David Marchese

Let me shift gears. I was thinking about how when you came back to a certain kind of comedy with Zoolander 2, the way you put it was, you know, that was an example of you thinking people wanted something, you gave it to them, and then it turned out they didn't want it. And it made me curious if, sort of despite Zoolander 2, if you have gotten or still get pitches for a new Fockers movie.

Basically, are you saying sort of the stakes feel a little bit lower when you're just acting in it?

Basically, are you saying sort of the stakes feel a little bit lower when you're just acting in it?

And I was thinking about how when we were talking about your comedies from the 2000s, you said there were a lot of great things in them that we don't have now. And also that you don't know if that can be recreated. But what don't we have now in comedy that we did have back then?

And I was thinking about how when we were talking about your comedies from the 2000s, you said there were a lot of great things in them that we don't have now. And also that you don't know if that can be recreated. But what don't we have now in comedy that we did have back then?

You know, I just was thinking about this lately in a different context and thinking about how there's, like, this whole universe of comedy podcasts now where people are saying whatever the hell they want to say, seemingly with no regard for who's going to be upset about it or not. I just wonder, is it your experience that, like, comedy feels trickier? Um...

You know, I just was thinking about this lately in a different context and thinking about how there's, like, this whole universe of comedy podcasts now where people are saying whatever the hell they want to say, seemingly with no regard for who's going to be upset about it or not. I just wonder, is it your experience that, like, comedy feels trickier? Um...

you know part of who i am um let me try and uh i'm trying to sort of wrap things up with a bit of a bow here but i i i saw somewhere that your ambition early on was to try to make movies as good as albert brooks's movies have you lived up to that oh god no

you know part of who i am um let me try and uh i'm trying to sort of wrap things up with a bit of a bow here but i i i saw somewhere that your ambition early on was to try to make movies as good as albert brooks's movies have you lived up to that oh god no

Do you have specific ambitions for what you do with your career?

Do you have specific ambitions for what you do with your career?

Ben, thank you very much for taking all the time to talk with me. I appreciate it.

Ben, thank you very much for taking all the time to talk with me. I appreciate it.

Well, good luck with your little TV show. My little thing.

Well, good luck with your little TV show. My little thing.

That's Ben Stiller. The second season of Severance airs January 17th on Apple TV+. Special thanks to Rory Walsh, Renan Borelli, Jeffrey Miranda, Nick Pittman, Maddy Macielo, Jake Silverstein, Paula Schumann, and Sam Dolnik. If you like what you're hearing, follow or subscribe to The Interview wherever you get your podcasts.

That's Ben Stiller. The second season of Severance airs January 17th on Apple TV+. Special thanks to Rory Walsh, Renan Borelli, Jeffrey Miranda, Nick Pittman, Maddy Macielo, Jake Silverstein, Paula Schumann, and Sam Dolnik. If you like what you're hearing, follow or subscribe to The Interview wherever you get your podcasts.

To read or listen to any of our conversations, you can always go to nytimes.com slash the interview. And you can email us anytime at theinterview at nytimes.com. Next week, I talk with Curtis Yarvin, a controversial blogger whose ideas have gained traction among powerful Republican figures.

To read or listen to any of our conversations, you can always go to nytimes.com slash the interview. And you can email us anytime at theinterview at nytimes.com. Next week, I talk with Curtis Yarvin, a controversial blogger whose ideas have gained traction among powerful Republican figures.

I'm David Marchese, and this is The Interview from The New York Times.