Ben Stiller has opened up about cutting his daughter, Ella, out from his film, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, in a new documentary, Stiller & Meara: Nothing is Lost. Ella was cast as Mitty’s younger sister before being cut from the film.
Ben Stiller on why he cut daughter Ella from The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
In Stiller & Meara: Nothing is Lost, Ben Stiller told Ella he cut her from Secret Life of Walter Mitty. He admitted to her that it was “the worst decision” he made in his life.
However, Ella admitted that although her dream of debuting in a feature film didn’t happen due to Stiller’s decision, she was “really scared” during the scene. She added that her scene “didn’t really make sense in the movie.” Stiller reasoned his perfectionism was behind the cut (via PEOPLE).
The Night at the Museum star also interacted with his son Quinlin. He wanted to know if the latter shared Ella’s sentiments. Quinlin stressed that the former’s work ethic could sometimes push the family away. “I think there’s things, you know, after a tough day or something was going wrong, you can get very much in your own head,” the 20-year-old stated. “And I think, once you kind of go into that place…[it’s] hard to get you out of it.” He added that Stiller’s professional mindset would ruin the “fun” of “being on vacation.”
In addition, Quinlin pointed out how the Zoolander star tried to balance his multiple roles of directing, acting, producing, writing, and fathering. He emphasized that Stiller placed more importance on his professional life.
In a recent exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Stiller admitted that the documentary shone a light on his shortcomings as a parent. “They [Ella and Quin] were very clear with me about what I got wrong,” Stiller shared.
He further expressed his appreciation, saying, “It’s one of those things where you think you know, ‘Oh, I know what I’m putting out there to them.’ But from their perspective, it was totally different.”
He also explained that the complicated dynamic he shared with his children mirrored the one he shared with his own parents, Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. “But as the parent, I really couldn’t see that,” he added. Stiller also shared that he “appreciated” being able to interview his children and “hear their honest feelings.”
Originally reported by Abdul Azim Naushad on ComingSoon.
