attempt to avoid at all costs. Making movies or television is an expensive endeavor with a high downside. As a result, studios frequently will fall back on what has worked before whenever possible. This frequently means casting that feels safe rather than taking chances.

This meant that Ben Stiller had to “battle Apple” to get them to agree to cast Scott. That’s a dangerous move as it can potentially backfire and doom an entire project. In the end, Apple let Stiller cast who he wanted, and he was proven right.

Scott is clearly grateful too. He says it’s the first time anybody has ever risked so much for him. He continued…

Adam Scott may not have had anybody fight for him like this, but other actors certainly have. For example, Jon Favreau has talked about his battle with Marvel over casting Robert Downey Jr. in the first Iron Man. And Kevin Feige has since called it the biggest risk that Marvel has taken in the MCU. So, yeah, I'd say sometimes the risk is very worth the reward.

Adam Scott isn’t the only one who should thank Ben Stiller for fighting for him. It’s hard to imagine Severance fans would be watching a better show today if anybody else was playing the role of Mark.

Tom Cruise has played some iconic movie roles from Maverick in the Top Gun movies to Ethan Hunt in the Mission: Impossible franchise but you simply cannot talk about Tom Cruise’s best roles without mentioning his performance in Tropic Thunder as Les Grossman.

A great deal has been said about the part over the years, but it’s still a phenomenal story regarding just how it all came together. Appearing on the Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend Podcast, Tropic Thunder star and director Ben Stiller talks about the two requests that Cruise had for his character. Specifically how his arms looked, and how he’d move his legs. Stiller explained…

The bit of Ben Stiller playing Tom Cruise's stunt double is an iconic sketch from the MTV Movie Awards. It’s made especially hilarious by the fact that Tom Cruise does all his own stunts, so any stunt double wouldn't have much to do. Although there are rumors he actually had a stunt double on Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning. If you have never seen it or don’t remember it, it’s worth revisiting.

Stiller has spoken about Cruise’s requests before. Apparently, Stiller was largely against the whole dancing idea initially. Cruise had been taking dancing lessons and just wanted to use them in a movie at some point. Eventually during a makeup test, Cruise just started dancing, showing Still what the scene would be like, which sold him on the idea.

It’s hard to imagine Tropic Thunder without a dancing Tom Cruise, but it turns out we could have had exactly that. Stiller says that when he initially started talking to Tom Cruise about being in the movie, it was to play the role that Stiller himself would eventually take. And maybe Cruise would have taken if Stiller had ever actually asked. He continued…

But what’s even more fascinating is that apparently Tom Cruise didn’t simply create Les Grossman’s look or the way he moves. He actually created Les Grossman himself, as the character wasn’t actually in Tropic Thunder until Cruise suggested a character like that should appear. Stiller said…

So apparently we can thank Tom Cruise not only for being in Tropic Thunder but for making it a better film by his suggestions.

Spoilers for Severance’s Season 2 premiere are ahead! Proceed down the elevator to the severed floor with caution if you aren’t caught up, and watch the show with an Apple TV+ subscription.

Listen, I know that when it comes to Severance, I need to expect the unexpected. However, while I was prepared for the goats and the wild theories about Ms. Casey, I was not ready for a literal child to be put in charge. I'm, of course, talking about Miss. Huang, who is played by 18-year-old actress Sarah Bock, because she truly left me shell-shocked while watching Season 2’s premiere. So, when I interviewed the cast about the new episodes, I needed to get their thoughts on this young and unexpected character.

It was truly unsettling when Mr. Milchick introduced Mark to Miss. Huang. She’s a literal teenager, and it’s made clear quickly that she has more power than any of the innies we know and love. Mark asked “Is it normal for a child…?” after meeting her, and I have to say, I have the same unfinished question. That was only emphasized when Irving, Helly and Dylan met her too.

Turns out, John Turturro was also a bit perplexed and “intimidated” by her as well, as he told me during an interview for CinemaBlend:

The Irving actor made a great point here! The innies are a lot like children in the sense that they’re understanding of the world is very limited and they’re just starting to learn about it. So, putting them in an office with a character who is a kid is fascinating and a really cool juxtaposition.

On top of that, it’s fun to see a young actress, like Sarah Bock, going toe to toe with this cast. Zach Cherry, who plays Dylan, also pointed that out, as he told me:

Turturro then stepped in, declaring “She’s awesome,” which was followed by Britt Lower, who plays Helly, saying:

Cherry then ended the answer by saying she’s “a lot of fun,” and I couldn’t agree more.

Overall, Miss. Huang is such a surprising and “fun” addition to this show. However, her character really only gives me more questions than answers.

That’s the fun of Severance though, and it’s why it’s one of Apple TV+’s best shows. I can’t wait to learn more about why this child works at Lumon as the season progresses, and I really am excited to see how she impacts Irving, Dylan, Helly and Mark.

So, buckle up for a wild ride folks, because the addition of Miss. Huang proved that this show has some wild twists up its sleeves.

Now, as Severance continues its run on the 2025 TV schedule (new episodes drop on Friday, by the way), I’ll be paying extra close attention to this kid to figure out why she’s there, what her relationship is with the innies and how she could seriously shake things up on the severed floor.

Slight spoilers for Severance Season 2 are ahead! If you haven’t made your way back to the severed floor, you can stream the series with an Apple TV+ subscription.

When Season 2 of Severance starts, you are immediately thrown back into Lumon with Mark S. as he sprints through the hallways. This sequence is almost two minutes long, and it basically looks like a one-take as Adam Scott rushes through the halls of his workplace. However, in reality, this moment that opens the show’s run on the 2025 TV schedule took months to film, and Adam Scott and Ben Stiller told me the story behind why.

Ben Stiller Breaks Down How They Filmed The Opening Sequence

After watching Season 2’s premiere, I knew that when I sat down with the Severance cast, and specifically the show’s director and EP Ben Stiller and star Adam Scott, I had to bring up this jaw-dropping sequence. In the interview, I asked the Night at the Museum star how they filmed what looked like a one-take, and he quickly corrected me, noting how long it took to create this scene and how many parts it was split into:

For a scene that looks so seamless, it’s wild to hear that it took five or six months to shoot. However, it also makes sense. Mark runs through so much of the floor, and each of those sets is used for different scenes throughout Season 2. With that in mind, it tracks that they’d film each part of this opening sequence as the various aspects of the office were constructed.

Stiller went on to tell me why they opted for this grandiose running sequence to kick off the season. Thinking about what Mark learned at the end of Severance Season 1 and the fact that he was returning after that, it made sense that he was frantic and energetic as he tried to figure out what was going on:

Getting into the technicalities of pulling this off, the Meet the Parents actor explained that they used a “bolt arm,” which is a robotic camera that is programmed to swing around and film Scott as he ran. Stiller said that was actually “very dangerous” to do, and along with this taking forever to film, it was also “a little bit scary.”

However, it all paid off in the end, as the director explained:

That shot deserved a wrap party! Between how long it took, the technical aspects and Scott’s performance, it’s an unforgettable and marvelous moment to start Season 2.

Oh, and speaking of the star of Severance, he also told me what it was like to be in front of the camera for this epic sprint.

Adam Scott Told Me What It Was Like Starring In Severance’s Opening Scene

While Ben Stiller was thinking about the technical aspects of this scene, Adam Scott was thinking about running, and running, and running, and running some more. As the director said, it took months to shoot this, and they picked it up here and there as they filmed the rest of Season 2.

When the Mark actor spoke about what it was like to perform this scene, he joked about how much Gatorade he had to drink and how he really had to brace himself for the running days:

The Party Down actor continued to tell me that he was “exhausted” when they finished filming it, but he thought it was “super fun.” It paid off big time too. Knowing how much time, effort, “Gatorade and bananas,” as Scott said, went into making this scene proves why the wait for Severance Season 2 was worth it and it sets the bar exceptionally high for the rest of the season.

To see this epic scene, you can stream Severance on Apple TV+, then make sure to check back in every Friday on the streamer to see what Mark is up to and how the show continues to blow our minds as Season 2 continues.

You can tell a lot about people’s answer for their favorite movie, and the 2025 movie schedule is bound to produce a handful that folks claim as their own. So hearing that Ben Stiller revealed that former first lady Laura Bush revealed 2001’s Zoolander as her own is a pretty amusing story.

However, I’m not sure if that’s wilder than the further piece of information the co-writer/director/star of that franchise gave as a response. As he appeared on The Today Show to promote Season 2 of Apple TV+’s Severance, Stiller was given this Bush family secret from someone who would know first hand: Today host/Laura Bush’s daughter Jenna Bush Hager:

To be able to tell someone you or someone close to you are fans of their work is an honor, so hearing this story is pretty heartwarming. It must also be pretty rewarding for Ben Stiller, as this anecdote should only boost Zoolander’s status as a cult classic. While the 2001 comedy tanked at the box office, everyone seems to have slowly come around to it being one of Ben Stiller’s best movies. That is except for Mrs, Bush, who was apparently an early adopter.

Of course, now I’m wondering if Stiller somehow knew this information previously. I only say that because while he seems to be pleasantly surprised, the actor behind Derek Zoolander had this piece of Zoolander 2 trivia up his sleeve for this occasion:

On one hand, having Laura Bush appear in this legacy-quel could have been one of the best celebrity movie cameos to have ever landed. However, between that proposed cameo was supposed to see Laura Bush involved in an orgy, and Zoolander 2’s surprisingly “good” flopping at the 2016 box office, Mr. Stiller’s remarks seem to back this call on multiple levels.

