Wishing Jerry Stiller 'Serenity Now!'

The only reason I ever really watched #Seinfeld was because of George's dad, played by the inimitable #JerryStiller.

Stiller, who passed away May 11, 2020 at the age of 92 of natural causes, was an onscreen grouch whom everyone knew. Everyone knows the guy who gets worked up over everything, or who yells about just about any subject just because he can. When he first started appearing on Seinfeld as George's dad, I was at first a bit shocked; it was the first time I'd ever seen a character like that on television. There was something loveable about the guy, though - something about him irritated you but he was somehow inherently loveable all at once, and he was incredibly entertaining.

The classic episode where Frank (Stiller) explains Festivus to Kramer (Michael Richards) is fantastic. Kramer was perhaps one of the few characters who truly understood Frank, and scenes featuring Stiller and Richards were always a treat. The Festivus episode is no exception to this.

The thing is, Stiller's comedy was not about telling jokes, and it wasn't about physical humor, though Stiller made effective use of hand gestures and posturing with everything he said to highlight whatever point he was making onscreen. His scenes with Jason Alexander, his onscreen son George, were sometimes painful to watch - we could all feel some sympathy with the aggravation George regularly felt about his dad - but also some of the best humor in the show. Stiller was also wonderful when he was playing off other characters on the show, particularly Michael Richards, whose usually-frenetic energy while playing Kramer blended well with Frank Costanza's bombastic approach to life.

When he moved on to King Of Queens, this time playing Leah Remini's father, it was because Kevin James had told him he needed Stiller to have a successful show. It was a move that Stiller had not intended on making; after Seinfeld, he'd planned on retiring, but Stiller would later say that his role as Arthur Spooner on King of Queens was one that tested him and that previously, he'd only considered himself a "decent actor." He stayed with that show for nine years, and went on to perform in a variety of roles ranging from web series to commercials.

It was his marriage to Anne Meara, his lifelong comedy partner and wife of some 62 years, that was perhaps his greatest story. The two met at an agent's office and Meara at the time was very upset, so to comfort her, Stiller offered to take her out for coffee - all he could afford at the time. The duo went on to become a powerhouse comedy pair throughout the 1960s and 70s known as Stiller and Meara. Ultimately, the duo went on to be awarded a joint star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. They were together from that point until Meara's death on May 23, 2015.

Their son, Ben Stiller, known for his roles in films like Zoolander, There's Something About Mary, and Dodgeball, reported Jerry Stiller's death on his Twitter account the morning of May 11, 2020.

"I’m sad to say that my father, Jerry Stiller, passed away from natural causes," he wrote. "He was a great dad and grandfather, and the most dedicated husband to Anne for about 62 years. He will be greatly missed. Love you Dad."

Jerry Stiller also leaves behind his and Meara's daughter, Amy, and grandchildren through Ben. While his comedic legacy is certainly immeasurable, perhaps his greatest gift is the words of wisdom he offered through his autobiography, Married To Laughter: A Love Story Featuring Anne Meara.

"See past the hype and the glitz and ask yourself why you want to perform. It may take years to arrive at the answers, but understanding the reasons will help you to keep the dream alive and reach your goals," he wrote.