Biography
Anne Meara (20 September 1929 – 23 May 2015) was an American actress and comedian. With her husband Jerry Stiller she formed the comedy duo Stiller and Meara, which rose to prominence in the 1960s through nightclub performances and appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show. Their son is the actor and director Ben Stiller.
Meara maintained a separate acting career in theatre, film and television. She studied at the Dramatic Workshop of The New School and began performing in summer stock in 1948. Film credits include Miriam in Awakenings (1990), Louise in Reality Bites (1994) and Debbie in Night at the Museum (2006). Television work encompassed recurring roles in Archie Bunker’s Place, Sex and the City and The King of Queens.
She received four Emmy Award nominations and a Tony Award nomination. Meara and Stiller were jointly honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007. She also wrote for television and appeared in numerous stage productions.
