Married to Laughter

Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara began performing together in coffehouses in Greenwich Village in the 1960's, and then as frequent guests on The Ed Sullivan Show. They based their standup characters on exaggerated vrsions of themselves, especially in the irrepressible commercials for Blue Nun wine. Offstage they raised two children, Amy and Ben.

After years of memorable work on stage and in radio, television, and films, Jerry Stiller found himself wondering what had happened to his once-flourishing career. Then a call came from Seinfeld, a television show he'd never watched. On Seinfeld he created the unforgettable character of Frank Costanza, which won him an Emmy nomination and an American Comedy Award. Meanwhile, Anne Meara became an acclaimed Off-Broadway playwright.

MARRIED TO LAUGHTER is a love story about two showbiz-minded people who fell in love, discovered that they fell in love, discovered that they were their own greatest roles, enjoyed thriving careers that diverged and converged many times, and who take complete satisfaction form their individual accomplishments while maintaining a dedicated marriage. With a wealth of anecdotes about other famous actors and comedians, this is a funny and tender narrative, told as only Jerry Stiller could.

Jerry Stiller was born in New York City in 1927 and began his award-winning career as part of the famed improvisational group The Compass. He and his wife, Anne Meara, played every major nightclub in the country and appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show more than thirty-five times. His many stage credits include the Broadway productions of Hurlyburly and The Ritz; he has appeared in many films, notable among them is Hairspray, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, and Seize the Day. He currently appears on the hit television series, The King of Queens.