Ben Stiller Jokes About Fans Yelling ‘Focker’ at Him in Public

Ben Stiller has starred in some of the most memorable movies of the last 25 years, yet Meet the Parents will always remain a fan favorite for many. Not surprisingly, the fans of the popular movie starring Robert De Niro and Teri Polo will also never forget Stiller’s name in the film.

While it's been 25 years since Meet the Parents premiered, Stiller admitted that fans still associate him with his character, Greg Focker.

So much so that Stiller explained he comes across plenty of people who still shout "Focker" at him in public, and the 59-year-old actor offered a great response to it during an interview with Variety.

(L-R) Teri Polo, Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller attend the "Meet The Parents" 25th Anniversary Screening during the 2025 Tribeca Festival at BMCC Theater.

Rob Kim/Getty Images

"When someone yells ‘Focker!’ on the street, it doesn’t necessarily feel respectful,” Stiller said with a laugh. “Whenever I’m treated by a male nurse,” he added, “I feel a connection.”

Stiller's character was, of course, a male nurse in the film.

While Stiller has put together an incredible resume since the release of Meet the Parents, it's hard to deny how iconic and memorable that specific role was. However, as even he forgot, the role of Greg Focker was almost played by Jim Carrey when Steven Spielberg was in talks to direct it, as Variety pointed out.

“[Jim Carrey] was going to be me?” Stiller said. “S***. I totally forgot that part.”

Stiller reprised the role alongside De Niro and Polo in the 2004 sequel, Meet the Fockers, and returned for a third movie, Little Fockers, in 2010. As Variety reported, a fourth addition to the Meet the Parents series is in the works, featuring Ariana Grande among the new faces.

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