Ben Stiller doesn’t just know his way around a movie set. He also has a solid understanding of the lay of the land when it comes to travel. The Emmy Award-winning actor, director and producer, known for beloved films such as Zoolander, Tropic Thunder and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, has spent decades globe-trotting for both business and pleasure.
Among his travel endeavors, Stiller is lending his star power to Chase Sapphire Reserve, teaming up with the premium travel brand to help unveil its newest cards, benefits and experiences. The partnership, according to Stiller, felt like a natural fit. “What Chase is doing is giving people access to things that they may not have access to normally…like going on the court at Madison Square Garden for dinner, being able to meet the players or, separately, being able to access all kind of airport lounges,” he says. “It really is VIP treatment.”
We recently caught up with Stiller to talk all things travel, from the trips that shaped him to the character he’d most want to hop on a plane with.
You’ve traveled quite a bit for work through the years. How often do you find yourself traveling for fun these days?
It usually depends; there’s often something connected with it. Recently, my wife, [Christine Taylor], and I were in Quebec City, where she was working on a film. I just went up to hang out with her for a couple of days. Sometimes it’s motivating, that kind of travel.
We also have a home in Hawaii that we’ve gone to for almost 25 years, which I travel to when we have time off. But I tend to mix work and leisure on these trips. I love to explore. I love history, too, so I’m always wanting to go to historical sites and stuff like that.
What are some of the other qualities you look for in a destination?
It’s always great to go somewhere beautiful that takes you out of your zone, where you can look at a different culture and see a different perspective. I’m not a super adventurous traveler, but I also do like to go to places that are, in terms of the environment and the natural landscapes, really exotic.
It’s amazing the natural beauty in the world. For example, I’ve gone back to Iceland a few times. I worked in Iceland 13 years ago, and I’ve gone back to take in the landscapes there. It’s inspiring.
Looking at travel broadly, how has it impacted your filmmaking career?
I think that anytime you go somewhere as a creative person, you do get inspired in some way. For me, I always loved being out of the city. I grew up in New York City, and so, for me, when I go somewhere in the mountains, it’s inspiring.
I always love epic movies that have different landscapes, with a different scope of different places. I’ve never been a person who likes to go sit on a beach and read a book. I’d rather be researching something or learning about something in terms of the place or doing something to be a part of the environment and not just sitting in a hotel.
What have been some of your favorite trips through the years?
Having a chance to visit Africa a couple of times has been pretty incredible, in terms of the vastness of those landscapes. I’ve been to South Africa. I’ve been to Uganda. I’ve been to Nigeria. Lagos is an incredible city. It just took me out of my ordinary routine, and you realize how many people are in the world.
If you could travel with one of the characters you’ve played through the years, who would it be and why?
I would go right to Walter Mitty. In terms of the traveling he had to do and making The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, this character was willing to shake things up and get out of his comfort zone. He faced his fears and went places. I think I connected to that character a lot in terms of the fantasies we all have about doing something just like that. We all talk about bucket list items and taking that step to jump into the unknown. He did it.
What’s the one big bucket-list trip remaining on your list?
I would love to go down to Southern South America, Patagonia, that area. I’ve never been to South America. Also, Argentina, overall, and to explore Brazil’s architecture.
We all have travel pet peeves. What are yours?
The thing that I probably think about the most and stress out about the most in terms of travel is when you’re on a plane with someone, and they take their shoes off. That’s not cool. Or, you know what, they can take maybe the shoes off, but socks are where I draw the line.
