When both your parents are in show business, you get used to being stopped on the street. Just ask Ben Stiller, whose parents, Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, formed a hit comedy duo in the 1960s and ’70s.

“My mom usually wouldn’t want to talk to people for a long time … and my dad would talk to people forever,” Stiller says. “As kids … you feel that your parent’s attention [is] being taken away from you.”

Meara died in 2015 and her husband followed in 2020. After his father’s death, Ben Stiller found a stash of audio recordings his dad had made of his conversations and arguments with Meara about their marriage and their act. Those tapes are at the center of Stiller’s new documentary about his parents, Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost.

Stiller says his father was always more committed to comedy than his mother, who studied under Uta Hagen and dreamed of being a serious actor. They had been married for several years, both struggling to make it in show business, when Jerry Stiller had the idea to create short comedy sketches together. “He drew her into doing this comedy act,” his son says. “And that changed their lives.”

The comedy team of Stiller and Meara would go on to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show more than 30 times. Later, Jerry Stiller co-starred on Seinfeld, playing Frank Costanza, George’s father. Meanwhile, Ben Stiller was forging his own path in Hollywood, both as an actor and a filmmaker.

Stiller is currently the executive producer and director of the TV series, Severance, about a company that makes its employees get a procedure on their brain that separates the memories of their home life and the memories of their work life. The premise is almost the direct opposite of the lifestyle his parents modeled while he was growing up.

“Their marriage, their relationship … was also what their act was about,” Stiller says. “So I think that concept of the separation is actually really very interesting to me because it’s something I’ve never had.”

Interview highlights

On Jerry Stiller’s desire to be loved by everyone

I think I can identify. … I think most actors have a certain sense of wanting approval. … He’d talk about it very openly. He said, “I need that love from the audience.” It’s kind of armchair psychology, but … he didn’t get a lot of nurturing from [his parents] when he was a kid. … They fought a lot, and they were very poor, and nobody was encouraging him to go into show business. …

He went to Syracuse University and he performed in plays and he found his people and found this warmth and acceptance in the theater, and he was always connecting with people. I think he loved talking to people. He loved when fans would come up and say hi to him. And it meant something to him, and my mother had a very different relationship with it.

On the fun part of having celebrity parents

Married couple Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara formed the comedy team of Stiller & Meara.
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I remember when they played nightclubs in New York and that was really exciting for us. We get to stay up late, hang out with the grownups. Interesting, funny people coming in and out of the house. They would have these New Year’s Eve parties at their apartment in the late ’70s and the ’80s that were just amazing. … As kids, it was really fun to be around. I loved going on sets when they would go out to LA. … To be on the Paramount studios lot … made me want to make movies. Being around that, it was very clear early on that that’s what I wanted to do. It was a lot of fun times and more interesting to my sister and I than school, for sure.

On sneaking out while his parents traveled for work

Our nanny, Hazel, took care of us basically since I think the time that I was probably about 4 years old. She was from Jamaica and she had seven kids of her own and they lived in Brooklyn and we became very close with her family, with her kids, because some of them were Amy and my age. My parents would go away for, like, a two-week stint to LA to do whichever game show or Love Boat or whatever it was. Hazel was so sweet. She knew she had to be the disciplinarian and keep us in line, but … it was kind of like a free-for-all a little bit when we were on our own. We’d stay up late sometimes, trying to sneak out.

As we got older and became teenagers, then there were other things going on, like my sister started going to Studio 54 when I think she was, like, 17 and I was 13. And she would take me to Studio 54 with her friends and they would sneak us in. They put me in a yellow and green polka-dotted Fiorucci shirt … and an Army jacket and these Mickey Mouse sunglasses. And they put this outfit on me and we went up and [the bouncer] Mark saw us and he pointed to us and said, “Come on in.” And we were in. And that happened a few times. So I think I was 13.

On calling his dad when he had a bad LSD trip

I took LSD once when my parents were out doing The Love Boat once. … I was the guy who called his parents on LSD. I called them up in LA because I was scared. I was having a bad trip and [it was] the only time I ever did LSD. My mom got really mad at me. And my dad was actually much nicer and kind of tried to help talk me down. And he said, “I understand what you’re going through. When I was 11 years old, I smoked a Pall Mall cigarette and I was sick for two days.” And I was like, “No dad, you don’t understand. I don’t understand what reality is.” But he was great. He was actually great about it.

On his father being cast as Frank Costanza on Seinfeld

It was life-changing for him. He was a very lovable guy and … people just loved seeing him let out all this emotion and kind of this tamped up rage that he had inside in a very funny way. And I think the fame that it brought in, because Seinfeld was such a phenomenon, was like nothing he had ever experienced before. It was fulfilling for him, I think, a childhood dream of being someone who could be funny on his own. …

For me, I was kind of just starting to experience success on my own. So I was happy that my dad was working and that he was in this show that was such a phenomenon. There was never competition between us. … My mom was the one who sort of was, I think, having to deal with not having that kind of success at that point. But for her, I don’t think it was as important a thing and as relevant to her own personal happiness, though I think she would have liked to have worked more as an actor.