I mean it was sequel one of the entries on our list of sequels we wish were never made. I'd be inclined to ask Mrs. Bush what she has to say on the matter though, as Jenna Bush Hager added these further details to her story:

I still can’t pick which half of this beautifully strange knowledge I’m more blown away by, so I’m going to need a little while. And before anyone asks, according to The Wrap, President George W. Bush’s favorite films in the White House ranged from Black Hawk Down and We Were Soldiers to the classic tearjerker Field of Dreams. The more you know, I suppose.

Those of you looking to return to the world of ridiculously good looking satire can stream Zoolander with an active Paramount+ subscription. Meanwhile, Ben Stiller has two sports comedies on the docket for 2025, as he’ll be in The Dink and Happy Gilmore 2 - both of which do not have release dates at the time of this writing.

When it comes to Ben Stiller and film, a lot comes to mind. The best Ben Stiller movies are an example of his range, but it's his comedy movies that stick out. Whether you love the actor and comedian’s work or not, especially during the early aughts–some of which can be found on the 100 best movies of the 2000's–it elicits a strong response normally. And that’s exactly what Stiller found in a letter he came across during the highs of his meeting the in-law franchise popularity.

While talking with the New York Times about Severance Season 2, his body of work and more, he was asked about why comedy viewers in the early aughts loved every one of his infamous roles. The Zoolander star wasn’t sure and even brought up a journalist who publicly denounced his comedic roles. He had this to say about the time frame and how much he enjoyed that magical era of humorous movies:

Stiller is no stranger to people having mixed feelings about him. Most of his big characters he played then in funny movies were outlandish, smug and overly loud. As someone who likes many movies involving the There’s Something About Mary actor, I'm a fan. I’m sure the author of the letter probably touched on his more serious works like Reality Bites or maybe just thought he was too abrasive. Either way, it’s funny to think someone called the Heavyweights actor out for his work in the genre, especially when his parents are comedy legends, Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara.

Looking ahead, the director, producer and actor has a big year in front of him. He has the long-awaited Severance Season 2 finally returning during the 2025 TV schedule (after a slew of scheduling and other reasons). Beyond that, he made his return to acting after several years away this past holiday season in the simple yet goofy Nutcrackers. He’s also been excited about his return to the wacky golf movie, along with reuniting with good friend Adam Sandler (a part of our 2025 movie schedule).

I’m glad that Ben Stiller didn’t let that op-ed in the LA Times detract from his career in the midst of Meet the Parents success. The notable call-out is a comedy within itself and a perfect one for the 59-year-old to star in.

If you’d like to watch Ben Stiller in Meet the Parents you can do so with a Netflix subscription

When Severance Season 2 hits the 2025 TV schedule, it will be just a few months shy of three years since I was left shouting at the TV (much like Mark Scout’s Innie) after one of the best cliffhangers in TV history. Finally the sci-fi drama is returning to give us some answers about what happened to the macrodata refiners following their little field trip outside of the Lumon severed floor (and for godsakes, why there are the baby goats!), but can the sophomore season possibly live up to the first? Critics have screened the 10-episode season, so let’s see what they have to say.

We can blame Ben Stiller and Dan Erickson’s need for perfection for why Severance Season 2 took so long, but with the big cast additions and intriguing sneak peeks we’ve gotten, I’ll happily sever myself from the past three years of pain in favor of new episodes. Let’s get to the reviews, which I will keep spoiler-free, because it’s not too late to get your Apple TV+ subscription and binge Season 1! Jeremy Mathai of SlashFilm rates the second season an 8 out of 10, calling the series “darker, more ambitious, and as confounding as ever.” Mathai writes:

Nicole Gallucci of Decider says her expectations had swelled to dangerous heights during the three-year wait for new Severance episodes, but there’s no sophomore slump in sight, as Season 2 slaps harder than Page 197 (iykyk). The next chapter of the Lumon employees’ story brilliantly builds on a near-perfect first season, Gallucci writes, continuing:

Carly Lane of Collider gives the second season a perfect 10 out of 10, saying that already Severance makes a strong case to be one of the best shows of 2025. Questions are answered as quickly as new mysteries are introduced, and you’ll be left dissecting a couple of standalone episodes for weeks. Lane writes:

Alison Herman of Variety echoes the sentiment that Season 2 was worth waiting three years for, as the universe expands to give us more of the Outies’ experiences (after following only Adam Scott’s Mark outside of Lumon in Season 1). Herman also confirms that the goats. are. back. The critic says:

Angie Han of THR notes that Season 2 of the upcoming Apple TV+ series is darker, bringing less humor than the first season and leaning into the drama of a cruel corporation that hits uncomfortably close to home. Han says:

It’s been too long that we’ve had to wait for some kind of explanation for what happened to Mark’s wife, what “mysterious and important” work Lumon’s Microdada Refinement division even does and so many other questions. The wait will officially end on Friday, January 17, when Severance Season 2 hits Apple TV+.

Tropic Thunder is one of those movies that, you may only really remember because one scene sticks with you. That scene is probably Tom Cruise, bald and overweight, dancing up an absolute storm. The dance sequence has become iconic, which makes it absolutely wild that the scene almost didn’t make it into the movie.

A recent viral Instagram post, which combines different interviews with both Tom Cruise and Tropic Thunder director Ben Stiller, lays out how the dance sequence wasn’t supposed to happen, but then happened anyway. The idea that Cruise’s character Les Grossman should dance was apparently an idea that Cruise had from the outset, but Stiller wasn’t sold as he wasn’t sure how it would fit into the movie. Stiller said…

Tom Cruise isn’t used to having people tell him no, this is the guy who fired an insurance company when they wouldn't let him climb a building, after all. It seems Cruise had been taking hip-hop dance classes, simply because it was a thing he didn't know, and so he wanted to use his new skills in a movie.

Cruise would get his chance to make his case for dancing Grossman during a makeup test. The point was to test the makeup that Cruise would wear in the film. The particular makeup test was for makeup that wouldn’t ultimately be used, but Cruise took the opportunity and simply started dancing, in order to show his director how it would look, and Stiller loved it. He explained…

We know Tom Cruise as a guy who does his own stunts. While his Tropic Thunder dance scene certainly isn’t his only iconic on-screen dance sequence, as his pantsless Risky Business scene is one of his most famous early scenes, this was a whole different sort of dancing, and there’s no argument that this guy can’t move. Check it out.

It's hard to imagine Tropic Thunder without a dancing Tom Cruise today. It’s not a scene that is necessary in the film as it regards the plot or even the characterization, but that doesn’t make it any less great. And it’s just further evidence that Tom Cruise is a great movie star because he understands what people want from movies, even if we don’t know it ourselves.

There has been the occasional rumor surrounding a return of Les Grossman, but thus far nothing has ever materialized.

Let me put something into perspective for you. Season 1 of Severance premiered on February 18, 2022. Season 2 of Severance is slated to drop its first episode on the 2025 TV schedule on January 17. That’s a nearly three-year gap, and fans have been loud about how badly they want new episodes. Well, thankfully, now they’re coming soon, and in the final weeks of this long wait, the show’s creator Dan Erickson and director and EP Ben Stiller have opened up about why we’re getting the sophomore season years after the first one.

Undoubtedly, Severance has been one of the most anticipated upcoming Apple TV+ shows since Season 1 ended back in 2022. Loved for its details, double-sided characters and twisty plots, Erickson and Stiller were determined to make sure Season 2 met the high bar set by the first set of episodes. To that point, while speaking to Vanity Fair, the creator said they went through quite a few rewrites and changes, which caused the long delay:

So, they are seeking perfection, and perfection takes time. That’s been frustrating for fans, and even Stiller has said he’d like Season 2 sooner than later. However, between rewrites that involved figuring out stories for both Innies and Outies as well as two strikes, delays were inevitable.

Addressing the actors’ and writers’ strikes that took place as they were writing Season 2, Stiller explained:

The Zoolander star – who has addressed how long Severance takes to make in the past – said that it took “a while to prep the show,” specifically. That was something Erickson elaborated on too. He noted that because of the rewrites and realizing that certain elements wouldn’t work, they ended up building locations they never used and needing to construct new sets to fit their new stories.

However, he made sure to note that the wait and all these changes will be worth it, explaining:

So, it sounds like Season 2 of Severance was in a constant state of flux. However, considering the success and love for Season 1 – plus all those Severance theories floating around – I do not doubt that fans will be into whatever story is presented to us on January 17.

Plus, knowing the sheer amount of time, devotion and perfectionism that was put into these new episodes, I think the wait will be well worth it. The world of Lumon is carefully constructed, and the wild plot is intricate and detailed. It takes time to craft things like it, and I respect the Severance team’s devotion to making new episodes that they’re sincerely proud of.

They say good things come to those who wait, and I’m hoping that proves to be true for all of us who have been anticipating the long-awaited return of one of Apple TV+’s best shows. Thankfully, it won’t be long before we’re back in the stark white halls of Lumon with Adam Scott’s Mark and the MDR gang, because Season 2 will finally come out out next month!

Tropic Thunder is arguably Ben Stiller’s most controversial title by far, but may be one of the actor's best movies, depending on who you ask. The edgy comedy aimed its sights at poking fun at those actors willing to do virtually anything to win an award, but had mixed reviews. The reception was hot-button even back in its 2008 premiere due to its use of Blackface and offensive language regarding disabled people. Although Stiller has previously stood by the parody film, he has an honest answer about the likelihood of Tropic Thunder getting greenlit today.

The actor/director sat down with Collider to talk mostly about Stiller’s excellent crime-drama, Escape at Dannemora, but he also expounded on past, present and future projects of his. When asked about whether or not he thought that the outlandish action comedy would be possible today he had a very frank answer. He also revealed and credited Tropic Thunder seeing the light of day to a big-name director. He said:

The possibility of Tropic Thunder being made today seems virtually impossible unless there was a monumental overhaul of the script, and rightfully so. I do understand the angle and can see the humor in the idea, but the reality of what the movie is and the choices made just aren’t galvanized enough to say anything relevant to modern audiences.

