By the 1960s, they had become a popular comedy duo on American television, making 36 appearances on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”
Their act included skits such as an interview with the biblical Jonah after his encounter with the whale and parodies of TV commercials.
Much of their humor was marriage-based and focused on height – Stiller was 5-foot-4 (1.62 meters), Meara was taller – and ethnicity – he was Jewish, she was of Irish heritage.
“Our marriage has lasted because we have the same feelings of insecurity about being an actor. We needed stability,” Stiller told the New York Daily News in 2012.
In the early 1970s, the pair began working separately. She made the movies “The Out-of-Towners” and “Lovers and Other Strangers” and had a one-year run starring on the television show “Kate McShane.”
She also appeared on television shows “The King of Queens” and “Sex and the City.”
She is also survived by daughter Amy, son Ben, and her grandchildren, her family said.
(Reporting by Bill Trott in Washington, Letitia Stein in Tampa, Florida, and Eric M. Johnson in Seattle- Editing by Sandra Maler)
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