Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor were beaming with pride as they celebrated their daughter Ella’s graduation from New York City’s prestigious Juilliard School on Friday.
The 22-year-old achieved a significant milestone, earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Acting, and shared the joyous occasion with family and friends.
Taking to Instagram to mark this momentous event, Ella posted a series of heartwarming photos.
Dressed in her cap and gown, she posed with loved ones and fellow graduates. "YOU WOULDN'T LAST AN HOUR IN THE ASYLUM (@juilliardschool) WHERE THEY RAISED ME (No, like, really)," she humorously captioned her post, referencing Taylor Swift's song, Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?, off The Tortured Poets Department.
"Yesterday I got my BFA in Acting from Juilliard," she continued. "I couldn't be happier to be done, prouder to have survived, or more grateful to my family for the unwavering support that got me there and through."
Adding a touch of her unique style to the traditional graduation attire, Ella adorned her cap with green rhinestones and wore a white and yellow patterned maxi dress.
One of the standout photos from her post featured a candid moment with her dad, Ben, as they shared a laugh crossing the street. Another heartwarming shot showed Ella proudly holding her diploma while beaming next to her younger brother, Quinn, 18.
The Stiller family has been quite active recently, making public appearances together. Last week, they attended the Gordon Parks Foundation gala, and earlier in May, they were spotted at a showing of Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club in New York City.
In a candid interview with Esquire in 2022, Ben opened up about how Ella had called him out for not being present enough during her formative years.
"She's pretty articulate about it, and sometimes it's stuff that I don't want to hear. It's hard to hear," he admitted. "Because it's me not being there in the ways that I saw my parents not being there. And I had always thought, 'Well, I won't do that.'"
Reflecting on his struggles to balance career ambitions and family time, Ben acknowledged, "But then it's that thing that, like, I was trying to navigate my own desire to fulfill the hopes and dreams I had, too. And that doesn't feel great, but it's important to acknowledge."
The COVID-19 pandemic brought unexpected changes for the family. Ben and Christine, who had separated in 2017 after 17 years of marriage, decided to quarantine together in 2020.
This time together led to a reconciliation. "Then, over the course of time, it evolved," Ben explained. "We were separated and got back together and we're happy about that. It's been really wonderful for all of us. Unexpected, and one of the things that came out of the pandemic."
Ben’s reflections on his career and family have been poignant. "What I've learned is that your kids are not keeping score on your career," he confessed, highlighting the importance of being present in his children's lives.
The love story between Ben and Christine began on a unique note. In a 2016 interview with Parade, Ben recalled how they met when she auditioned for the 1999 thriller, Heat Vision and Jack.
"My wife came in to audition for the role of the sexy sheriff. She had been in the Brady Bunch movies and they were pushing her on me. She came in and she was great," he shared.
Their relationship blossomed quickly as they were both coming out of previous relationships, leading to a whirlwind romance and marriage.