Later, Ben Stiller weighed in on the choice of Robert Downey Jr.'s character’s use of Blackface, which the Iron Man star has reflected on before. He shared the thought behind it and how the angle was apparent enough that it wasn’t meant in any ill fashion:

It was more than dicey, to say the very least. The Reality Bites director seems to be coming to terms with the idea that not even the "right storyline" and "angle" can hold up anything that has much deeper weight to it. The honesty of his statement is nice to hear, and I’m glad he is this open about such a controversial piece of his work.

Beyond the 2008 film and how it'd be received today, Ben Stiller has plenty ahead for audiences–including an Adam Sandler sequel. His film return happens soon on our 2024 movie schedule with the film Nutcrackers which will be available with a Hulu subscription. And of course, we’re all anxiously looking forward to Severance Season 2, including Stiller along with his reunion with Adam Sandler on Happy Gilmore 2. Let’s just hope the 58-year-old continues to weigh in on about projects ahead.

If you’d like to watch Tropic Thunder, you can do so with a Paramount+ subscription. I you’d like to watch Escape at Dannemora, you can so with a Netflix subscription.

More and more details keep emerging about the upcoming Happy Gilmore 2, and I’m beyond hyped to return to the world of one of the best '90s movies. OG cast member Julie Bowen's cameo talk already had me stoked, but if reports are to be believed, the sequel, three decades in the making, is bringing back another fan-favorite character, and I’m shocked–in the best way possible. I’ll give you a hint of who it is: “You can trouble me for a warm glass of shut-the-hell-up! Now, you will go to sleep! Or I will PUT you to sleep.”

According to a report from ComicBook, a recent batch of production photos confirmed that Ben Stiller is also set to return. Stiller will be reprising his role as the unforgettable (and hilariously terrible) nursing home orderly, Hal L., who tormented Happy’s grandma in the original film.

Stiller was spotted filming scenes this week, sporting Hal’s signature name tag and unmistakable attitude. While we don’t know exactly how Hal’s return fits into the storyline of Happy Gilmore 2, it’s safe to say his scenes will be memorable, given his scene-stealing role in the first movie. As for the plot? Details are still being kept under wraps, but casting news has been trickling in, giving fans plenty to look forward to.

Sandler has been teasing some of the new cast for a while. Back in August, he hinted at Kansas City Chief player Travis Kelce’s involvement, saying on The Tonight Show, “We have something nice for Travis,” when asked about the NFL star’s rumored role. Kelce himself was equally coy on his podcast New Heights, saying he’d do “anything to be involved” in HG 2. “I didn’t even know there was a job opening for Happy Gilmore 2, but if there is, I’ll be a freaking extra,” Kelce joked, sharing his enthusiasm to be part of Sandler’s universe.

It sounds like the upcoming 2025 movie release is shaping up to be a worthy sequel to one of the best golf movies, and well worth the wait.

Unfortunately for fans hoping to catch Happy Gilmore 2 on the big screen, the film will skip theaters entirely and head straight streaming, meaning you’ll need a Netflix subscription. While Sandler’s partnership with one of the best streaming service platforms has been incredibly successful, there’s something nostalgic about seeing his classic characters like Happy Gilmore on the big screen—where the original helped cement Sandler as a comedy legend. Whether it's on a big screen or small, though, it will be exciting to see Stiller return as the evil mustachioed Hal.

Happy Gilmore 2 doesn't currently have a release date, but filming is expected to end sometime this month so it’s likely drop in the later half of next year. We will be sure to give you updates if anything changes, but, until then check out all the upcoming Netflix movies and TV shows to watch while waiting.

Some actors excel in dramas, others in action flicks; but there are also others whose best work happens to be in some of the best romantic comedies of all time. Nothing against Hugh Grant, Meg Ryan, or Colin Firth’s more dramatic or action-oriented work, but let’s be real for a second and admit that Four Weddings and a Funeral, When Harry Met Sally, and Bridget Jones’s Diary, as well as their other work in the genre, is why they’re so beloved.

That said, here are 32 actors whose best roles are rom-coms…

Hugh Grant

With movies like Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Love Actually, and Bridget Jones’s Diary to his name (and many, many more), it’s no wonder Hugh Grant’s name comes up rather frequently when discussing the best rom-coms ever made. Sure, his work in Paddington 2 and Remains of the Day is great, but the man knows how to anchor a romantic comedy with that signature charm and wit.

Renée Zellweger

Sure, Renée Zellweger won her two Oscars in dramas – Cold Mountain and Judy – but that doesn’t mean those were her best roles. Again, they were both great, but don’t hold a candle to her work as the titular character in Bridget Jones’s Diary or her star-making performance in Jerry Maguire. More than 20 years after first playing those iconic characters, Zellweger’s work is still received with heaps of praise.

Julia Roberts

One of the queens of the ‘90s rom-com, Julia Roberts bookended the final decade of the 20th century with legendary performances in Pretty Woman and Notting Hill. Those roles, which should be revisited annually if we’re being honest, helped pave the way for Roberts’ stellar career.

Meg Ryan

It’s impossible to put together a list of Meg Ryan’s best movies and not include the likes of When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, and You’ve Got Mail, to name a few. The rom-com mainstay, who shared the screen with Tom Hanks, Billy Crystal, and Kevin Kline over the years, has given us unforgettable moments and more beloved characters than just about anyone.

Cameron Diaz

My Best Friend’s Wedding, There’s Something About Mary, The Holiday, The Sweetest Thing, and countless other romantic comedies made Cameron Diaz one of the biggest stars of the past 30 years. The actress has shown off her more dramatic roles in everything from Any Given Sunday and Being John Malkovich, but her performances in those rom-coms can’t be touched.

Drew Barrymore

Long before Drew Barrymore became one of the premier names in the world of daytime talk shows, she held it down in the rom-com circuit. Fever Pitch, Never Been Kissed, 50 First Dates, and The Wedding Singer are just some of Barrymore’s best romantic comedies. And while she does have a killer scene in the opening minutes of Scream, these are her most memorable performances.

Colin Firth

As much as we love watching Colin Firth play Mr. Darcy in Pride & Prejudice, his more modern take on the character in Bridget Jones’s Diary is the stuff of legend. Firth, a tremendous dramatic actor in his own right, has been a staple of the romantic comedy over the years thanks in part to those Bridget Jones movies, Mamma Mia!, and Love Actually. However, don’t let this take away from the greatness of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy or The King’s Speech.

Billy Crystal

When Harry Met Sally is one of the first movies to come to mind whenever the topic of hilarious Billy Crystal movies comes up. Filled with some of the funniest lines (and others filled with heartbreak and emotion), Crystal’s work in the rom-com genre is absolutely fantastic, be it movies like America’s Sweethearts or Forget Paris. And The Princess Bride sort of counts, right?

Cary Grant

Few Hollywood leading men have a resume as great as Cary Grant, an actor who appeared in dozens of romantic comedies over the years. Charade, The Philadelphia Story, Holiday, and so many others have long cemented Grant’s place in the annuls of rom-com history, and those hilarious and heartfelt performances are still cherished many years after his death.

Charlie Chaplin

Charlie Chaplin was the king of the silent film and an actor who could do anything from drama to slapstick to romantic comedy better than just about every single one of his contemporaries. Chaplin’s 1931 rom-com, City Lights, helped define the genre and has been a benchmark for nearly 100 years.

Nia Long

Nia Long has so many great movies to her name, including Friday, Boyz n the Hood, Big Momma’s House, and Soul Food. This also includes some all-time great romantic comedies from the ‘90s like Love Jones, The Best Man, and Hav Plenty. Though her name doesn’t come up as much as it should, Long is still in a league of her own.

Diane Keaton

Diane Keaton won an Oscar for her titular in Woody Allen’s Annie Hall, but the talented actress has several other iconic rom-coms to her name. Something’s Gotta Give, Manhattan, The Family Stone, and Baby Boom all show off the incredible skill and nuance of this once-in-a-generation actress. And this is coming from someone who thinks The Godfather is one of the top five movies of all time.

Audrey Hepburn

Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Charade, Sabrina, Roman Holiday, and My Fair Lady are all some of the funniest movies of the 20th century, and all happen to feature the unmatched talent of Audrey Hepburn in iconic roles. The late actress had a great number of dramatic roles over the years, but her charm and charisma seen in these rom-coms made her one of the all-time greats.

Constance Wu

Constance Wu has all kinds of great film and TV roles on her resume, but for some, she’ll always be remembered for her portrayal of Rachel Chu in Crazy Rich Asians. The massively popular romantic comedy about a Chinese-American NYU professor learning her boyfriend is a member of the richest and most powerful family in Singapore still hits more than a half-decade after its release.

Richard Gere

Though Richard Gere has killed it in dramas like An Officer and a Gentleman and musicals like Chicago, those performances don’t hold a candle to, at least culturally, to his role as Edward Lewis in Pretty Woman. Gere and co-star Julia Roberts would rekindle that spark less than a decade later with another great rom-com, Runaway Bride.

Reese Witherspoon

The Importance of Being Earnest, Sweeet Home Alabama, and Legally Blonde all allowed Reese Witherspoon to show off comedic skills in romantic comedies, and those roles remain some of her best. Sure, she won an Oscar for Walk the Line, but there’s no touching Elle Woods.

Henry Golding

Henry Golding had already had some success by the time he was cast as the uber-wealthy Nick Young in Crazy Rich Asians, but his performance in the 2018 romantic comedy sent him to the next level. He’s found success in movies like The Gentlemen and The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare since then, but his rom-com performance is still his best.

