Zoolander (2001)

"I like to call Matilda the straight man in this movie," says Taylor. "It's filled with many over-the-top, funny characters, and Matilda brings a sense of reality to that world. You need to have somebody who is a bit of an anchor; a voice of reason for the audience." Taylor has particular experience mixing comedy and fashion, having donned those '70s era mini-skirts in the two "Brady Bunch" features as the famously envied, "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!" In addition to his wife, Christine Taylor, who plays Matilda the Time Magazine journalist, Stiller ended up working with his immediate family, which is a quite talented clan, indeed. His mother, Anne Meara, plays a protester at the VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards. His sister, Amy Stiller, plays one of Hansel's fashion posse, and his father Jerry, plays Derek's long-time agent, Maury Baulstein. "My Dad has such a specific persona that so many people relate to, and he brought that to the character. He's very prepared, and he comes in with so many ideas," says Ben. Watching the senior Stiller, it is hard to imagine anyone else in the role. He explains his venture into new territory. "At the beginning, I was very wary of what it would be like. When we first got on the set, I felt more nervousness than usual because I realized Ben was not only the actor I was working with; he was also the director. Then, when we started working, he said, 'Dad, would you do it a little faster?' And I realized he wasn't treating me any differently than anyone else - he was just using the word 'Dad.'"

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