This clip is Ben Stiller at 20 years old, filmed for PBS’ American Playhouse in the 1986 Broadway production of The House of Blue Leaves. Long before the movies, he’s already playing a character built on nervous confidence, manic energy, and the need to be seen. The sudden singing, the exaggerated charm, the emotional whiplash, it’s all intentional, rooted in John Guare’s dark comedy about people performing their way toward meaning. You can see the raw blueprint here, the same instincts Stiller