And Just Like That, Ben Stiller’s Daughter Debuts on HBO in Full-Circle Moment

Ella Stiller just made her “And Just Like That” debut — and it came with a special connection to her real-life family history.

The 23-year-old actress, who is the daughter of Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor, guest starred in the July 31 episode of Max’s “Sex and the City” revival, playing a character named Mia. In the episode, Brady (Miranda and Steve’s son) reveals at a family dinner that he “got someone pregnant.” He adds, “It’s this girl I’ve hooked up with maybe twice,” and admits he doesn’t even know her last name.

That girl turns out to be Mia, played by Ella. As the episode progresses, Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) visits Mia at the salon where she works to learn more about the pregnancy, leading to a hilariously tense exchange. While washing Miranda’s hair, Mia apologizes for passing gas and dryly explains, “I’m still getting used to all this gas since I’m pregnant.” When asked if she’s excited about the baby, Mia quips, “Honestly, I was gonna get an abortion ’til I realized the baby would be a double Libra. It’s gonna be such a f—— vibe.”

The awkward conversation continues until Mia figures out Miranda’s identity, prompting her to spray Miranda with water. “I’m ‘f— buddy’s mother,’” Miranda admits. Mia replies, “That is so gross and inappropriate.”

Ella’s guest spot also marks a full-circle moment for her family. Her paternal grandmother, the late Anne Meara, played Steve’s mom, Mary, in four episodes of the original Sex and the City series, including the episode featuring Brady’s baptism and a storyline involving a health crisis in Season 6, via People.

A Rising Star with Theater Roots

Though she comes from a famous family, Ella Stiller is building her own path in the industry. Born in Los Angeles in 2002, she was raised in New York City and attended the Calhoun School, where her father also went. She graduated from the Juilliard School in 2024 with a drama degree and has been pursuing both stage and screen roles ever since, per People.

Ella has appeared in projects like “Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb”, “Escape at Dannemora”, and “Hubie Halloween”. Most recently, she’s starring in the off-Broadway dark comedy “Dilaria”, where she plays a chaotic young woman who fakes her own death for social media attention. She previously shared with Teen Vogue that the role was inspired by her love for Bravo and personalities like “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Erika Jayne.

Ella on Embracing Her Legacy and Standing on Her Own

In the Teen Vogue interview, Ella addressed the “nepo baby” discourse and acknowledged the access she’s had thanks to her family. Still, she emphasized her commitment to forging her own creative identity. “My parents, my grandparents were amazing actors and writers and that’s incredible and that’s an amazing privilege, but I wanted to also have my own people and pave my own way and have my own voice be put out there,” she said.

She also noted how her parents’ talents show up in her own work. “I think my dad and I are very similar in the way our brains work and the way we view art and writing and creativity,” she said. “We all, collectively, get our sense of humor from each other.”