Eva Mendes

Eva Mendes has long killed it in comedies, romance movies, and romantic comedies. Take Hitch for example. The 2005 rom-com starring Will Smith as a professional “date doctor” who meets his match in Mendes’ character was so much fun and allowed the actress to show off all of her skills in a fun and meaningful way.

Sandra Bullock

While You Were Sleeping, Hope Floats, The Proposal, and Two Weeks Notice are just a few of Sandra Bullock’s all-time great romantic comedies. The Academy Award-winning actress has long been one of the best to attempt the genre, and she’ll have a long-lasting legacy because of those strong, vulnerable, and incredibly relatable characters.

Michael Ealy

Over the years, Michael Ealy has put together a crazy good filmography, one that is filled with medical dramas and thrillers, action flicks and comedies, etc. But let’s not forget all the great work he’s done in the world of romantic comedies. Kissing Jessica Stein, Think Like a Man, and About Last Night have all shown what the talented actor is working with.

Adam Sandler

Though not the prototypical romantic lead, there are so many great Adam Sandler rom-coms out there. From The Wedding Singer to Punch-Drunk Love and 50 First Dates to Spanglish there’s so much variety and fun to be had with his stellar filmography.

Jennifer Garner

13 Going on 30, anyone? Jennifer Garner became one of the queens of the rom-com with the release of her 2004 comedy about a young girl who is transformed into a 30-year-old magazine editor and undergoes a massive transformation (both physically and emotionally). She’s also appeared in other great comedies of the era like Ghosts of Girlfriends Past and Love, Simon, to name a few.

Woody Allen

Woody Allen’s monologue in the opening minutes of Manhattan is honestly one of the best cinematic moments of the ‘70s and features some of Allen’s best writing. That’s saying something considering the writer-director-actor has been a part of so many great rom-coms over the years. Annie Hall, Midnight in Paris, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, and Hannah and her Sisters have made us laugh, cry, and feel everything in between over the past 50-plus years.

Anne Hathaway

Anne Hathaway’s name doesn’t come up in the rom-com discussion as much as it should, which is a shame considering the Oscar-winning actress has killed it in movies like The Princess Diaries, Ella Enchanted, Love & Other Drugs, and so many others. Yeah, she was great in Interstellar and Les Misérables, but there’s no denying her performances in these romantic comedies.

Morris Chestnut

Okay, Morris Chestnut was AMAZING in Boyz n the Hood with his portrayal of Ricky Baker, but the man has become a legend in the rom-com game over the past few decades. Two Can Play That Game, The Best Man, The Brothers, The Perfect Holiday, Breakin’ All the Rules are all classics, thanks in no small part to Chestnut’s performances.

Rachel McAdams

Rachel McAdams’ career has been full of swirling tales of romance like The Notebook, The Vow, and Disobedience, but some of her best work has been in romantic comedies. Wedding Crashers and Midnight in Paris quickly come to mind, but her best performance can be found in About Time, an incredibly emotional and hilarious story of love, loss, and second chances.

John Cusack

Look at the best John Cusack movies and you’ll see iconic rom-coms like High Fidelity, Say Anything, Serendipity, Better Off Dead, and America’s Sweethearts. The vulnerability and likeability of the Hollywood star have made those movies, and the beloved characters he plays in each of them, such gems over the years.

Kate Hudson

Kate Hudson is amazing when it comes to roles in romantic comedies, and few could come close to her batting average in the early-to-mid 2000s. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, My Best Friend’s Girl, Something Borrowed, and A Little Bit of Heaven all come to mind in this regard.

Taye Diggs

Taye Diggs has done it all, but he’s excelled tremendously in the rom-com world. Movies like The Wood, The Best Man, Brown Sugar, and How Stella Got Her Groove Back have shown just how charming and funny the classically trained actor can be.

Ben Stiller

Though an unlikely leading man in the realm of romantic comedies, Ben Still has long excelled in the genre. Over the years, we’ve had sensational comedies like There’s Something About Mary, Along Came Polly, Keeping the Faith, and even Reality Bites that have allowed the comedian-actor-writer-director to show off what he’s working with, and it’s been great all along.

Jennifer Aniston

Jennifer Aniston will always be remembered for her portrayal of Rachel Green on Friends, but let’s not forget that she has also been a longtime staple of the romantic comedy genre. The Break-up, Wanderlust, Just Go With It, The Switch, Rumor Has It, and several others have been perfect movies for Aniston to show off her skills.

Patrick Dempsey

From Can’t Buy Me Love to Made of Honor and everything in between, Patrick Dempsey has been a tour de force in the world of romantic comedies. He’s done great work on TV and in big-screen dramas over the years, but he particularly excels in the rom-com genre.

When a performer says goodbye to the Saturday Night Live cast, it does not necessarily mean forever. Often, the sketch comedy TV show will invite an esteemed alum to appear in an episode either as a special guest or as a headliner, sometimes resulting in a hall-of-fame hosting gig. The following are some of our favorite times a former SNL star made a grand impression when they came back to Studio 8H.

Eddie Murphy

After leaving SNL in 1984, Eddie Murphy came back to host (actually his second time, having hosted while still on the cast in 1982) for an episode later that year, on which he debuted, arguably, his best SNL sketch, "White Like Me." After being honored at the 40th anniversary special, the Academy Award nominee came back to host a third time, resulting in one of the most acclaimed episodes of Season 45.

Ben Stiller

You might have forgotten that Ben Stiller was a cast member since he only lasted four episodes in 1989, which he acknowledged when he first came back to host in 1998 after becoming a bigger name in comedy. He would return to host again 2011 in, followed by a series of recurring appearances as Donald Trump's former attorney, Michael Cohen, in 2018.

Norm Macdonald

Famously, Norm Macdonald was fired from the SNL cast in 1998 for, as the NBC executives at the time claimed, not being funny. Just a year and a half later, he came back to host an episode, during which he joked in his monologue that he had not gotten any funnier but the show had gotten "really bad" since his exit.

Robert Downey Jr.

Before becoming one of the most beloved A-list actors in Hollywood, Robert Downey Jr. was one of the most heavily criticized cast members from one of the most heavily criticized seasons of SNL from 1985 to 1986. He only came back to host once in 1996, during which he proved was the supremely talented performer we know and love and, eventually, became the first former SNL cast member to win an Oscar for Oppenheimer in 2024.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Julia Louis-Dreyfus would not become a comedy icon until after her three-year stint at Studio 8H from 1982 to 1985 when she joined the Seinfeld cast as Elaine Benes. In 2006, fresh off her Emmy win for The New Adventures of Old Christine, she became the first female former SNL cast member to return as a host, which she would follow with two more gigs.

Jimmy Fallon

After a successful six years at SNL from 1998 to 2004, Jimmy Fallon would return for three hosting gigs and countless cameos. Each time the late-night TV host comes back to Studio 8H tends to be a celebrated affair, especially because there is a good chance that his friend, Justin Timberlake, will show up to participate in a new edition of "The Barry Gibb Talk Show" or some other sketch.

John Mulaney

While he was never part of the SNL cast, John Mulaney would perform a few funny segments on "Weekend Update" during his five years on the writing staff. He would later become one of the biggest names in stand-up comedy and such a beloved host that he joined the Five-Timers Club within only four years.

Dan Aykroyd

Sometimes, for a cast veteran, the key to a memorable hosting gig is to wait an exceptionally long time to come back as an SNL host, much like Dan Aykroyd did. The legendary, Canadian-American comedy star, known for sketches like “The Coneheads” and “Super Bass-o-Matic ‘76” from his tenure as a Not Ready for Primetime Player, headlined an episode in 2003, more than two decades after leaving the show.

Sarah Silverman

Sarah Silverman is actually one of several SNL cast members who only lasted one season but still ended up becoming a huge success in the end. Two decades after she was let go from the series, the acclaimed comedian hosted a funny episode from Season 40.

Martin Short

It is hard to believe that a performer like Martin Short was only an SNL cast member for one season but he has, luckily, continued to demonstrate his dynamic comedic talents through memorable hosting gigs. His first hosting gig from 1986 was shared with his Three Amigos co-stars, Chevy Chase and Steve Martin – the latter of which he would co-host with again in 2022.

Adam Sandler

Surprisingly, despite making a couple of cameos over the years, Adam Sandler would not host SNL until 2019, which resulted in an instant favorite episode in which he sang two memorable songs. The former "SNL Bad Boy's" first tune (including a Chris Rock appearance) was during his monologue and discussed how he was fired after four seasons in 1995 and the other was a tribute to Chris Farley.

Kate McKinnon

After 10 wonderful years at SNL, the great Kate McKinnon would return a year and a half later to host the last episode of 2023, which proved to be a very successful episode, and not just because it featured cameos by Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, and her Barbie director, Greta Gerwig. Also, in Season 49, she would also come back for one more appearance as alien abduction victim Colleen Rafferty to make host Ryan Gosling laugh uncontrollably once again.

Chevy Chase

Only two weeks after his final episode as an SNL cast member, Chevy Chase made a hilarious, self-mocking cameo in the cold open as himself, performing music for tips outside of 30 Rock. He would continue to return for more cameos and eventually became the first host to join the Five-Timers Club before the idea of it had been suggested by Tom Hanks.

Billy Crystal

In a unique twist on this topic, Billy Crystal was actually meant to appear on the very first episode of SNL in 1975 but was ultimately cut for time, as depicted in the 2024 movie Saturday Night. As his notoriety increased, the comedian was asked to host twice in 1984 before being hired later that year as a cast member, during which he lit up the screen with his impersonation of Fernando Lamas and other notable characters.

