From bumbling police officers to goofy male models, these two men work their comedy magic as a team. Part of their appeal comes from their physical differences. While not exactly Laurel and Hardy or Abbott and Costello, Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson are opposites in their own ways: Stiller is short, dark, and noted for his controlled slow burn; Wilson is tall, blonde, and has a highly expressive voice and face.
They’ve each tried dramas (Stiller in Permanent Midnight and Wilson in Behind Enemy Lines). They’ve each worked with other partners. Curiously, Stiller co-starred with Vince Vaughn in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story and Wilson co-starred with Vaughn in Wedding Crashers, both of which were highly successful comedies. They also co-starred with Vaughn together in Starsky & Hutch. Among their other many co-stars and many other types of roles, however, these two actors (and reported off-screen friends) have given some of their most memorable comedic moments when appearing together.
Films Series With Stiller and Wilson
Meet the Parents (2000)
- Stiller stars as Greg Focker, a man who hopes to propose to his girlfriend (Teri Polo) despite her overbearing father (Robert De Niro) and perfect ex-boyfriend (Wilson).
- Rated PG-13 (sexual content, drug references, language)
Meet the Fockers (2004)
- Combined with an all-star cast (including Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Barbra Streisand, and Blythe Danner), Stiller stars as an engaged man who must introduce his eccentric parents to the family of his fiancée. Wilson appears briefly as Kevin, the bride’s former boyfriend.
- Rated PG-13 (crude and sexual humor, language, drug reference)
Night at the Museum (2006)
- Stiller stars as an out-of-luck security guard assigned to watch over the Museum of Natural History during the night shift, a time when museum displays (including a Wild West exhibit with Wilson as a feisty cowboy named Jedediah) come alive due to an ancient mummy’s curse.
- Rated PG (language, rude humor)
Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009)
- The duo reprises their roles in this sequel to the 2006 family comedy about museum exhibits coming to life at night, this time moving from New York to Washington D.C.
- Rated PG (mild action and brief language)
Other Films With the Comedy Duo
The Cable Guy (1996)
- Stiller directed and co-starred in this dark comedy about a crazed cable guy (Jim Carrey) who torments one of his customers (Matthew Broderick). Stiller and Wilson have small parts here before their on-screen chemistry was established (and marketed).
- Rated PG-13 (dark themes, crude humor)
Permanent Midnight (1998)
- Even though it isn’t a comedy, this dark romantic drama stars Stiller as heroin-addicted comedy writer Jerry Stahl and Wilson as his friend.
- Rated R (pervasive drug use, strong sexuality, language)
Zoolander (2001)
- Stiller and Wilson star as male models competing against each other for the fashion limelight in the silly spoof co-written, co-produced, and directed by Stiller.
- Rated PG-13 (sexual content, drug references)
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
- The duo stars in a dark comedy about an estranged family of prodigies reunited by their dying father (Gene Hackman).
- Rated R (language, sexuality, nudity, drug content)
Starsky & Hutch (2004)
- Based on the old television series about two mismatched police detective partners, this film pits the goofy pair against ruthless drug dealer Reese Feldman (Vince Vaughn) and his sleazy sidekick (Jason Bateman).
- Rated PG (drug content, sexual situations, partial nudity, language, violence)
To learn more about Ben Stiller, visit Internet Movie Database.
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