Ben Stiller Tells Story About Time He Called His Dad Jerry After Taking LSD

Ben Stiller proved what a kind and cool man his dad Jerry Stiller was as he recalled a heart-warming – if slightly surprising – story about telling him he was on LSD. 

The news prompted Jerry’s friends, fans and former colleagues to share tributes and fond memories of the comedian, and recently Night at the Museum star Ben appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to talk more about his late dad.

The actor acknowledged that it’s a ‘weird time’ at the moment as Jerry’s friends can’t gather together to remember him, so he wanted to use his interview on The Tonight Show to ‘celebrate’ his dad before they’re able to do a memorial in real life.

Watch the interview here:

He described Jerry as being ‘very, very supportive’, fondly recalling how he used to sneak in to the theatre during the second act when Ben got his first job in a play in New York.

He explained:

He would do what they call second acting. He’d come in during the second act… He’d do that all the time, because he just wanted to watch and enjoy it.

Jerry’s positive attitude for Ben stretched far beyond the world of acting, as Ben made clear when he remembered back to when he was 16 years old and tried LSD for the first time.

I don’t think there’s many people out there who would ever admit to their parents that they’d indulged in some illegal substances – at least not until years later, when it would be too late to warrant punishment – but Ben decided to call his dad on the very same night he took the drug.

The Zoolander actor told Jimmy how he was ‘freaked out’ and ‘scared’, so his first instinct was to call his parents.

He continued:

Because every kid calls his parents on LSD, right? But maybe that speaks to our relationship too.

I think his first thought was ‘acid — he drank battery acid.’ And I said, ‘No, LSD,’ and I could hear the silence on the other end of the phone, because I think he [had] that feeling of like, ‘I failed as a parent.’ And the next thing he said was, ‘It’s going to be OK.’

Ben recalled how his dad ‘talked him down’, despite knowing nothing about drugs himself. Jerry managed to maintain his good sense of humour even as he helped his son, as he told Ben: ‘I know what you’re feeling. When I was 10 years old I smoked a Pall Mall cigarette and I was sick for two days.’

Ben told Jimmy a lot of people had reached out to him following his dad’s death, indicating just how much ‘enjoyment he gave people’.

I’m sure there’s many more stories left to tell; Jerry will live on through his family, friends and fans.

If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.