Editing Ben Stiller (section)

===Directorial debut===
[[File:BenStillerTropicThunderPendleton.jpg|thumb|right|alt=A crowd of people is all looking towards a man at the center who is signing a hat. The crowd is attempting to hand him posters to sign and others are taking pictures using cameras and cell phones.|Stiller signing autographs before a screening for ''[[Tropic Thunder]]'' at [[Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton|Camp Pendleton]] in August 2008]]
In the early 1990s, Stiller had minor roles in films such as ''[[Stella (1990 film)|Stella]]'' and ''[[Highway to Hell (film)|Highway to Hell]]'' as well as a cameo in ''[[The Nutt House (film)|The Nutt House]]''. In 1992, Stiller was approached to direct ''[[Reality Bites]]'', based on a script by Helen Childress. Stiller devoted the next year and a half to rewriting the script with Childress, fundraising, and recruiting cast members for the film. It was eventually released in early 1994, directed by Stiller and featuring him as a co-star.<ref name="Tis" /> The film was produced by [[Danny DeVito]], who would later direct Stiller's 2003 film ''[[Duplex (film)|Duplex]]'' and produce his 2004 film ''[[Along Came Polly]]''.<ref name="BitesDevito">{{cite news|title=Ben Stiller Finds 'Reality' is in the Genes|work=[[New Straits Times]]|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ie8VAAAAIBAJ&pg=4107,1370578&dq=danny+devito+reality+bites|date=February 15, 1994|access-date=January 9, 2010}}{{Dead link|date=November 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> ''Reality Bites'' debuted as the fifth highest-grossing film over the President Day opening weekend and received mixed reviews.<ref name="RBRT">{{cite web|title=Reality Bites (1993)|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/reality_bites|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|date=February 18, 1994 |access-date=January 11, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100213003345/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/reality_bites|archive-date=February 13, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=February 18-21, 1994 - Presidents' Day weekend (US) |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/1994W07/occasion/us_presidentsday_weekend/?ref_=bo_rl_table_2 |access-date=July 17, 2024 |website=Box Office Mojo}}</ref>

Stiller joined his parents in the family film ''[[Heavyweights]]'' (1995), in which he played two roles. Following Heavyweights, he had a brief uncredited role in [[Adam Sandler]]'s ''[[Happy Gilmore]]'' (1996) where he played Hal L., the sadistic orderly running the nursing home.<ref name="HeavyParents">{{cite news|last=Holden|first=Stephen|title=Spoofing the TV Gurus of Fitness|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/02/17/movies/film-review-spoofing-the-tv-gurus-of-fitness.html|date=February 17, 1995|access-date=January 9, 2010}}</ref><ref name="HappyCameo">{{cite news|last=Lowry|first=Brian|title=Happy Gilmore|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|url=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117910802.html?categoryid=31&cs=1|date=February 19, 1996|access-date=January 9, 2010}}</ref> Next, he had lead roles in ''[[If Lucy Fell]]'' and ''[[Flirting with Disaster (film)|Flirting with Disaster]]'', before tackling his next directorial effort with ''[[The Cable Guy]]'', which starred [[Jim Carrey]]. Stiller once again was featured in his own film, as twins. The film received mixed reviews, but was noted for paying the highest salary for an actor up to that point, as Carrey received $20 million for his work in the film.<ref name="Carrey20Mil">{{cite news|first=Sharon|last=Waxman|url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/21833212.html?dids=21833212:21833212&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jul+23%2C+1996&author=Sharon+Waxman&pub=The+Washington+Post+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=Are+Superstars+Worth+Their+Pay%3F+After+Busts+Like+%60Striptease%2C%27+Some+Still+Pull+In+Tens+of+Millions&pqatl=google|title=Stiller Standing|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|format=Fee required|date=July 23, 1996|access-date=March 29, 2009|archive-date=July 25, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120725044503/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/21833212.html?dids=21833212:21833212&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jul+23%2C+1996&author=Sharon+Waxman&pub=The+Washington+Post+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=Are+Superstars+Worth+Their+Pay%3F+After+Busts+Like+%60Striptease%2C%27+Some+Still+Pull+In+Tens+of+Millions&pqatl=google|url-status=dead}}</ref> The film also connected Stiller with future [[Frat Pack]] members [[Jack Black]] and [[Owen Wilson]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shaw |first=Gabbi |title=18 celebrity BFFs who have worked together |url=https://www.insider.com/celebrity-best-movies-tv-together-2018-4 |access-date=2022-03-28 |website=Insider}}</ref>
[[File:Ben Stiller and Eddy Cue at SXSW 2025 01.jpg|thumb|Stiller and [[Eddy Cue]] discussing ''Severance'' at [[SXSW]] 2025]]
Also in 1996, MTV invited Stiller to host the [[VH1]] Fashion Awards. Along with ''[[Saturday Night Live|SNL]]'' writer Drake Sather, Stiller developed a short film for the awards about a male model known as Derek Zoolander. It was so well received that he developed another short film about the character for the 1997 VH1 Fashion Awards and finally remade the skit into a film.<ref name="Tis"/>

In 2021, Stiller signed on to co-write and direct ''Bag Man'', a [[Focus Features]] adaptation of [[Bag Man (podcast)|the 2018]] podcast about the kickback scandal that led to the resignation of Vice President [[Spiro Agnew]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rubin |first1=Rebecca |title=Ben Stiller to Direct Adaptation of Rachel Maddow's 'Bag Man' Podcast |url=https://variety.com/2021/film/news/ben-stiller-rachel-maddow-bag-man-podcast-1234901906/ |access-date=29 October 2023 |work=Variety |date=5 February 2021}}</ref> As of October 2023, the movie remains in pre-production.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bag Man Official Web Site {{!}} Trailers and Release Dates {{!}} Focus Features |url=https://www.focusfeatures.com/bag-man |website=Focus Features |access-date=29 October 2023}}</ref>