Tina Fey

Having served as both "Weekend Update" host and head writer near the end of her nine-year tenure, Tina Fey was a true SNL MVP but some of her most memorable moments on the show occurred after her 2006 exit. Prior to her Five-Timers Club induction, the 30 Rock creator and star made numerous appearances as Sarah Palin that earned rave reviews.

Dana Carvey

A key element to SNL's new golden era from 1986 to 1993 was Dana Carvey and his wonderful talent for impressions, which he would continue to lend to Studio 8H in the years since his exit. The Wayne's World star is one of the most frequent returning cast members, especially in Season 50 as President Joe Biden.

David Spade

Many of David Spade's funniest quotes originate from his six years on SNL in the early-to-mid-1990s. His blunt, sarcastic, and sometimes unapologetically brutal delivery of mockery at other celebrities' expense would serve him well in his hosting gigs – the first of which included a cold open featuring Brad Pitt as his therapist.

Kristen Wiig

The final episode of SNL's 37th Season was the final episode for a few notable cast members but it ended with a grand send-off purely dedicated to Kristen Wiig's esteemed seven years, which included some hilarious quotes. It was not long before the Oscar nominee was asked to bring back her famous characters as a host and her Season 49 episode saw her induction into the Five-Timers Club.

Chris Farley

After becoming one of SNL's most esteemed icons during his five-season run and proving to be a box office draw with movies like Tommy Boy, Chris Farley was at the height of his fame when he came back to host two years after leaving. However, his October 1997 episode is now remembered more somberly because, only two months later, he would pass away from a drug overdose at the age of 33.

Maya Rudolph

Maya Rudolph proved herself as an all-time great during her seven years on SNL in the 2000s. She would return for multiple hosting gigs and an innumerable amount of special guest appearances, most notably as her Emmy-winning portrayal of Kamala Harris.

Pete Davidson

For his clever "Weekend Update" commentaries, fascinating personal life, and title as the youngest SNL cast member on record, Pete Davidson was one of the series' most talked about performers when he left at the end of Season 47. He was initially meant to return as a host for the following season but, due to the Writers' Strike, he instead returned for the Season 49 premiere, which featured a viral pre-filmed bit poking fun at his post-SNL career inspired by Barbie's "I'm Just Ken."

Tracy Morgan

Impersonations of the likes of Al Sharpton and Oprah Winfrey and hilarious original characters like Brian Fellow and Astronaut Jones made Tracy Morgan a force to be reckoned with during his seven years on SNL. As a result, each of the 30 Rock cast member's returns to the Studio 8H stage as a host or guest have been warm celebrations of his best moments as a cast member.

Paul Shaffer

Starting off as a member of Studio 8H's house band, Paul Shaffer later made history as the first person to drop the F-bomb on SNL during his 1979-1980 stint on the cast. Of course, he bounced back from the incident without issue and would make cameos on the show and host an episode from 1987 after being David Letterman's bandleader greatly increased his notoriety.

Damon Wayans

One of the most infamous SNL cast firings is that of Damon Wayans, who changed the nature of a character on the fly in the middle of a broadcast in 1986. The comedian would find even greater success as a member of the In Living Color cast and, in 1995, was asked to come back as a host.

Phil Hartman

It is easy to understand why some argue that Phil Hartman is the greatest SNL cast member of all time and why, just two years after his exit, he was asked to host twice in 1996. We have no doubt we would have seen more of the Emmy winner gracing the Studio 8H stage again if not for his untimely murder in 1998 at the age of 49.

Chris Rock

The first "Bad Boy of SNL" to return as a host was Chris Rock in 1996, which was three years after his departure. At that point, the comedian had found decent subsequent success by making appearances on the show's biggest competitor at the time, In Living Color.

Jason Sudeikis

While he would make several post-exit guest appearances, Jason Sudeikis' first time hosting in 2021 was eight years after he left the show, which was actually a year later than he had intended. The gig was a big moment, given his Emmy-winning success on Ted Lasso at the time and his heartfelt opening monologue celebrating his time as a writer-turned-cast member.

Will Ferrell

Despite a hiccup or two in his early days on the cast, Will Ferrell became one of the most beloved SNL cast members of the 90s and early 2000s. His many appearances since, including five hosting gigs, have resulted in some of the show's most celebrated moments in recent years.

Amy Poehler

Amy Poehler's impeccable skills of impersonation and arsenal of uproarious characters made her seven years on SNL a one-of-a-kind era. Her many notable appearances since include co-hosting with her friend and one-time "Weekend Update" co-anchor Tina Fey in 2015 and making cameoing as Leslie Knope alongside her fellow former Parks and Recreation cast member, Aubrey Plaza, in 2023.

Darrell Hammond

One of the all-time longest-standing SNL cast members is Darrell Hammond with 14 seasons but his time at Studio 8H would not stop there after all. In addition to making special appearances – most notably in "Celebrity Jeopardy!" sketches as Sean Connery – the actor would succeed Don Pardo as the show's announcer when Pardo passed away in 2014.

Molly Shannon

Three-time Emmy nominee Molly Shannon is the driving force behind one of the most iconic SNL characters to earn their own movie, Mary Katherine Gallagher. The misfit Catholic high school student is just one character she has brought back for her numerous appearances on the show since leaving in 2001, including two hosting gigs.

Bill Murray

After Chevy Chase left in 1976, stepping in to join the Not Ready for Primetime Players was Bill Murray, who hilariously acknowledged his struggle to make an impression on SNL early on in a famous sketch. Of course, the Oscar nominee would quickly achieve wild notoriety in the 1980s, which made his subsequent five hosting gigs and additional cameos much-celebrated occasions.

Yes, we’re still waiting for the return of one of Apple TV+’s best shows, Severance, and yes, we have to keep waiting until 2025. So, for all you fans who are anticipating Severance Season 2, buckle in for a little while longer and take a few deep breaths. Thankfully, though, as we creep closer to the premiere of Season 2, one of the show’s directors and executive producers, Ben Stiller, has also opened up about this frustrating wait, and his most recent comments actually made me feel better about all this.

Fans, Ben Stiller gets it. He understands that the wait for Severance has been frustrating, and he wants to release the episodes too. While speaking with Variety, he opened up about all this and the expectations that are on the show to deliver. He said:

When Stiller has addressed Severance delays in the past, he’s always been compassionate toward fans. However, it’s nice to know that he really gets it, and he’s right there with us.

Along with the above comment, Stiller dived deeper into the expectations that are on Severance. Season 1 was met with a lot of acclaim and love, and people dove deep into the wild mystery that surrounds Lumon and the severance procedure. Now, viewers can’t wait to find out what happens next, and the director is hoping they like it, as he said:

I’ve always had faith in them! While I’m also a bit flustered by the wait that’s lasted over two years, I’ve maintained that Season 2 would live up to Season 1, and Stiller’s quotes reinforce that.

Making me feel even better about the wait, the Zoolander actor continued to explain why he’s “excited” for viewers to watch the sophomore season of Severance, saying:

I guess the perk to all this time between seasons is that the cast and creatives have lived in this world for a lot longer. As Stiller said, they really “understand” them now, and I can’t wait to see where their stories go.

I’m specifically excited to see Mark’s return. Adam Scott is excellent in the role, and he was really starting to crack the conspiracy open surrounding Lumon and the mystery regarding his wife Gemma and Ms. Casey at the end of Severance Season 1.

Along with him, I can’t wait to see this killer ensemble back together. Plus, I’m really hoping that various topics – like the goats – get addressed, because the Severance theories surrounding them are wild.

It sounds like Ben Stiller knows this wait is though, and he’s also excited for the world to see what they’re working on. So, now, I’m feeling pretty good about Severance Season 2. Obviously, I’m still not thrilled that we have to wait until January 17, 2025, to watch it. However, the director and EP’s comments made me feel better, and reignited my enthusiasm about what’s to come in this wild workplace thriller!

In our lifetimes, the only turn of a century we’ve witnessed is the move from the 1990s to the 2000s. It was an exciting time in the world of Hollywood, between superhero franchises like the Spider-Man and X-Men trilogies making comic books mainstream and adaptations of book series like Lord of the Rings and the Harry Potter films becoming some of the biggest blockbusters of the decade. But, many of the best movies of the 2000s wouldn’t have been possible without the star power of several actors of the time. 

In celebration of an incredible decade in movies, we chose the quintessential film of 32 actors of the 2000s. Check it out: 

Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl)

Johnny Depp was unquestionably one of the biggest stars of the 2000s after previously making a name for himself throughout the 1990s, most notably with his work with Tim Burton and in the independent film space. Looking back, the No. 1 movie of his was his debut as Captain Jack Sparrow in the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie in 2003. The actor helped create the best fumbling pirate we’ve ever seen before, going on to make four more of its kind. Fans are still talking about this movie and even writing and signing petitions for the actor to reprise the role. 

Nicole Kidman (Moulin Rouge!)

Nicole Kidman was one of the most in demand actresses of the 2000s, so much so that she did an average of three movies a year across the first half of it. Her greatest movie of the decade is actually the first of them from that time period: Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge! The jukebox musical was a commercial success, award season darling and we’ll always go back to her role as Satine. 

Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man) 

After Robert Downey Jr. was in the public eye for addiction-related setbacks, he found a way to make a comeback throughout the 2000s with a ton of great movies like Zodiac, Good Night and Good Luck and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. But the best of the best was his turn as Iron Man in 2008. 

Samuel L. Jackson (Unbreakable) 

Samuel L. Jackson was a major fixture of the 1990s, between saying “Hold onto your butts!” in Jurassic Park, starring in Pulp Fiction or starring with Bruce Willis in Die Hard with a Vengeance. His prominence as an actor remained strong in the 2000s with all sorts of roles, including as Mace Windu in Star Wars, but his greatest is in M. Night Shyamalan’s unique superhero film, Unbreakable. 