Ann Marie Baldonado and Susan Nyakundi produced and edited this interview for broadcast. Bridget Bentz, Molly Seavy-Nesper and Beth Novey adapted it for the web.

What Los Angeles doesn’t have in snow, it makes up for in soul. Case in point: The Venice Fest, which started as an intimate block party in Mar Vista and has grown into a Westside staple and massive showcase for the local creative scene. This Saturday’s Venice Winter Fest, a holiday incarnation of the event blending retro ski lodge aesthetics with a surfside atmosphere, will include thousands of one-of-a-kind holiday finds from SoCal makers, along with food vendors, live music, a beer garden, free fitness classes, kid activities — oh, and an announcement.

Starting next year, the Venice Fest will move from Venice Boulevard to the iconic Venice Beach sign, a milestone that co-founder Sarah Fisk describes as “a genuine love-fest for the entire community.”

Venice Fest was created by Fisk and Kristopher Herbert, two business owners who were trying to rally their communities during the pandemic. Fisk, who owned the former home goods boutique Shop Morpheus, and Herbert, who had just opened The Gym Venice, were independently brainstorming ways to get people back together in fun and safe ways after being cooped up at home. After being connected by mutual friends, the duo came up with the idea of an outdoor festival that could bring neighbors face to face again.

When the first Venice Fest launched in November 2021, about 50 vendors set up booths and roughly 200 people came through. They considered it a success. “Nothing like that had really been done around Mar Vista before,” Fisk says. Now more than 20,000 people typically make their way to the festival, which happens three times a year. And in the process of building this unique movement, another unexpected connection was made: Fisk and Herbert fell in love, married and just celebrated their daughter’s first birthday.

Heading to the free Venice Winter Fest this weekend? Here’s a bit of what you can do while there.

Shop local for the holidays. “We love curating vendors whose work tells a story and makes people feel something,” Fisk says. A couple businesses she’s especially excited about include Vintage Menu Art, which turns old menus from classic restaurants into nostalgic prints, honoring a bygone era of dining (“It’s perfect for anyone who loves design, food history, or the feeling of an old-school diner,” she says) and Ceremonia, which offers handcrafted décor and accessories inspired by nature.

Visitors can check out goods made by more than 300 local creators.

(The Venice Fest)

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For a musical gift, stop by Orangewood Guitars, which crafts instruments that look as beautiful as they sound. And for jewelry, look for L.A.-based De Céa, whose pieces are “timeless, elegant and full of heart,” Fisk says.

Jam to local music. From the musicians busking along Venice Beach to the intimate shows at Winston House, music is part of the fabric of Venice. It’s the same at the Venice Fest, which has partnered with local music company Breaking Sound to create an impressive lineup of up-and-coming artists across three stages.

Catch All Alone & Rockin, Western Medicine, Kaity B, Freddy, Joe’s Band and more. “Each artist brings something unique, and together they capture that free-spirited Westside energy we love.”

Eat the best of the West(side) and beyond. Fifty food vendors span the diverse offerings of L.A.’s food scene, both of the brick and mortar and truck persuasion. Some standouts include The Original Tamale, Sending Noods and plant-based street food innovators MANEATINGPLANT. For dessert, Creamy Boys Ice Cream and Da Bomb Treatz will satisfy every sweet tooth. And if you’re in the mood to learn a new culinary skill, Impastiamo will also be hosting free mini cooking classes and live demos throughout the day.

Some of L.A.’s top food trucks will be serving tasty fare.

(Amandala Photography / The Venice Fest)

Have some family time. Bringing the kids along? Smart move. The festival’s Playtime Paradise will be a popular spot for the Santa-loving, sticky-handed set. It’s bigger than ever this year thanks to a collab with online guide California Kids Club. Kids can enjoy crafts with Rediscover, adopt a furry friend from Pup Culture Rescue and grab treats from Fantasy Cotton Candy Truck. And it wouldn’t be a winter fest without Santa, so don’t forget to get a free holiday photo with him at the Venice Paparazzi booth.

It’s all about the après scene. If you find yourself needing a little break from the festival crowd, the Après Surf Social Club is your spot to chill. The 21+ beer garden is $40 for the open bar pass or $25 for the zero proof pass. While listening to DJ sets, you can sip on craft ales from Kona Brewing and Donna’s Pickle Beer, and get fresh sushi from MOF Sushi, helmed by Chef Takanori “Kuma” Shishido, whose background includes Michelin-starred Mori Sushi and L.A. favorites Kushiyu and Brother Sushi. A portion of every ticket sale goes to Nourish LA, a local nonprofit helping families facing food insecurity.

There’s a moment in the new movie, Wicked: For Good, when Elphaba, the so-called Wicked Witch, stops defending herself to a world that has misunderstood her and embraces her own power. Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elphaba, sees a connection between her character’s trajectory and her own.

“There were so many sort of real parallels — the relationship with her father, the relationship to being in spaces that don’t really include you,” Erivo says. “The feelings you see in the movie are very real feelings.”

