Meet Ben Stiller’s famous wife and family – including the daughter following in his footsteps

Following the huge success of Severance, Ben Stiller has teamed up with Apple TV once again for the new sports comedy, The Dink. The Zoolander star produces and stars in the series alongside Jake Johnson (New Girl), who plays washed-up tennis pro Dusty working at his dad’s suburban country club. When he takes up pickleball, Dusty is soon forced to face his past athletic failures and finds himself fighting for the future of the club.

Ben, who plays Dusty’s doctor, is a comedy icon thanks to his roles in Meet the Parents, Dodgeball and Night at the Museum. But did you know that his wife is also a big name in the comedy world, and has shared the screen with Ben many times over the years? 

Keep reading to find out about their relationship, including their brief split and two children.

Who is Ben’s wife? 

The Severance director is married to American actress Christine Taylor. 

Christine, 54, boasts a string of hit comedy films and TV shows on her CV, including The Brady Bunch Movie, The Wedding Singer and Arrested Development.

Ben, 60, first crossed paths with Christine while filming a pilot for a TV show called Heat Vision and Jack, which was never made. They tied the knot in May 2000 in a romantic beach ceremony in Hawaii. 

Ben and Christine have since shared the big-screen in many fan favorites, including Zoolander, Dodgeball and Tropic Thunder.

Meet Ben and Christine’s children

Ben and Christine share two children: Ella Olivia, 24, and Quinlin Dempsey, 21.

Ella, a graduate of The Juilliard School in New York City, has followed in her parents’ footsteps.

Her acting credits include an episode of the 2018 TV miniseries Escape at Dannemora (which her dad directed), the 2020 comedy-horror film Hubie Halloween, and the HBO sitcom The Comeback. 

In 2019, during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Ben revealed that his daughter had set her sights on a career in the entertainment industry from a young age.

“She loves it and she’s very passionate about it and she knows what she wants to do,” he said. “I knew when I was 10 or 11 years old that I wanted to direct movies and eventually act too. It’s a crazy business … and I just want to support her in it in any way possible, legally.”

Like Ella, Quinlin has also worked alongside his dad. 

In November 2022, the pair appeared in an ad for PlayStation’s game God of War Ragnarök, which also starred John Travolta and his daughter, Ella. 

Ben and Christine’s split and reconciliation 

It came as a shock to fans when Ben and Christine announced their decision to separate in 2017 after 17 years of marriage. 

In a statement released at the time, they said: “With tremendous love and respect for each other, and the 18 years we spent together as a couple, we have made the decision to separate. Our priority will continue to be raising our children as devoted parents and the closest of friends. We kindly ask that the media respect our privacy at this time.” 

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the pair decided to quarantine together, resulting in their reconciliation. 

Reflecting on the breakdown of their marriage during an appearance on the McBride Rewind podcast in May, Christine said: “I think at that moment in time for us we weren’t on the same page with a lot of things,” adding that the period was “very difficult”.

“It was not without a heavy heart and feeling really, even, dejected at the time,” she said. “This is not how I imagined it was going to be.”

Speaking about their reunion, Ben told Esquire in 2022: “We were separated and got back together and we’re happy about that. It’s been really wonderful for all of us. Unexpected, and one of the things that came out of the pandemic.”