Scarlett Johansson (Lost In Translation)

Scarlett Johansson was a major star in the 2010s, especially as an Avenger, but she really blossomed into this throughout the 2000s, between movies like Ghost World, Match Point, The Island or The Prestige. The performance that really carried the audience’s love for her throughout the decade was in Sofia Coppola’s Lost In Translation alongside Bill Murray, where they play unlikely friends who meet in Tokyo. 

 Will Smith (The Pursuit of Happyness)

After Will Smith had a hugely successful decade in the '90s between Bad Boys, Independence Day and being The Fresh Prince, Smith notably took his career a step further in the 2000s. He took on a number of more dramatic roles like Ali and Seven Pounds during this time that deserved the actor an Oscar, but there’s no movie more special than 2006’s The Pursuit of Happyness. In the film, he helped tell the true story of a homeless salesman and his son. 

Reese Witherspoon (Legally Blonde)

“What, like it’s hard?” Of course, the defining Reese Witherspoon movie of the 2000s is Legally Blonde! The 2001 movie continues to be one of the most quotable comedies and Elle Woods is a beloved heroine in modern pop culture. As a whole, Witherspoon was serving throughout the decade by also starring in things like the Johnny Cash biopic Walk The Line or the rom-coms Sweet Home Alabama and Just Like Heaven.

Brad Pitt (Inglourious Basterds)

The 2000s was a huge decade of career expansion for Brad Pitt after his heartthrob beginnings in critically-acclaimed '90s flicks such as Interview with a Vampire, Seven, Fight Club. The cream of the crop for a very busy Pitt during this time has to be Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, where he played Lt. Aldo Raine in an alternate history story about World War II. 

Jim Carrey (Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind)

The stardom of Jim Carrey was deep in the fixture of 2000s movies through a ton of big movies like How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Bruce Almighty or Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. But one of the actor’s most dramatic roles, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, stands as his best of the decade. The sci-fi romance imagines a world where one could have a procedure to forget their ex, and asks big questions about memory and love. 

Kate Hudson (Almost Famous) 

Kate Hudson has called Almost Famous “the beginning of everything” for her, and it really was career-wise for the actress. When the movie came out in 2000, it started a massive decade for her that would have her in flicks like How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days, The Skeleton Key and Nine among a ton of roles. The Cameron Crowe movie had Hudson playing Penny Lane, a groupie of a '70s band. 

Tom Hanks (Cast Away)

The 2000s marked Tom Hanks third decade as a movie star and it was another solid time for the actor, particularly for more serious roles. While there are a lot of close contenders like Road To Perdition, Catch Me If You Can and The Terminal, his greatest movie of that time was Cast Away. Hanks gives an all-time performance as a man who gets stranded on an island alone. We never knew we could cry over a volleyball before the 2000 movie. 

Meryl Streep (Mamma Mia!)

Meryl Streep turned 50 in 1999. While that historically has spelled bad news for female actors in Hollywood, Streep proved she could still be one of the biggest stars in her middle-aged years with a ton of performances in the 2000s. From Adaptation to The Hours, The Devil Wear Prada, Lions For Lambs, Doubt, Julie & Julia, Fantastic Mr. Fox and It’s Complicated, this time was an embarrassment of riches for the actress, but if we had to pick one, the iconic Mamma Mia! is the one we’re still singing all the words to. 

Denzel Washington (Training Day)

Denzel Washington’s place as one of the most impressive living actors was apparent in the 2000s through a productive decade full of critically-acclaimed performances. The ultimate Washington movie of the time we’ve chosen is 2001’s Training Day, which in turn earned him his second Oscar win. But, the actor made a ton of great hits during this time like Remember The Titans, Antwone Fisher, Man on Fire, Inside Man, American Gangster and The Great Debaters. 

Tom Cruise (Minority Report) 

After Tom Cruise starred in movies like Rain Man, Top Gun, the first Mission: Impossible and Magnolia in the '80s and '90s, he continued to be a major actor into the 2000s with a ton of fresh roles. His best of the decade is arguably one of his two collaborations with Steven Spielberg, Minority Report. The sci-fi flick has Cruise’s character on the run for a crime he has not committed in an imagined 2054. 

Julia Roberts (Erin Brockovich)

Julia Roberts made a string of romantic comedies in the ‘90s, but when the new century came along, she diversified her career with a lot more dramatic roles. Her best movie during this time was in 2000’s Erin Brockovich. The biographical movie from Steven Soderbergh about groundwater contamination also earned Roberts an Oscar for Best Actress. 

Matt Damon (The Bourne Identity) 

It felt like Matt Damon was in all the movies back in the 2000s after he and Ben Affleck wowed Hollywood with Good Will Hunting in 1997. The actor was in 20 movies across this decade, but the best of them was 2002's action thriller The Bourne Identity. He would go on to star in an entire trilogy as Jason Bourne. 

Leonardo DiCaprio (Catch Me If You Can) 

Leonardo DiCaprio became a verified movie star when he said “I’m king of the world!” in 1997’s Titanic. As he moved into his mid-twenties and thirties in the 2000s, he started working closely with Martin Scorsese in a series of movies (Gangs Of New York, The Aviator and The Departed). However, his best comes from Steven Spielberg with Catch Me If You Can. The biographical crime comedy had DiCaprio playing a con man alongside Tom Hanks. 

Kirsten Dunst (Marie Antoinette)

Kirsten Dunst got her start as a child actor in the '90s in movies such as Jumanji and Interview with a Vampire before starring in films like The Virgin Suicides and Drop Dead Gorgeous at the tail end of the '90s. Dunst officially became an adult in the 2000s and made tons of movies, from being Mary-Jane Watson in the Spider-Man movies to being in Bring It On. Her second collaboration with Sofia Coppola as the famed French archduchess is her best work of the decade. 

Adam Sandler (Punch-Drunk Love)

Even though the 2000s didn’t quite top Adam Sandler’s amazing Saturday Night Live star into movie star turn, he was in all sorts of memorable movies in the 2000s. The one that sticks out the most is his collaboration with Paul Thomas Anderson with 2002’s Punch-Drunk Love. Unlike his screwball comedies, it’s an earnest rom-com that may not have been popular, but it is unforgettable. 

Will Ferrell - Anchorman

Will Ferrell’s acting career really took off in the 2000s in a massive way. He left Saturday Night Live in 2002 after seven seasons on the sketch show and became one of the funniest Hollywood movie stars. His most hilarious leading role has to be in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, where he played a 1970s news host. 

George Clooney (Ocean’s Eleven)

It’s not easy to choose the best George Clooney role of the 2000s given the sheer amount of solid movies he starred in at the time. From his Coen Brothers’ movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? to his Oscar-winning role in Syriana. But, it simply wouldn’t have been the 2000s without Clooney leading the pack in Ocean’s Eleven (and the trilogy it became). He’s effortlessly cool as the master plotter of a casino heist. 

Gwyneth Paltrow (The Royal Tenenbaums) 

Paltrow was in a load of films during this decade, coming off her Oscar win in Shakespeare In Love. But, among a cast including Owen Wilson, Danny Glover, Gene Hackman, Bill Murray, Anjelica Huston and Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow’s Margot stole the show and therefore finds a spot as her No.1 2000s role. 

Halle Berry (Monster's Ball) 

The 2000s was an iconic moment for Halle Berry, who became Storm in X-Men and starred in Catwoman and as a Bond girl in Die Another Day. Her best role is her Oscar-winning lead in 2001’s Monster’s Ball. The movie is about a widower who unknowingly begins a relationship with a corrections officer who assisted in the execution of her late husband. 

Christian Bale (The Dark Knight) 

Christian Bale started the 2000s as the star of American Psycho and ended it as the star of Michael Mann’s Public Enemies alongside Johnny Depp. But unquestionably, Bale’s performance in one of the most seminal movies of the 2000s, The Dark Knight, is our pick. His second outing as Bruce Wayne/Batman is elevated when Heath Ledger’s haunting Joker struts into Gotham. 

Jennifer Garner (13 Going On 30) 

During the 2000s, Jennifer Garner became famous for starring in the TV show Alias. But at the same time, she established herself as a movie star, too. What caught our hearts the most was her role in 13 Going On 30 alongside Mark Ruffalo. It’s a blast to see the actress play a teen in an adult’s body. 

Ben Stiller (Tropic Thunder) 

The 2000s had Ben Stiller becoming a movie star in his own right, between the hilarious Meet The Parents in 2000, to Zoolander and Along Came Polly. His best movie of this era was one he wrote, directed and starred in. Tropic Thunder is a hilarious satirical action comedy with a star-studded cast that we’re still laughing about over a decade later. 

Russell Crowe (A Beautiful Mind) 

After becoming a familiar face for his roles in the '90s, Russell Crowe became an all-time great actor of the 2000s by starring in Gladiator, Cinderella Man, American Gangster, Master and Commander and 3:10 To Yuma. If you’ve seen his performance in 2001’s A Beautiful Mind, you likely never forgot Crowe’s inspired performance as schizophrenic mathematician John Nash. 

Nicolas Cage (Adaptation) 

Nicolas Cage’s third decade in movies was a busy one that had him in more big-budget movies than ever between National Treasure and Ghost Rider, but Spike Jonze’s Adaptation takes the prize as he played twin brothers, one struggling with writer’s block and the other deciding to copy his brother’s ambitions.

Keira Knightley (Pride & Prejudice) 

Keira Knightley turned fifteen when the 21st century began, but it wasn’t long before she became a movie star – leading movies like Bend it Like Beckham, Pirates of the Caribbean and Love, Actually. The defining Knightley performance of her first decade as a big-screen actress was in the film adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. 

