Ariana Grande Says She First Met Ben Stiller on a Zoolander 2 Set
Ariana Grande says she first met Ben Stiller when he directed her in an orgy scene for Zoolander 2. She told the story during a joint appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The pair were on the show with Robert De Niro to promote Focker-in-Law, a comedy that opens on 25 November. Stiller plays Greg, and Teri Polo plays Pam Focker. Skyler Gisondo plays their son Henry, and Grande plays Olivia Jones.
Grande's Zoolander 2 connection came in 2016, when Stiller directed the sequel to his 2001 fashion satire. She appeared in the film as part of the group in Hansel's orgy scene. Grande said the scene involved a hippo and Susan Sarandon, which is the kind of detail that makes a set story stick.
The new film also brought its own surprises on set, Grande said. She recalled that her first rehearsal for Focker-in-Law involved giving Stiller the Heimlich manoeuvre, a first-aid method for clearing a blocked throat. She said the work ran for a few hours and involved the film's stunts team.
For fans, the appearance offers a rare look at how a cast gets to know one another before the cameras roll. Grande and Stiller had already shared a film set, years before they worked together again. Grande's account suggests that first meeting was anything but quiet.
Focker-in-Law is set for release on 25 November, as the studio's current date plan stands. The film sits in the late-November stretch, a period when studios often open family comedies ahead of the year-end holidays.
