Who Is Ben Stiller And Christine Taylor's Oldest Daughter Ella?

In what is truly an impressive feat by Hollywood standards, Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor have been together for over two decades as of the time of writing. Even a 2017 split didn't keep them apart forever, though: Stiller and Taylor got back together again by 2019. Not surprising given that theirs was love at first sight. The couple first crossed paths on-set in 1999 and, as Stiller later revealed, he was instantly smitten. "When I met her, I pretty much thought, 'That's the person,'" he told ET back in 2007. Not wasting any time, they tied the knot the following year and soon grew their family with the arrival of daughter Ella Olivia Stiller in 2002, followed by Quinlin Dempsey Stiller in 2005.

In the years since, Stiller's children have grown up to be stunning and yet, they've somehow managed to largely stay out of the headlines. That's sure to change, however, as they both set their sights on Hollywood as young adults. Ella, in particular, was already venturing into the business full-time from a young age, and you're sure to continue hearing plenty from her in the future. Here's everything you need to know about Ella Stiller.

While some celebs have kids that nobody knows about, Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor's daughter, Ella Stiller, is not trying to be one of them. Rather, the couple's eldest is hoping to follow in her parents' footsteps, as acting is something she's been passionate about from an early age. "She came out of the womb with a mission," Taylor once quipped during a 2018 interview with Us Weekly. However, while she and Ben support Ella's dream, Taylor pointed out that it wasn't her own career as an actor, nor her husband's, that pushed Ella towards the business. "Obviously, she was born into the world, but I think living in New York City, she has been exposed to so many incredible things and shows and so... she has the bug," the mom of two explained.

Similarly, when Stiller stopped by The Ellen Show in 2019, he underscored the fact that he and Taylor didn't actively push their daughter to act, however, they never discouraged her either. In fact, once they saw how serious she was about it, they were all for it. "She loves it and she's very passionate about it," Stiller told Ellen, noting, "I just want to kind of support her in it in any way possible."

While some celeb kids have responded to being called nepo babies with cringe-worthy arguments, Ella Stiller has simply ignored the name-calling. Given that she's the daughter of not one but two Hollywood stars, Stiller has been dubbed a nepo baby by various outlets but it hasn't stopped her seizing the opportunities her family connections have brought her. Case in point: she has appeared opposite her dad on multiple occasions, starting in 2010 when she voiced a small role in "Megamind" at age 8. 

Other projects followed, including an uncredited cameo in 2014's "Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb." However, her biggest role to date came in 2019 when a 16-year-old Ella was directed by dad Ben Stiller in an episode of his Showtime show, "Escape at Dannemora." Despite what critics may say, the pair greatly enjoyed the experience, both on set and off. Asked what it was like to be Ella's boss for a while, Ben told E! that they worked well together, in large part thanks to his daughter's attitude. "She showed me a lot of respect, which I appreciated because with a teenage daughter you want to be like, 'Don't be like how we are at home! Let's pretend we're actually nice to each other!'" he quipped.

Speaking with People, Ella said they later watched every episode together and Ben used it as a teaching opportunity. "It was the most fun," she enthused. "He would rewind and show me all the little tricks."

Ben Stiller knows all about growing up with famous parents. As a kid, he would often accompany Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara to work, whether that was to the set of a hit television show or to a nightclub. Soon enough, he was hooked, later telling People, "I realized pretty young that I loved directing and movie making and was fascinated by that and wanted to learn about that." And yet, despite it being such a positive experience, it's not one he offered to his own kids. Instead, while Ella Stiller and her brother, Quinlin Dempsey Stiller, were young, Ben was off acting, directing, producing – and missing plenty of milestones. 

However, it wasn't until two decades later, when Ella raised the issue, that he realized how much of an impact his absence had on his kids. "It's hard to hear," Ben told Esquire in 2022. "...I was trying to navigate my own desire to fulfill the hopes and dreams I had, too. And that doesn't feel great, but it's important to acknowledge." Having such a frank conversation with Ella also pushed him to realize an invaluable lesson and do better. "What I've learned is that your kids are not keeping score on your career," he mused. "They just want a parent who's emotionally present and supportive of them."

Taylor Swift has had plenty of A-list fans –- from BFF Blake Lively to surprise Swiftie Patrick Mahomes –- and it has seemed like Ben Stiller is among them. More specifically, Ella Stiller has been a die-hard Swiftie and has turned her dad onto her fave musician. Stopping by Stephen Colbert's show in 2022, Ben shared how he became a Swiftie while teaching his daughter how to drive. Admitting it was a stressful task, especially because they were doing her lessons in New York City, the actor shared, "What really helped her was if we just played her favorite artist on the iPhone... it would calm her and it would calm me." That meant lots of Taylor Swift, especially later albums like "Folklore" and "Evermore." 

Ben also revealed how Ella taught him all about the various meanings hidden in Swift's lyrics and introduced him to more niche recordings, like "the 'All Too Well' 10-minute Taylor's version from the vault." Two years later, a 22-year-old Ella again proved how much of a Swiftie she is as she celebrated graduating from university with a nod to the songstress. "You wouldn't last an hour in the asylum ([The Juilliard School]) where they raised me," she wrote on Instagram, referencing Swift's lyrics from "Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?"

