Five years ago, I’m walking home from a first (and last) date when I bump into my friend, Amy Stiller. We would often see each other in the neighborhood and kibbitz about performing, solo shows, life and more.
After seeing her post earlier in the day about her father, Jerry’s, birthday, I tell her to wish my fellow Syracuse grad a Happy Birthday. She says, “Do you want to tell him yourself?” I need no time to respond. “Yes!” I say emphatically. “I’d love to.”
Minutes later, I enter the home of comedy legends, Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller, and I am beside myself. All around their apartment, I see the cutest pictures of Amy and Ben when they were kids. I see paintings, photos, posters and more of Jerry and Anne and to my great surprise, I see not one, but two Hirschfeld illustrations that are pictures of them - Stiller and Meara! I play it cool, but as I walk through this comedy hall of fame, deep down, I am giddy as I soak in every second of it.
Hamming it up with my fellow Syracuse grad,
Jerry Stiller
Amy leads me through a hallway that opens into the den and sitting there on the couch is Jerry. He’s wearing a funny Superman apron and has such a warm smile. I’m not nervous. I’m just incredibly grateful, honored to meet him and ecstatic to be in his presence.
Amy introduces me to a few women giggling in the kitchen and then to her father. I wish him a Happy Birthday, we exchange pleasantries and then talk about our alma mater, Syracuse University. He’s excited to hear I went there and tells me how much he enjoyed it. Then, Amy tells him that I drove the Wienermobile and wrote a solo show about it.
I explain what the Wienermobile is and tell him I tap danced on carpet to get the job. Understandably, he’s curious about the performing aspect of this position. He asks if we had a stage we’d pull out in front of the vehicle like they used to with vaudeville. I hate to tell him that I didn’t sing, dance nor perform every day, but I let him know that I made people smile everywhere I went.
He continues to ask me so many questions and I’m amazed not just by how curious he is about my career, but how truly genuine he is. It’s clear he loves talking about show business and I am hanging on his every word.
I want to gush about how much I loved his character, Frank Costanza, on “Seinfeld,” but I refrain. Instead, I listen to him talk so proudly about Amy. I watch them interact with so much love and I soak in all the belly laughs happening around me. Despite Jerry losing his wife and Amy losing her mom, Anne, just two weeks earlier, there is so much laughter and love in this home. It completely warms my heart.
As I get up to leave, I wish Jerry a Happy Birthday again and share how much I loved meeting him. He says that he can tell that I have talent (swoon) and that he wants to see my Yum’s the Word show sometime soon. I tell him I can’t wait to have him as my guest.
As I walk back down the hallway, I take one last look at all the pictures and the history of these two comedic powerhouses. I’m full of so much love. Not just for the opportunity to meet this 5’5” man who is, in all senses of the word, a comedy giant, but for the chance to get a glimpse into his world. To see how kind he is. To witness how much he loves his daughter and family and to know that despite his tremendous loss, he could still laugh.
I hug Amy good-bye, thank her for her incredibly kind invitation and for giving me a night I will never forget. As I walk the one block back to my apartment, I’m amazed at how my night did a 180°. I’m grateful that my date and I didn’t hit it off because if we had, I would have never bumped into Amy. I would have never gotten to spend a lovely evening meeting and getting to know her father and I would have never gotten to see just a sliver of the Superman he really was.
What a life. What a love. What a legend.
RIP, Jerry Stiller. You were truly one of a kind.