Seinfeld actor and Ben Stiller's father Jerry Stiller has died aged 92

(Image credit: Getty)

Jerry Stiller – the iconic comedian best known to many for playing the quick-tempered Frank Costanza in the sitcom Seinfeld – has died at the age of 92.

Stiller's son, the actor Ben Stiller, confirmed the news on Twitter. "I'm sad to say that my father, Jerry Stiller, passed away from natural causes," he wrote. "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."

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As well as starring in Seinfeld, Jerry Stiller had played Arthur Spooner in The King Of Queens alongside Kevin James and Leah Remini. The comic also appeared in his son's movies Zoolander, Heavyweights, Hot Pursuit, and The Heartbreak Kid. His final on-screen appearance was in Zoolander 2.

Jerry Stiller and his wife, Anne Meara, first came to fame as a comedy double act, with regular appearances on Ed Sullivan’s talk-show. They later attempted to launch their own sitcom, The Stiller & Meara Show, though only a pilot was made. Stiller went on to appear in various TV roles, though none were as successful as Seinfeld and, later, The King of Queens. 

Stiller also had multiple movie roles, appearing in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, Airport, Nasty Habits, and Hairspray – both the 1988 and 2007 versions.

Meara passed away in 2015 at the age of 85. They had two children, including Ben Stiller.

Jack Shepherd
Freelance Journalist

Jack Shepherd is the former Senior Entertainment Editor of GamesRadar. Jack used to work at The Independent as a general culture writer before specializing in TV and film for the likes of GR+, Total Film, SFX, and others. You can now find Jack working as a freelance journalist and editor.