Hey, Summer Campers!
If you’re a fan of the Everything Summer Camp Blog, then you probably already realize that there’s no shortage of celebrities who attended summer camp when they were your age. It doesn’t really matter if they’re singer/songwriters, famous athletes, or big Hollywood stars. It seems like they all ended up going to summer camp when they were younger. 
Jerry Stiller is no exception to that notion. He went to Surprise Lake Camp in New York when he was a kid. The camp has been around since 1902, providing children with the beautiful landscape of the Cold Spring Mountains as a getaway from the rest of the world.
Firstborn of four to Bella and William Stiller in 1927, Jerry was born in the Unity Hospital in Brooklyn. Rather grounded in New York, he and his family lived in just a couple different neighborhoods. It was at some time around the early 40’s that Jerry had his fun at Surprise Lake Camp.
Soon after, the Stillers moved to the Lower East Side and Jerry graduated from grade school, moving on to Seward Park High. Developing his love for acting, once he was done with high school he went on to be a Drama Major at Syracuse University. Equipped with a Bachelor’s in Drama, Jerry first embarked on his acting career at the Phoenix Theater for their production of Coriolanus, a tragedy written by William Shakespeare.
After Jerry met his wife, Anne Meara, the two of them became their own comedy team. They were a successful duo for many years on the stage. They were invited to make appearances on variety programs like the Ed Sullivan Show. They also began a family of their own, raising two kids that followed in their parents’ footsteps, Ben and Amy Stiller.
Jerry had great success, playing roles in lots of movies and television shows. He’s probably best known for his role as Frank Costanza in the classic television series, Seinfeld. He’s also provided a good amount of voice acting for films like ‘The Lion King 1½’, ‘Fish Hooks’, ‘Foodfight!’, and, most recently, ‘Planes: Fire & Rescue’.
Summer camp must have done a lot for Mr. Stiller. What will it do for you? Thanks for reading, Campers!
- John