Jerry Stiller Was a Decent Man
Jerry Stiller was one of those mensches from a bygone era who is almost hard to believe in now, as startling to encounter as a member of a species thought to be extinct walking into your living room.
Jerry Stiller as Frank Costanza in Seinfeld.
The actor and comedian Jerry Stiller died on May 11, 2020 at age ninety-three after a remarkably long career. A beloved figure, he’s generally known among recent generations for his role on Seinfeld, playing George Constanza’s irascible father, Frank. Senior citizens who loved Stiller probably retain their fondness for the old comedy duo Stiller and Meara, which paired short, Jewish Stiller with his tall, Irish-American Catholic wife Anne Meara in what Stiller felt would be an inherently funny combo of opposites. (Actor-writer-director-producer Ben Stiller of Cable Guy–There’s Something About Mary–Zoolander–Meet the Parents–Tropic Thunder fame is their only begotten son.)
Stiller also earned the lasting affection of socialists because of his lifelong progressive politics and his early support for single-payer health care. This is demonstrated in a pro-single-payer video that Stiller and Meara made way back in 1994.
This article is for subscribers only. Please login or subscribe to access our full archives and beautiful print and digital magazine starting at just $3 a month.