Jerry Stiller, the comedic mainstay and actor who was known for multiple waves of success, has died of natural causes. Son Ben Stiller confirmed the death with a tweeted statement: “I’m sad to say that my father, Jerry Stiller, passed away from natural causes. He was a great dad and grandfather, and the most dedicated husband to Anne for about 62 years. He will be greatly missed. Love you Dad.” He was 92 years old.
Born in Brooklyn, Jerry Stiller was a classically trained actor who studied at Syracuse University after serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. In 1953, as his career began with bit parts and some notable work with Shakespearean classics, he met Anna Maera in the lobby of a talent agency. Their near-instantaneous spark led to a romantic relationship and they were married a year later. Sensing that Maera would excel in comedy, Stiller entered a professional partnership with his wife. Stiller & Maera would become an inimitable success thanks to multiple appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show—36, to be exact. Much of their comedy touched on the then-taboo subject of dating outside of one’s religion (Maera was Irish-Catholic, Stiller was Jewish), which allowed them to break comedic ground with their acts featuring embattled couple Hershey Horowitz and Mary Elizabeth Doyle.