Ben Stiller’s large appearing comeback: Starring as ‘ridiculously good trying’ Zoolander for Pepsi Super Bowl industrial

Ben Stiller is lastly appearing once more… although his comeback car will not be what you’d count on.

Stiller — who hasn’t headlined a film because the 2017 dramedy Brad’s Status — stars in a Super Bowl industrial for Pepsi Zero Sugar (watch beneath) that paradoxically performs up his appearing prowess.

“Yep, this is it, this is the big comeback,” Stiller laughed throughout a Zoom interview with Yahoo.

Directed by Jorma Taccone (MacGruber, Popstar), the minute-long spot finds Stiller in master-thespian mode performing faux film faux scenes — killing an evil alien, proposing to his girlfriend at a restaurant, freezing to dying in snow-covered forest, interacting with a droid on a distant planet — as he demonstrates the final word objective of appearing.

“My job as an actor is making you believe what you’re seeing is real,” Stiller says to the digicam. “But it’s not real — it’s just acting.”

Stiller’s montage additionally contains one very actual position: Derek Zoolander, the lovable however dim-witted male mannequin of the 2001 comedy favourite Zoolander. (The actor returned to the half in 2016’s much less enthusiastically obtained sequel Zoolander 2.)

“Derek has really managed to endure, against all odds, in the cutthroat business of male modeling over the years,” cracks Stiller, who admitted he is at all times had a particular place in his coronary heart for the self-styled “ridiculously good looking” innovator of “Blue Steel,” amongst different famed poses.

So how does any of this relate to Pepsi Zero Sugar? Does any of this relate to Pepsi Zero Sugar?

Stiller takes a swig of the mushy drink (“Wow, that’s really good”) earlier than turning once more to digicam: “Or was I just acting?”

Credit Pepsi for having enjoyable with the idea of superstar endorsement campaigns and a query viewers usually ponder: Does so-and-so truly actually use that product in actual life, or are they simply appearing (for some huge cash)?

While Stiller prefers to play up the thriller of the industrial, he implied that sure, he does get pleasure from Pepsi merchandise. Asked if he is taking part in a job in re-stoking the so-called “Cola Wars,” Stiller shoots again: “Hey, it’s better than any other kind of war.”

With Derek Zoolander, Stiller is the most recent actor to reprise an iconic position whereas cashing in on industrial {dollars} for Super Bowl’s large viewers. Sigourney Weaver resurrected her Alien(s) heroine Ripley for DirecTV in 2007, Matthew Broderick introduced again Ferris Bueller for a Honda spot in 2012, Laurence Fishburne morphed into Morpheus for a 2014 Matrix-inspired Kia industrial (whereas Hugo Weaving’s Agent Smith as soon as shilled for General Electric), and Bill Murray revived his Groundhog Day weatherman Phil Connors for a 2020 Jeep advert.

Stiller isn’t even the one one again at it this yr. Also on faucet for Sunday’s matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles are spots that includes Breaking Bad stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul cooking up a industrial for Doritos and Clueless alums Alicia Silverstone and Elisa Donovan reuniting for Rakuten.

In an interview with Yahoo Entertainment in early 2022, Stiller mentioned his relationship with appearing.

“It hasn’t been totally intentional except I really do enjoy directing and producing,” stated Stiller, whose current appearing work has been restricted to cameos in a pair movie comedies [2020’s Hubie Halloween and 2022’s Bros] as he has centered behind the digicam, together with serving as director and government producer on the Apple TV+ hit sequence Severance.

“I am getting to the point now where I am kind of missing acting a little bit and would like to figure out how to do something again.”

Stiller could have lately discovered his precise comeback car. On Monday, it was reported he’s in ultimate talks to play a trio of roles within the restricted sequence Three Identical Strangers, primarily based on the 2018 Sundance-winning documentary of the identical title.

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