Made in NY” Mayor’s Award for Lifetime Achievement: Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller.
As “Stiller & Meara,” Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller gained nationwide fame as a comedy team on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” They have performed together in nightclubs and theatres across the county and have made countless appearances on television and radio. As Frank Costanza on “Seinfeld,” Stiller received an Emmy Award nomination, won the American Comedy Award for “Funniest Male Guest Appearance in a Television Show” and was honored by the Paley Center for Media as ‘TV’s All Time Funniest Relative.’ Following “Seinfeld,” Jerry enjoyed a nine-year run as Arthur Spooner on the hit CBS series, “King of Queens.” He has also appeared in numerous films, including The Taking of Pelham One-Two-Three, The Ritz, Hairspray, and Zoolander (with son, Ben Stiller).
Television appearances include “Seize the Day,” “Murder She Wrote,” “In the Heat of the Night,” ‘The Good Wife” and many others. Meara is remembered for her film work, including Fame, Boys from Brazil and Awakenings. On television Meara played Peggy Moody in “All My Children,” starred in the series “Kate McShane,” and had recurring roles on “Rhoda,” “Archie Bunker’s Place,” “Alf,” “Sex in the City” and “King of Queens.” She has received five Emmy nominations for her television work. Anne’s script After-Play was produced by Manhattan Theatre Club then moved Off-Broadway to Theatre Four.
Meara won the Outer Critic’s Circle John Gassner Award for playwriting for After-Play. Meara and Stiller have also both appeared on Broadway. Meara’s credits include Eastern Standard and Anna Christie, for which she was nominated for a Tony Award. Stiller has appeared in various shows, including Hurlyburly, Three Men on a Horse and What’s Wrong with this Picture. Most recently, Stiller has appeared in commercials for Capital One Bank, and the couple has hosted their own web series, StillerandMeara.com. They are currently appearing in a Public Service Announcement for Mayor Bloomberg’s Million Tree Initiative.
