Actor and filmmaker Ben Stiller has called cutting his daughter, Ella Stiller, out of his 2013 film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty the “worst decision” he has ever made.
In his new documentary, Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost, Stiller reflects on his parents’ marriage and how it influenced his own approach to fatherhood. He admitted to Ella, 23, that removing her from the film, where she was set to play the younger sister of the main character, was driven by his perfectionism.
Ella, who is now an adult, said she was “really scared” during the scene and that it “didn’t really make sense in the movie,” but acknowledged it was a missed opportunity.
Stiller also spoke with his son Quinlin, 20, about balancing work and family life. Quinlin said his father’s intense work ethic sometimes affected their family time, but Stiller said the documentary allowed him to see his children’s perspective and reflect on his parenting.
The film premiered at the New York Film Festival, where Stiller described the project as a chance to address what he “got wrong” and appreciate his children’s honesty.