Jack Black (School of Rock) 

Jack Black had a massive decade in movies in the 2000s, but one cannot forget how perfect he was in the role of Dewey Finn in School of Rock. The 2003 movie allowed the actor to flex his musician muscles and unique charm as he played a failed rock star turned imposter substitute teacher. 

Drew Barrymore (50 First Dates)

Drew Barrymore had the chance to come into her own as a movie star in her adulthood in the 2000s following being a child actor in films like E.T. and Firestarter. She had an awesome decade that included Charlie’s Angels, He’s Just Not That Into You and Whip It, but her role with Adam Sandler as a forgetful love interest remains one of her best and most hilarious (yet heartwarming) roles. 

Hugh Jackman (The Prestige) 

Hugh Jackman started his career in theater in the '90s, but in the 2000s he quickly became a big star. Sure, he became Wolverine for the first time in the X-Men movies, played Van Helsing and starred in Kate & Leopold, but it was particularly special to see his role in Christopher Nolan’s The Prestige. He’s amazing as a magician who feuds with Christian Bale’s character over the ultimate magic trick. 

Anyone else feeling nostalgic for the decade of the 2000s, now? It was an amazing time for great movies and the movie stars we saw everywhere like the people above. 

In recent years, Ben Stiller has notably executed a transition in his career. While he was once recognized as one of the industry's biggest comedic stars, his last leading role in a feature was all the way back in 2017 playing the titular character in Mike White's dramedy Brad's Status. His focus instead lately has been more behind the scenes, honing his skills as a director and producer making shows like Showtime's Escape At Dannemora and AppleTV+'s Severance – but after nearly a decade away, Stiller is now back playing the lead in director David Gordon Green's Nutcrackers, which premiered this week at the Toronto International Film Festival.

It's a welcomed return. The actor has a special knack for playing high-strung characters who regularly reach comedic levels of frustration, and the movie most definitely uses opportunities to exercise that particular skill of his. While that particular bit of the familiar is fun, however, it's part of a film that is otherwise overly familiar, as it plays out a story that audiences have seen many, many times, and you can predict the vast majority of what's going to happen before the end of the first 10 minutes.

Written by Leland Douglas, Nutcrackers stars Ben Stiller as Michael, a business-focused, Chicago-based real estate developer who travels out to rural Ohio following the death of his estranged sister and brother-in-law. He is under the impression that he is simply going to sign some papers that transition his four nephews (Homer Janson, Ulysses Janson, Atlas Janson, and Arlo Janson) into a foster home, but he instead ends up being their guardian due to a failed background check.

Michael is horrified to find that the four Kicklighter boys live practically feral lifestyles – as they constantly stir up chaos and their house is a mess that is overrun by animals. The protagonist becomes determined to find them a new home so that he can return to important business deals that are transpiring without him in Chicago, but the more time he spends with the kids, the more he grows to love them.

That is a purposefully vague description of the plot in Nutcrackers, but I nonetheless expect that you already have a pretty clear idea of where the story goes in the movie, and I'll tell you upfront that there aren't any twists that will throw you for a loop. The film has eccentricities, mostly involving the very strange Kicklighter lifestyle and their menagerie of in-home critters (cats, dogs, chickens, peacocks, pigs, snakes and more), but they end up being hints of flavor in what is otherwise a mostly lackluster meal.

There is some setup for special fun to be had, with Michael and the boys attending a the Christmas party of a wealthy neighbor (Toby Huss) hoping to get him and his wife to consider adoption, and an odd foster mom (Edi Patterson) who wants the boys to become a part of her home, but both sequences end up petering out without surprises.

To its detriment, Nutcrackers never attempts any big swings or executes any particularly notable creativity, but it can be said that there is an honest earnestness, and without injecting any kind of real cynicism, it never feels cloying or saccharine. The film finds a sweet spot in its sweetness when Michael and the boys visit Michael's sister's ballet studio and ultimately find inspiration to put on a performance of an updated version of The Nutcracker – hence, the name of the movie. You're not going to end up with stomach cramps from laughing too hard, but you also won't be finding yourself rolling your eyes. (Needless to say, it's a pretty big tonal pivot from David Gordon Green, whose feature work in the last six years has consisted of the recent Halloween trilogy and Exorcist: Believer.)

Nutcrackers is a "nice" movie, but it's also pretty forgettable. While it doesn't have distribution set up yet, it feels like a film that families may give a shot as something new while looking for entertainment during the holiday season between rewatches of Christmas classics like It's A Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story. It will be enjoyed, but probably won't end up as part of anyone's regular traditions.

Stay tuned here on CinemaBlend in the coming days for more of our on the ground coverage of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, and you can preview all of the features that are on the way between now and the end of the year with our 2024 Movie Release Calendar.

During the late ‘90s and throughout the 2000s, Ben Stiller dominated the big screen with his comedy flair. While his best movies like Zoolander and Dodgeball show the American actor completely transforming himself into outlandish characters, the self-deprecating humor shown in Meet the Parents and There’s Something About Mary can make Stiller relatable to audiences. After seven years since his last starring role, the Emmy Award winner is returning to acting for his new movie Nutcrackers with an interesting explanation for the hiatus.

It’s been a long time since Ben Stiller has made us laugh or given us an emotional performance on the big screen. His last starring role was brawling with Adam Sandler in Netflix’s The Meyerowitz Stories as two adult siblings reuniting to celebrate their father’s work in New York City. After that were cameo self roles in films like the black comedy film Greed, the documentary Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics, and the rom-com Bros. In his first starring role in seven years, Stiller tells Variety why he took so much time away from acting:

Ben Stiller is referring to his transition from great actor to great director. While he made his directorial debut in the ‘90s rom-com drama Reality Bites, Stiller made more of a focus on working behind the camera for the 2018 miniseries Escape at Dannemora and then one of the best Apple TV+ shows, Severance. The workplace sci-fi series led to the Cable Guy actor receiving nominations for his directing at the Emmys, the Directors Guild of America, and the Hollywood Critics Association.

But production for season two of Severance was stalled because of the 2023 WGA Writers Strike. This unexpected turn of events led to Ben Stiller’s schedule being wide open to take on a new starring role:

It’s almost like it was meant to be. Set to premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, Nutcrackers has Ben Stiller play a narcissistic workaholic real estate developer left in charge of raising his four nephews after their parents die. Directed by The Exorcist: Believer’s David Gordon Green, the indie comedy-drama will take place on location of an Ohio farm where the Night at the Museum actor will have a wide variety of farm animals to share the screen with.

The most important thing Ben Stiller prioritized when making Nutcrackers was to ensure the young Janson Brothers, who’ve never been on a film set, were kept in check as his character has to be a “jerk” to them in the movie. Emphasizing having a good relationship with the four young actors is incredibly endearing and shows the director in the Tropic Thunder actor still hasn’t escaped him.

After the past seven years working as a director, Ben Stiller decided to return to the big screen starring in Nutcrackers after production for Severance’s second season was on hold. While he had no idea it was that long ago that he starred in a movie, hopefully that means the Greenberg actor will have more acting projects lined up in the future. While Nutcrackers will have its TIFF premiere on September 5th, keep looking at our 2024 movie releases so you’ll know when it eventually hits theaters.

It’s been over two years since Severance — one of the best Apple TV+ original series — left viewers with that wild Season 1 cliffhanger, and now we finally know when we will see what’s next for Mark Scout and the rest of his severed colleagues at Lumon Industries. Severance Season 2 will return on January 17, 2025, Apple TV+ announced, and that’s not all. A sneak peek (which you can see above) gives us a glimpse of the chaos that awaits, including a first look at new cast member Gwendoline Christie. I can’t help but wonder if she’s going to help us figure out what’s up with those goats?

Gwendoline Christie is one of several major additions to the Severance Season 2 cast, with the Game of Thrones veteran joining the ensemble that includes Adam Scott, Zach Cherry, Britt Lower and John Turturro. Details of Christie’s character haven’t been released, but in the sneak peek, we see her tell someone (seemingly Mark and Helly), “You should have left.” It seems she’s definitely in the know about what’s going on at Lumon Industries, but how much is she involved? Were her words a threat or a warning?

From the fluorescent lighting and what looks like an employee badge, I’m assuming she’s inside Lumon. However, in addition to the typical business attire we’ve seen from its employees, Gwendoline Christie’s character appears to be wearing an apron of some sort under her blazer and a kerchief in her hair. Could she be part of a maintenance or cleaning crew? Taking care of baby goats also could be a pretty messy job that requires some extra layers, am I right?

The rest of the new video is just as cryptic, showing mere flashes of Season 2, including what has to be Helly’s Outie walking alone down a corridor after her Innie outed Lumon’s treatment of its severed employees. I can’t wait to dig deeper into Helly’s role in everything. We also see Dylan entering possibly a new area of Lumon, a flipbook of what appears to be drawings of Christopher Walken’s Burt, and a shot of Irving with his head thrown back in laughter.

Tramell Tillman’s Milchick is back, as we see him running down the hallway again, and Helly is shown crawling down Lumon’s halls for reasons unknown. As expected, it looks like we’re going to get more time with Mark outside the office, as Adam Scott’s character is shown outdoors looking pretty terrified, and an overhead shot shows three unknown people all running from (or chasing) something.

It’s hard to know at this point what any of it means, but there’s no doubt fans will start poring over this look at Season 2 and begin forming more wild theories about Gwendoline Christie’s role and the microdata refiners’ fates.

Along with the Star Wars actress, Season 2 adds John Noble, Bob Balaban, Robby Benson, Stefano Carannante, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Alia Shawkat and Merritt Wever. We’ll also see Jen Tullock, Michael Chernus, Dichen Lachman and Patricia Arquette reprising their roles from Season 1.

