Actress Anne Meara, Mother of Ben Stiller, Dies at 85

LOS ANGELES (TheBlaze/AP) — Actress and comedian Anne Meara, who gained fame as half of the comedy team Stiller & Meara and went on to star in TV and film, has died. She was 85.

Her husband, Jerry Stiller, and son Ben Stiller say Meara died Saturday. No other details were provided.

From left, Anne Meara stands next to her son Ben Stiller, daughter-in-law Christine Taylor and husband Jerry Stiller (Image source: Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)

The Stiller family released a statement to The Associated Press on Sunday describing Jerry Stiller as Meara's "husband and partner in life."

"The two were married for 61 years and worked together almost as long," the statement said.

Actors Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller attend the 62nd Annual Outer Critics Circle Awards on May 24, 2012 in New York City. (Image source: Ben Hider/Getty Images)

The couple performed as Stiller & Meara on "The Ed Sullivan Show" and other programs in the 1960s and won awards for the radio and TV commercials they made together. Meara also appeared in dozens of films and TV shows, including a longtime role on "All My Children" and recurring roles on "Rhoda," ''Sex and the City" and "The King of Queens." She was twice nominated for an Emmy Award for her supporting role on "Archie Bunker's Place," along with three other Emmy nods, most recently in 1997 for her guest-starring role on "Homocide."

Meara also won a Writers Guild Award for the 1983 TV movie "The Other Woman."

Besides Jerry Stiller and Ben Stiller, Meara is survived by her daughter, Amy, and several grandchildren.

Here's a clip of Meara as Veronica on "The King of Queens," standing at the altar with Jerry Stiller who played Arthur on the hit series:

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