A Surreal Reunion Years in the Making
In this offbeat, charming interview, Ben Stiller reunites with Ariana Grande after their infamous, chaotic cameo together in Zoolander 2.
The two exchange memories of the film’s notorious orgy-scene shoot — a moment so strange Stiller admits he can barely explain it even now.
From Zoolander to Severance
The conversation pivots sharply when Stiller begins discussing Severance and the challenges of crafting Season 3.
He explains how directing the series requires a balance between emotional truth and surreal world-building — something he doesn’t take lightly.
He describes the season as “bigger, stranger, and more human,” hinting at new layers of the Lumon mystery.
A Career of Contrasts
What makes the interview compelling is the contrast: the man who once posed as Derek Zoolander is now a critically acclaimed director shaping one of television’s deepest psychological narratives.
Stiller seems perfectly comfortable living at both extremes.
Fun Fact
-
Stiller originally planned Severance as a film before realizing it needed the breathing room of a series.
-
Grande improvised several of her Zoolander 2 lines; Stiller kept them because they made the crew break.
