Ella Stiller Reveals How Ben Stiller & Christine Taylor Reacted When She Landed Her Biggest Role Yet

Oct 07, 2026 by apost team

When Ella Stiller told her parents she had landed a role in "Cupertino" — the new CBS legal drama from the creators of "The Good Wife," opposite Mike Colter, with a 20-episode run — their reaction was not what most parents would offer.

"They both were kind of like, 'F--- you,' when I got this job, in the best way," she told PEOPLE at the show's premiere at the Paley Center in New York, laughing. "A 20-episode procedural drama is uncharted territory for them."

The joke landed because of who her parents are. Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor — who divorced in 2017 and reconciled in 2023 after six years apart — have between them an extraordinary career in film and television. Stiller has directed "Zoolander," "The Royal Tenenbaums," "Tropic Thunder," and "Severance," the latter of which has been one of the most acclaimed television productions of recent years. Taylor is known for "The Brady Bunch Movie," "Zoolander," "Dodgeball," and her recurring role in "Arrested Development." Neither has done a 20-episode network procedural. Their daughter beat them to it.

Ella Stiller, born April 9, 2002, trained at Juilliard — where her parents attended every single show she performed. She has appeared in "The Comeback" alongside Lisa Kudrow, and in "And Just Like That..." She plays Christy Palladino in "Cupertino" — a young assistant at the new start-up law firm at the center of the series.

"My parents were at every single show I did at Juilliard," she told the premiere audience. She credits their example of working hard and treating people well as the professional advice she carries into every job. The "F--- you" was the review. The attendance record was the real one.

The Cupertino casting is the most significant of Ella Stiller's career to date — a lead role in a major network legal drama, alongside Mike Colter, known for "Luke Cage" and "The Good Fight." The show's pedigree is considerable: Robert and Michelle King created "The Good Wife" and its spinoffs, both of which ran for multiple seasons and generated significant critical attention. Landing in one of their productions as a 24-year-old is not a small thing, regardless of whose daughter you are.

She has been thoughtful in interviews about the "nepo baby" conversation that has followed her into her career. "If you were born into a family where everyone is doing this one thing," she said on a podcast, "by the way, my dad's parents were incredible actors too." Her grandparents were Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara — two of the most respected comedic actors of their generation. The industry runs deep in this family.

What Ella Stiller appears to have inherited is not just the name but the work ethic. Ben Stiller told PEOPLE that his children were "very clear with me about what I got wrong" as a parent — and Ella, in return, has spoken about how her relationship with both parents "deepened" when she decided to pursue acting professionally. The "F--- you" in the best way was the joke they tell. The relationship underneath it is a different story entirely.

"Cupertino" premiered on CBS on October 8, 2026. Ella Stiller plays Christy Palladino. Her parents have presumably, by now, watched.

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"Cupertino" premiered on CBS on October 8, 2026. Ella Stiller plays Christy Palladino. Her parents attended every Juilliard show she ever did. They have presumably, by now, watched the one that made them say "F--- you" in the best way.