If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I wish I was shorter.
What is your idea of perfect happiness? Being in process on a creative project I love.
What is your most treasured possession? The Spock ears that Leonard Nimoy gave to me.
How would you like to die? Quickly.
Which living person do you most admire? Filippo Grandi, United Nations Refugee Agency high commissioner.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? Self-doubt.
What is the trait you most deplore in others? Self-importance.
What is your greatest extravagance? My Star Trek memorabilia.
What is your favorite journey? A road trip through the northeast in the fall.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue? Practicality.
On what occasion do you lie? When I am trying not to hurt someone’s feelings.
What do you dislike most about your appearance? Don’t get me started.
Which living person do you most despise? That guy.
What is your greatest fear? Losing my mind.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse? Like, y’know, um…
What is your greatest regret? Letting the past affect my enjoyment of the present many times over the years.
When and where were you happiest? Probably as a small child in a pool in my mother’s arms.
Which talent would you most like to have? The ability to sing and dance well.
What is your current state of mind? Present and hopeful.
What do you consider your greatest achievement? Recognizing what I have and appreciating it.
If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be? William Shatner.
If you could choose what to come back as, what would it be? Mitch McConnell’s conscience.
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? The 2014–15 Knicks.
Where would you like to live? In a world without social media.
What is your favorite occupation? Making a movie.
What is your most marked characteristic? Durability.
What do you most value in your friends? Honesty and unconditional love.
Who are your favorite writers? George Saunders, Kurt Vonnegut, Salinger, Maurice Sendak, Jerry Stahl.
Who is your favorite hero of fiction? Jean Valjean.
Who are your heroes in real life? MLK, Paul Farmer, Navalny, my father.
What are your favorite names? Ebenezer, Hendrikus, Elvis, Carlo, Rex, Emily, Sarah, Gwendoline.
What is it that you most dislike? Pain.
What is your motto? Not YOLO.
More Great Stories From Vanity Fair
-
The Sex Abuse Scandal That’s Rocking an Elite Boarding School in the Berkshires
-
In Memoriam: David Lynch Saw the Nightmare Beneath the American Dream
-
How Donald Trump’s Obsession With “Y.M.C.A.” Broke Down the Village People
-
Burning at Both Ends: Surviving a Week in Wildfire-Torn Los Angeles
-
Lucy Liu Has No Regrets on Speaking Out About Bill Murray
-
MAGA-verse’s Clash of Titans: Bannon vs. Musk
-
Prince Harry Planted a Ticking Time Bomb Under the Murdoch Empire
-
White House Reporters Brace For Trump 2.0
-
The Biggest Snubs and Surprises From the 2025 SAG Awards Nominations
-
The Best Rom-Coms of All Time
-
From the Archive: Portraits of Picasso’s Marriage
The post Ben Stiller Answers the Proust Questionnaire appeared first on Vanity Fair.
