Jerry Stiller, Veteran Comedian and Actor of Stage and Screen, Dies at 92

Jerry Stiller, who was famous both as one half of the legendary comedy duo Stiller and Meara (with his wife Anne Meara, who died in 2015) and for his role as the brash Frank Costanza on Seinfeld, has died at the age of 92 due to natural causes. His son, Ben Stiller, announced the news on Twitter on May 11.

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. pic.twitter.com/KyoNsJIBz5

— Ben Stiller (@RedHourBen) May 11, 2020

Stiller was born on June 8, 1927 in Brooklyn, New York. He was classically trained as an actor and made his Broadway debut in 1954 in The Golden Apple. He married his wife, fellow actor and comedian Meara, that same year. The two became a comedy team, Stiller and Meara, appearing on various variety shows. His memoir Married to Laughter: A Love Story Featuring Anne Meara was released in 2000.

His additional Broadway credits include Threepenny Opera, The Carefree Tree, Diary of a Scoundrel, The Good Woman of Setzuan, Measure for Measure, The Taming of the Shrew, The Power and the Glory, The Ritz, Unexpected Guests, Passione, Hurlyburly, Three Men on a Horse, What's Wrong With This Picture? and The Three Sisters.

He earned an Emmy nomination for playing the father of George Costanza (played by Jason Alexander) on the popular NBC series Seinfeld. When that series ended in 1998, Stiller took on the role of Arthur Spooner on the CBS sitcom The King of Queens. Stiller worked with his son, Ben, on such comedies as Zoolander, Heavyweights, Hot Pursuit, The Heartbreak Kid and Zoolander 2.

Stiller is survived by his son Ben, his daughter Amy, and two grandchildren.