Ben Stiller Credits His Late Mother As Comedic Inspiration

The pain is still fresh for Ben Stiller.
Despite leading a life of comedy, Stiller has experienced a lot of heartache since losing his mother Anne Meara in May of 2014. The matriarch passed away at age 85.
Related: Ben Shows Fans How To Do Blue Steel!
Speaking on the loss, the actor admitted it’s still hard to accept his mother’s passing as the two were very close:

“It happened so recently that I’m still processing it. It affects me constantly. You know, you’re going through your life, everything is great and then like, Pow! She’s not here. It’s hard for me.”

So sad. At least B.S. has his wife Christine Taylor to lean on.
Going back the humor of his mom, Stiller revealed

“Obviously, my dad is a huge person in my life. I love him. But my mom was the person that I most looked up to for her point of view, her humor. To the end, my mother never lost her sense of humor. It’s amazing to be able to laugh.”

How sweet. It sounds like Anne was an amazing woman.
Summing of the lovely personality of his mother, the comedian stated:

“She was a real meat-and-potatoes Irish Catholic New Yorker. She didn’t put on any airs or have an ego tied up with show business. She was incredibly comfortable with being who she was. She had a tough exterior, but it was easy to get past it. She was so loyal and generous to people, helping them, supporting them. She loved young people.”

Aw. It’s too bad Meara couldn’t be there too witness Zoolander 2 — we bet Ben would have loved for his mom to be there.
Stay strong, Ben!
[Image via WENN.]