Erivo grew up in London as the child of Nigerian immigrants. From an early age, it was evident that she had a powerful singing voice. She attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, but felt like an outsider.

“It was a tough experience to be there. I just didn’t think I fit,” she says. “And I think there was sort of a lack of wanting to understand where I was coming from or who I was as a person.”

Erivo first broke through on Broadway in The Color Purple, winning a Tony Award for her portrayal of Celie. She went on to earn an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Harriet Tubman, and later played Aretha Franklin in Genius Aretha.

In Wicked: For Good, Erivo reprises her role as Elphaba, alongside Ariana Grande as Glinda, in this final chapter of the Wicked story. Both Wicked movies were filmed at the same time, which proved challenging at times.

“There were days where, luckily, you would sort of know where the character was at this point [in the story],” Erivo says. “But there were some times where you’re sort of guessing really, because you hadn’t shot a certain scene, you’re just sort of assuming that the scene is gonna feel this way.”

Erivo also has a new memoir, Simply More: A Book for Anyone who Has Been Told They’re Too Much, which details her childhood in South London and her path to the stage.

Erivo reprises her role of Elphaba in Wicked: For Good.

Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures

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Interview highlights

On her physical training for Wicked

I’d [swim] laps, then sing and then I’d run. … It’s the idea that if I’m doing something that’s strenuous and I can sing it whilst I’m doing the thing that’s strenuous, when I’m standing still, it’ll just be there. I won’t actually have to work that hard for it to be there. … Once your body has it in it, it just sort of lives with you. And so that’s what I wanted for myself.

On getting into character through perfume

I started doing this years and years ago. The first time I did it, I think I did with Harriet [Tubman] and hers was, like, cedarwood and lavender, I think it was, but like essence with a base oil, not a perfume, because I wanted it to feel like something she could find, that she could discover, make, as opposed to something you could just buy in a store and spray on oneself. Because of the time, because of who she was, I wanted it to feel like it was of the Earth. And then I realized how powerful it was for me. And so I kept doing it with my characters. …

So Elphaba, who’s younger, I sort of messed around with big florals, like really deep florals. So tuberose, rose, lilies and then I mixed it with a tobacco oud. It was a scent called Witchy Woo. When I found it, I thought, there’s no way this is going to work. It will be way too on the nose. … I was staying at a Soho Farmhouse in the UK and they have this little sort of gift shop and in the back they have a few perfumes … I sprayed some on my hand and immediately I wasn’t convinced, but you know how perfume changes? … My body is like, no, this is a really good scent. There was a reason it was there for you, go back for it.

On her decision to cut, and then shave, her hair

It started a long time ago, just as I was coming out of drama school. I just knew that I wanted something different. Around that time, everyone who was auditioning, girls who were auditioning wanted long hair and a particular kind of aesthetic, and I sort of repelled against the idea because I didn’t want any distractions. I don’t know what gave me the idea, what gave [me] the wherewithal to think, I want to lessen the distraction. I want them to just see my face. I want, when I walk in, for them to see a canvas that can transform. A vessel. That what you see is really me, and I can change into the character in front of your very eyes.

After I left drama school, I cut my hair. I went to get a haircut and the hairdresser was very, very scared to cut it, because my hair was quite long. It came down past my shoulders. … If you’re African, often you cut your hair if you lose someone. So there’s an understanding of loss. You know that the old adage when a woman cuts her hair or changes her hairstyle, a life shift has happened. That is very true of the Nigerian tradition. And so, for me, I felt like I went for my own life shift. … It was sort of leaving [drama school] behind and taking from it what I needed and letting go of whatever else I didn’t. And when I cut my hair, I felt strangely like myself. I’ve felt like I’ve been steadily moving towards cutting it off completely, and Wicked was the moment when I took it off completely.

On regretting a time she sang backstage, allowing another actor to lip-sync to her voice

It’s one of those moments that I’ve started to learn to forgive myself for because … previously I’ve felt so mad at myself. So I guess there’s a part of me that’s a little bit ashamed that I would sort of give up my voice in that way. But it’s also why I’m vehemently protective of the way I use my voice. I do not say yes to everything at all. It has to mean something for me to sing, and it has to make sense. I will never give my voice to someone like that again, because it felt like someone removing a gift that was meant for me and giving it to someone else. It just felt, in the moment, really awful, and I remember feeling really wrong. It felt wrong.

On not growing up with her father, and not having a relationship with him as an adult

I think I’m in a real place of acceptance, and a strange apathy as well. I don’t wish him harm, but it’s not like I’m waiting for some grand resolution. I’m sort of OK with it being exactly what it is. I have no desire to start a relationship. I have no desire to mend a relationship. But it doesn’t really occupy my thoughts.

If the point of doing the things you love or the point of doing a thing that you’re good at is to make someone care about you, is to prove that you are meant to be loved, is to prove that you are worthy of being loved, it doesn’t sustain. Because really and truly, the most important love is that of yourself. It has to come from you first.

Ann Marie Baldonado and Susan Nyakundi produced and edited this interview for broadcast. Bridget Bentz, Molly Seavy-Nesper and Beth Novey adapted it for the web.