Ben Stiller: 5 Awesome Performances and 5 That Sucked

5 Awesome Performances€

5. Zoolander

In its own way, Zoolander has become an iconic movie, thanks to Blue Steel; who hasn't pulled Stiller's one-note pose on a drunken photograph? In many ways, Stiller's character here, Derek Zoolander, is an allegory of Stiller himself, and it's in this sense of self-knowing and self-deprecation that allows Zoolander excels beneath the comedy. But that's underneath the surface, and in a comedy movie, means little if the film itself isn't getting the laughs. Fortunately, Zoolander does and that's thanks in no small part to Stiller, who's part-responsible for the character's creation. Stiller sometimes forsakes subversive comedy, for the sure-fire cash cow, but not here. Zoolander was, and remains one of Stiller's funniest, and most introspective straight comedy roles to date.