Actress-comedian Anne Meara dies

Los Angeles: Anne Meara, a veteran TV and comedy film actress and mother of Ben Stiller and wife of Jerry Stiller, has died. She was 85.

Meara, who was also a comedienne, had recurring roles on shows such as "The King of Queens and Sex and the City" and often appeared with her family on screen.

She passed away on May 23, said Ben's representative.

"The Stiller family is deeply saddened to share the beloved Anne Meara passed away last night at the age of 85. She is survived by her husband and partner in life Jerry Stiller. The two were married for 61 years and worked together almost as long," the rep said in a statement.

No more details were provided. In addition to Jerry and Ben, she is survived by daughter Amy and several grandchildren.

Meara began her TV and movie acting career in the '50s. She and Jerry were part of the comedy duo Stiller and Meara and often appeared together on "The Ed Sullivan Show". They also both appeared on the same episodes of "The Love Boat" and "The King of Queens".

Meara and her husband co-starred with their son in several movies, including "Heavy Weights", "Highway to Hell", "The Independent", which also featured Amy, and "Zoolander", the latter of which Ben helmed.

He also directed Meara in the cult 1994 movie "Reality Bites", in which she played a newspaper editor who tells Winona Ryder's main character LeLaina to "define irony".
Meara and Ben also co-starred in the 2006 movie "Night at the Museum".