Nepo baby or not, Ella Stiller proved she has what it takes to be a serious actor when she graduated from one of the most prestigious arts institutions in the country. In May 2024, the aspiring thespian received a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in acting from New York City's Juilliard School as her proud parents looked on. Marking the occasion on Instagram, the new grad posted a number of snaps of herself in her cap and gown and couldn't help but gush about how excited she was. "I couldn't be happier to be done or prouder to have survived or more grateful to my family for the unwavering support that got me there and through," Stiller enthused. "I have a degree in playing pretend!!!"

During her time at the university, Stiller racked up quite the resume as she was cast in over 10 varied performances. Her roles ranged from playing Falstaff in Shakespeare's classic "Henry IV" play to portraying Sarah Silverman during the Juilliard Comedy Hour.

From Shakespeare to Oscar Wilde, Ella Stiller had the opportunity to act in various plays during her time studying at The Juilliard School and it seems that performing on stage left her wanting more. After graduation, rather than following her dad into a career of film and television, Stiller decided to set her sights on Broadway and soon landed her first big role in the theater.

In February 2025, Playbill confirmed that a 22-year-old Stiller would play a character named Jen in the world premiere of a new Off-Broadway show called "Before This New Year." While not many details were given about her role, the outlet did learn that it was penned by Liana Sonenclar and that its initial run was scheduled for March to May 2025. The play had also already cast Emily Carey from "House of the Dragon" and Kaci Walfall from "Naomi" in the titular roles of Haley and Alison, respectively. As for the plot, "Before This New Year" tells the story of two former high school track teammates who reconnected and revisited their past when Alison, who went off to college, returned home for the holidays.

She may love acting, but Ella Stiller isn't planning to be a one-trick pony. Similar to her dad, who's diversified his career by directing and producing various projects, like "Escape at Dannemora" and "Severance," Stiller has decided to cast a wide net. In addition to acting on the big screen and in the theater, she's also been drawn to smaller, artsier projects. These include two short films directed by independent filmmaker Hudson Flynn: 2020's "Fork, Knife, & Chainsaw" and 2021's "Friday". In reviewing the latter, Short Films Matter praised Ella for delivering a "standout performance" and dubbed the entire project a "coming-of-age masterpiece."

Then, in November 2024, Ella's passion expanded even further as she pulled double duty, acting and directing a short flick titled "Cherry Condoms." However, rather than using her industry connections, Ella proved she's not about to take the easy route. Indeed, the project was by no means an easy one to bring to light, as it took two years to complete and required some major help from a GoFundMe campaign.

Written by and starring Tim Bacskai, the movie tells the story of a group of young friends living in New York City and sharing their hardships over brunch. It may seem like a simple premise, but it struck a chord, as the fundraiser ultimately received an impressive $6,000 in donations and helped the project become a reality.

"The Real Housewives" franchise has been a smash hit for Bravo for decades and a big part of its success is its surprisingly wide appeal. Indeed, it has quite an eclectic fan base, which includes one Ben Stiller and his daughter, Ella Stiller.

Ben made the surprise revelation in January 2025 during SiriusXM's "Severance Town Hall" hosted by Andy Cohen. After being asked why it took so long to edit the latest season of the show, Ben cheekily clapped back at Cohen, asking, "When you're making 'Real Housewives', how long does it take you?" Once on the subject, he quickly turned the fake argument into a real compliment, praising the 'Real Housewives' franchise. "It's really well edited," Ben told Cohen before revealing he's a legit fan.

As the actor explained, Ella first began streaming the series while attending The Juilliard School as a way to unwind and, soon enough, he got roped in. "It's a great release," he mused, noting how he and Ella enjoyed watching "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" together. He then told Cohen that while he can only watch so many spin-offs at once, he was so into the "Real Housewives" universe that he was indeed planning to expand his horizons. "Salt Lake City is the next one," he shared. "And my daughter Ella really wants me to get into New York."

There's no denying the fact that Ella and Ben Stiller have a wonderful relationship. For one, Ella has repeatedly shown that she's her dad's number one fan and supporter. As both a teen and young adult, Ella has been Ben's date to a whole slew of major events and premieres, like the 2019 Golden Globes, 2022 Emmys, and 2023 Tribeca Film Festival.

What's more, they share a long list of passions, from binging "Real Housewives" together to rocking out to Taylor Swift. Their biggest unifier, however, is their love of acting. Indeed, Ella has already made several on-screen cameos opposite her famous dad and, as he told E! News in 2024, that's likely just the beginning of their collaboration. Asked if he would ever work with Ella or her brother, Quinlin Stiller, proud papa Ben was full of praise and totally embraced the idea of a family collab. "Both my kids are actors [...] and they're both really good, so it'd be fun to work with them," he told the outlet. "It'd be really fun."

The actor then kept the praise coming, noting how his kiddos are already setting their sights past acting and he's just waiting for the tables to turn. "I think eventually they'll probably be directing and producing stuff that I'll be asking them to cast me in," he quipped. "That's how it goes."