As little as the Severance Season 2 sneak peek tells us, I’m more excited than ever to get back into that unhinged world. The only drawback is knowing we still have months to wait until its release. However, that means we have plenty of time to get caught up or refreshed on the TV series’ most shocking moments, including when we learned the identity of Helly’s outie and that big twist regarding Mark’s wife.

Severance’s first season can be streamed with an Apple TV+ subscription, and keep an eye on the 2024 TV schedule to see what’s coming soon.

Acting and directing are two very different skills, and for someone to be able to do both is a mark of a hard-working and talented person. It doesn't always work out for actors, but it's remarkable how often it does. Here are 32 such examples of great actors who became great directors as well. 

Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood's career has lasted an unbelievable eight decades. He started humbling with small roles in the '50s and as the decades have gone on, he's only gotten bigger and bigger. After directing his first movie, 1971's Play Misty for Me, he's gone on to helm a remarkable 39 more and has won 2 Best Director Oscars, for 1993's Unforgiven and 2005's Million Dollar Baby.

Ron Howard

Ron Howard has been in the lives and living rooms of Americans since he was just a kid as an actor on The Andy Griffith Show. He went on to star in Happy Days in the 1970s before directing his first low-budget film, Grand Theft Auto, in 1977. He's since gone on to direct such classics as Splash, Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, and many others. 

Bradley Cooper

If the start of Bradley Cooper's directing career is any indication, you can expect huge things. So far, the actor-turned-director has only helmed two movies, A Star Is Born and Maestro and both have been nominated for Best Picture Oscars. Not a shabby record. 

Penny Marshall

Penny Marshall got her first big break on the sitcom The Odd Couple but became a household name as Lavern in Lavern & Shirley. She didn't stay in TV though, instead, she started directing and made two of the most beloved Gen X movies of all time, Big and A League of Their Own. 

Ben Affleck

Ben Affleck might not have been the first actor you picked to become a director, but his stellar career as an actor is matched by his work as a director. In fact, though he's never won an acting Oscar (something that should be remedied), he did win Best Director for Argo. 

Robert Redford

By the time Robert Redford directed his first movie, Ordinary People, in 1980, he was already one of the most legendary film stars ever. The second half of his career is as known for his directing as it is for his acting, with movies like Quiz Show and A River Runs Through It.

Jon Favreau

Jon Favreau's acting career started humbling with supporting roles in movies like Rudy and PCU. After he wrote and starred in Swingers, his star shined a little brighter. That was only the beginning though. Favreau has the honor of directing the movie that launched the most successful film franchise of all time, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Iron Man and its sequel. He's since moved on to Disney live-action remakes with The Lion King and The Jungle Book. Oh, and he also directed one of the most beloved holiday movies ever with. Elf.

Mel Gibson

The controversial career of Mel Gibson began with a small movie that made huge waves in his native Australia. Mad Max made him famous and by the late late-'80s, he was one of the biggest stars in the world. He then moved into directing and reached his pinnacle early with Braveheart for which he won Best Director. 

Richard Attenborough

As an actor, Richard Attenborough starred in massive hits across generations with movies like The Great Escape and Jurassic Park. As a director, he helmed some of the best biopics of all time, like Gandhi, A Cry Freedom, and Chaplin as well a the legendary war flick, A Bridge Too Far. 

Regina King

Regina King's directorial career is only getting started, but judging by her first movie, One Night In Miami, the future is bright. So far, the Academy Award-winning actress has mostly directed TV shows, but you can be sure more films will be coming her way.

Denzel Washington

What can we say about Denzel Washington that hasn't already been said? He's a living legend at this point, as a multiple Oscar winner and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He's also one heck of a director with movies like Fences and The Great Debaters.

John Krasinski

John Krasinski became part of our collective family as Jim on The Office. Who would have thought from that role, his career in Hollywood would reach the point that he is a major power player? Now that he's moved into directing, the sky is truly the limit. The first movie Krasinski directed, The Hollars, made for a humble beginning, but his second, A Quiet Place established him as a force to reckon with and it's since become a franchise.

Elizabeth Banks

Elizabeth Banks might not have been an actor you'd have guessed would go into directing, like others on this list, but she has in a big way. She has shown she can direct blockbusters like Pitch Perfect 2 and indie darlings like that one about the bear who indulges in some, uh, white powder he finds, and goes on a rampage.

Greta Gerwig

Greta Gerwig is quickly becoming a voice of a generation. Her direction and writing of Barbie has been praised far and wide for its snappy dialog and heartfelt message. Gerwig's acting career started in the mid-'00s when she was mostly in smaller, supporting roles. Since moving into directing, she's become a huge star.

Jordan Peele

Key & Peele was a huge hit for Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key, and made them both stars. No one expected Peele to turn to directing horror movies, but that's exactly what he did and we should all be grateful for it. With massive hits like Get Out, Nope, and Us, the future is bright for Peele and for all of us too, who will get to watch his work.

Rob Reiner

Though he had a leg up coming from a Hollywood family, Rob Reiner has staked out a claim all his own in the entertainment business. First as an actor on the hit show All in the Family, then as the director of some of the most loved movies of all time. Starting with his first movie, This is Spinal Tap, and running through the '80s and early '90s, he had an unbelievable run that included The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men, and Misery. Wow!

George Clooney

Not only is George Clooney one of the most bankable movie stars ever, he's also a fantastic director. His acting career is legendary and his directing career, while not quite at the level of his acting, is still fantastic. He's directed TV (Catch-22) and movies (The Boys In The Boat, The Midnight Sky, Good Night, and Good Luck, among others) and you can be sure there will be more from him.

Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie's directing career hasn't always gotten the best reviews, but I'd say her movies are very underrated. The talented actress has an eye for behind the camera as well, and movies like Unbroken and First They Killed My Father are powerful movies.

Billy Bob Thornton

Billy Bob Thornton's acting career came on as a slow burn to fame, but his directing career started with a band. His first film was a masterpiece called Sling Blade. he followed that up with the underrated All The Pretty Horse and a few others, though his pace has slowed over the last couple of decades. Let's hope he finds that directing bug again. 

Ben Stiller

There was a time in the '90s and '00s when it seemed like Ben Stiller was in every movie released. Not only was he working hard in front of the camera, he was killing it behind the camera as well. Starting really with Reality Bites, and moving on to great movies like the controversial but hilarious Tropic Thunder, and the Zoolander movies. 

Jodie Foster

The great Jodie Foster has been an acclaimed actor and star since her teenage years and of course, that talent has translated to directing. Though lately she's done mostly TV work like directing episodes of Black Mirror and Orange is the New Black, she's done a few movies too, like Little Man Tate and Money Monster.

Kevin Costner

In addition to being one of the biggest movie stars on the planet, Kevin Costner has never shied away from making epic films. Though he's only directed four movies in his career, they have all been big films. Starting with Dances With Wolves in 1990, he's since directed The Postman, Open Range, and 2024's Horizon: An American Saga.

Tim Robbins

The directing bug caught Tim Robbins in the early '90s and he directed a couple of great movies with Bob Roberts and Dead Man Walking. He's directed a smattering of movies and TV shows more recently, but he's mostly stuck to acting over the last few years. 

Sean Penn

Since the early 1980s, Sean Penn has been wowing moviegoers with his impressive acting chops and diversity. In the '90s he dipped his toe into directing with his first film, The Indian Runner and has directed a good handful of movies since, with his best being Into The Wild in 2007. 

Zach Braff

Acting-wise Zach Braff's big break came as a regular cast member of the hit sitcom Scrubs. As a directed, he burst onto the scene with his very first movie, Garden State in 2004. He's continued directing here and there over the last 20 years, including the great movie about getting older, Going In Style, and a few others, in addition to some TV work. 

Warren Beatty

In the 1970s, there was no bigger movie star than Warren Beatty. By the end of the decade, he had moved into directing as well, starting with 1978's Heaven Can Wait and continuing the '80s and '90s with acclaimed movies like Red and maybe his most remembered, Dick Tracy in 1990.

Diane Keaton

Diane Keaton is a force of nature. For decades she's been one of the best and most popular actresses in Hollywood, and though she's only dipped her toes into directing, mostly in TV, she's on this list for one important reason. Keaton directed the music video for "Heaven Is A Place On Earth" by Belinda Carlisle and that is a stone-cold Gen X classic. 

Kenneth Branagh

Kenneth Branagh might be as well known for his directing as he is for his acting, and that's really saying something. Not only has he directed some of the best Shakespeare adaptions for the silver screen, but more recently he's been killing it with his Agatha Christie adaptations. 

Leonard Nimoy

Appropriately, Leonard Nimoy's first foray into feature film direction came in the Star Trek franchise when he directed both Star Trek III: The Search For Spock and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Outside of the iconic franchise he helped make famous he also directed the beloved Three Men and a Baby. 

Sylvester Stallone

Sylvester Stallone has always been a self-starter. His work to get the original Rocky made is legendary and after it made him a huge star, he wasted no time getting into directing, starting with Rocky II and adding Rocky III, Rocky IV, and 2006's Rocky Balboa as well. Of course, he's also directed in two other franchises he was at the center of with 2008's Rambo and the first Expendable movie. 

Helen Hunt

This one might surprise you, but Helen Hunt has had an impressive career as a director. Most of her work has been on television on shows varying from her own Mad About You and This Is Us. She also has two feature films under her belt with 2007's Then She Found Me and 2014's Ride. 

Joel Edgerton

Joel Edgerton is seemingly everywhere these days, popping up in all kinds of movies and TV shows from Star Wars stuff to Dark Matter. He's also started directing, but his output is limited, with 2015's underrated The Gift and 2018 Boy Erased. Let's hope he finds more time to direct in his busy schedule.