Jerry Stiller was born 93 years ago today.
He played everything from The Ed Sullivan Show to The Taking Of Pelham 1-2-3, King of Queens to Law and Order, but he may be best known for his scene-stealing turn on “Seinfeld” as Frank Costanza, George’s impossibly loud and incomprehensible dad.
As the series went on, it was pretty clear that having overbearing Frank for a father had turned George into a mess of anxiety and awkwardness.
And yet the man who played that dad was, by his kids’ accounts, a pretty sweet guy.
Stiller and his wife and comedy partner, Anne Meara, raised their two kids, Ben and Amy, on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
They’ve described Stiller as slightly overprotective.
The kind of dad who if his kid was homesick at summer camp, he’d want to drive there to cheer them up.
But, then, maybe he had a soft spot in general: Ben Stiller told a story about how once his bike was stolen in Riverside Park, and when his dad took him bike shopping, the two somehow spotted the kid who’d swiped it.
Jerry chased the kid several blocks into his apartment.
Then, after about 10 minutes, came back out – without the bike.
Why? Because, he told his son, that kid needed the bike, so they decided to let him keep it and they bought another one.
Oh, and unlike the constantly yelling Frank Costanza, Ben Stiller says his dad never raised his voice to him.
So when he heard his dad’s character bellowing on “Seinfeld,” he was as surprised as anybody.
Any of our senses can bring memories to mind, and a new exhibition focuses on how we can remember through fragrances. .
New York-based artist Pallavi Padukone infused handmade textiles with jasmine, clove, sandalwood and other scents she associates with her childhood in Bangalore, India.
I think my childhood smelled like Kool-Aid and baseball gloves.
How Ben Stiller Will Remember His Father (The New Yorker)
Ben Stiller shares sweet childhood story about Jerry Stiller trying to catch a bike thief (Yahoo)
Thread Infused with Scent Embellishes Embroidered and Woven Textiles to Stimulate Memories (Colossal)
