Ben Stiller, Tramell Tillman Make Surprise Appearance At Cinespia ‘Zoolander’ Screening

Ben Stiller, Tramell Tillman and co. brought choreography and merriment with a surprise appearance at Cinespia‘s screening of Zoolander last night.

The Severance director/EP took to the stage at the outdoor screening series to introduce the showing of the 2001 comedy satire film at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, before being upstaged by the USC Marching Band led by star Tillman.

“Thank you all for coming,” Stiller began in his signature Zoolander accent, per video captured at the event.

Continuing, he deliberately mispronounced the name of the event: “I’d like to thank all of the people at Cinesipia for having the courage to have the first-ever nine-year anniversary screening of Zoolander 2! What? Zoolander 1? OK, cool. Well, I hope you really enjoy it and don’t get freaked out by all those creepy, gross dead people under there.” (Stiller was perhaps making a lighthearted crack at the critically panned 2016 sequel, which flopped at the box office.)

Tillman led the famed university ensemble along with the USC Song Girls, donning a sparkling red jacket and the staff his character Mr. Milchick utilized in a much-memed critical dance scene in the Severance Season 2 finale.

“Thanks for coming. That’s cool, you got the USC Marching Band with you? Really cool,” Stiller said to audience cheers. “That’s great, but this is kind of more like a Zoolander thing than a Severance thing. Maybe you guys could play more of a Zoolander-y type of song?”

The team then launched into a jaunty rendition of “Relax” by Powerman 5000, a track featured in the movie. Afterward, Tillman and Stiller were seen embracing as the lights went down and the screening began.

In a recent interview with Deadline, Cinespia creative director Navid Sinaki spoke to the cultural and communal relevance of the series among Angelenos: “Even to me, having worked there for 10 years, it’s strange when I tell people that the cemetery is my happy place,” he said. “But truly, there’s a bit of, not just escapism, because that belittles how beautiful the experience is, but it is a transformative experience being there, watching a film, partying with people beforehand, just because there’s a palpable warmth and the energy is electric.”

This summer, Cinespia has screened such films as Showgirls, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Casablanca, Top Gun, La La Land, IT, Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion and The Addams Family, and throughout the years has featured guest appearances from the cast and creatives behind the projects shown. The organization also recently announced its lineup for Halloween.