I’m just going to say it: Ben Stiller is obsessed with The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Let me get that out there now. Moreover, this is not a guilty pleasure for the 59-year-old American actor. This is a pastime that he shares with his family, primarily his daughter Ella. It’s also clear to me that he is happy to talk about this passion with anyone who cares to listen to him, and possibly with anyone who doesn’t care to listen. But what’s obvious to me is that Stiller is a fan of the show and wants to tell the world about it in three simple words: “I love it.” Based on recent interviews he’s done this year, you’d be hard-pressed to find him not saying anything about the show. Whether he’s on a podcast, a late-night chat show, or even on the red carpet during Oscars night, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills constantly comes up in the conversation. So far, I’ve counted at least six interviews in 2025 during which he waxed lyrical about the cast, their relationships, and even the editing process of the show. And in most cases, it’s the Zoolander star himself who loves to bring up the subject.
On January 9, Stiller appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, to promote Season 2 of Severance, after its three-year hiatus. Within one minute of the conversation, the Hollywood A-lister was already mentioning that show. No, not Severance, the groundbreaking series about the macrodata team and the severed floor, of which the comedian is an executive producer, but Bravo’s reality show. “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, me and my daughter watch it together. That’s our show that we binge.” The excited Stiller further told Stephen Colbert that he had been watching the reality show for the past year. When Colbert asked how he got into the series, Stiller admitted it was his 22-year-old daughter Ella’s idea for him to watch it. “She loves it and I love it. It’s great!” he recalled.
Ben Stiller Is the Executive Producer of ‘Severance’
Stiller, who has taken a step back from acting in recent years, also directs several of the episodes of Severance. With Season 2 premiering on January 17 on Apple TV+, the filmmaker has been doing the chat show circuit since the start of 2025 to help promote the show. Severance Season 1 aired in April 2022, but Season 2 was delayed, according to Stiller himself, because of the four-month WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes that gripped Hollywood in 2023. However, when Stiller informs fans of Severance, which stars Adam Scott and Britt Lower, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills always gets the final word, or two, or three.
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Talk shows aren’t the only means of Stiller promoting his beloved Housewives. On February 20, 2025, the Night at the Museum star took to his X account, formerly known as Twitter, to share updates from the recent episode. “Glad to see Dorit and Kyle finally bonding through common challenges.” This tweet went viral, with over 800,000 views. A few weeks later, Stiller was on the red carpet at the 97th Academy Awards on March 2, 2025, where he was being interviewed by reporters from ET and E! News. Yes, they spoke about the Oscars. Yes, they spoke about Severance. And, yes, both of the channel hosts wanted to press him on the aforementioned Housewives tweet. When I watched that moment and Stiller’s reaction, I’m sure I saw his eyes sparkle with joy. Stiller didn’t disappoint either of them, and once again started to delve into the ins and outs of the characters and how much he liked watching it all. “It’s so enjoyable,” exclaimed the actor.
For Stiller, this wasn’t the only time this year he had the chance to share his thoughts about The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. During interviews in January with both The View and SiriusXM, he once more jumped onto the Housewives bandwagon. I think it must be like an uncontrollable itch he has to scratch every so often. During the Sirius XM interview, he was joined by eight cast members of Severance, all there to talk about their upcoming show. They included Christopher Walken, Adam Scott, and Patricia Arquette, but even that didn’t deter Stiller. In fact, he had an audience of peers to educate. This time the interviewee happened to be none other than The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills‘ kingpin Andy Cohen. So, when the Bravo executive producer and host of the reunion shows asked if Stiller edited the Severance episodes himself, Stiller quickly answered yes before asking Cohen if he, too, edited The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills episodes. It was a masterful flip of the script, segueing so smoothly that you actually forgot who was the host and who was the guest. Stiller was now in his element. He was in the presence of one of the creators of his beloved show. As I expected, promoting Severance was put on hold and Housewives took over.
For the next several minutes, the Severance cast took a backseat and looked with stilted smiles as Stiller and Cohen talked freely about The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Cohen asked Stiller about the bonding experience of watching the show with his daughter. Stiller replied, “I mean she started watching it when she was in drama school, which was like this intense Conservatory thing, and I’m working on the show, and I’m sure a lot of fans of those shows see it as a great release where you can just like get into these other people’s lives and their worlds.” Watching Ben Stiller navigating his way through all those interviews and switching it up to talk about his favorite TV show was a joy to see. Ben Stiller, actor, comedian, writer, producer, director, and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills‘ ultimate celebrity superfan, you are my hero. Your honesty, your enthusiasm, and your dedication shine through. Whether it’s in front of the cameras, behind the camera, or sat in front of the TV, long may it continue.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills streams on Peacock, and Severance is available on Apple+.
