Ben Stiller: Laugh at yourself

Ben Stiller thinks it's essential to laugh at yourself.

The actor has become known for his comedy roles, having starred as the vain Derek Zoolander in the Zoolander franchise and clueless Ted in the hilarious 1998 classic There's Something About Mary.

He's used to audiences giggling at him on screen, but the 48-year-old thinks the most crucial thing is not taking himself too seriously.

"The most important thing is being able to laugh at yourself," he told German Tele 5 channel.

Ben has also worked as a producer and director, taking on the executive producer role in 2006 musical comedy Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny. He might have multiple talents, but singing isn't one of them. However, he did have a back-up career plan.

"For a brief period, I considered studying archaeology," he laughed.

"I wasn't a particularly good student and the thought of studying anything for a long period of time didn't appeal to me. When I was ten-years-old I saw Jaws and I knew I wanted to go into acting."

Ben and his wife Christine Taylor have two children together, 12-year-old Ella and Quinlin, eight. He'll always support them, but would rather they didn't follow him into Hollywood.

"To be honest, I really don't care which path my children want to take," he said. "They have to choose what they want to do. And as long as they're happy, I'll be happy with their decision. But it would be cool if they went for something other than showbiz."

Fans of Zoolander will be pleased to hear that Ben's next project will be the sequel to the 2001 comedy.