Photo: Gary Miller/WireImageElla Stiller may have a very recognizable last name, but she’s insistent on carving her own path in the entertainment industry. Her latest role, as the street-smart legal assistant Christy Palladino in CBS’ tech drama Cupertino, is proof of that. “It’s so separate from my parents. We’ve never had much crossover on work stuff,” says the 24-year-old daughter of Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor. “But they’re so thrilled for me and love the show.”Prior to the broadcast procedural, Stiller stole the spotlight in buzzy HBO shows like And Just Like That and The Comeback, which were streaming hits. The native New Yorker sees Cupertino, which airs weekly, as “upholding the institution of television,” since lengthy network dramas with 20-episode seasons have become much rarer in the streaming age. It’s a world that her actor parents have never delved into themselves, which is part of what attracted Stiller to the role of Christy.“It’s always been natural to me to do my own thing. Learning from my parents has been incredible, but in general as a human being, I don’t like to follow any set path,” Stiller says. “Even when I was a kid in school, I always hated whatever trend was happening. I was like, ‘No, I want to be original; I’m more creative than that!’”CBSThe new series is focused on the legal and moral debates around AI, a topic that Stiller has a lot of opinions about. “I’m not super into tech stuff, but I’m very, very passionate about how AI is a real danger to humanity, especially in the arts,” Stiller says. “Art comes from being a person. Artists are people who feel so deeply, and computers can’t do that.”She may be against generative AI in the arts, but Stiller’s character Christy has a surprisingly amorous relationship with the tool. The first few episodes of Cupertino show Christy getting a bit flirty with a mysterious man who turns out to be an AI creation named Bo.“Christy and Bo definitely have a real connection, and it evolves into something more serious rather than just fun and flirty. But I have my own theory about what’s going on there,” Stiller teases. “I think Bo knows that flirting with Christy is his best tactic to get the law firm’s attention. Because he’s done his research and knows how to appeal to that party girl in her.”CBSWhile Cupertino is Stiller’s first main TV role, it’s not her first time on a buzzy series. Below, the actor reflects on that infamous And Just Like That finale, reveals her ultimate Real Housewives quote, and more.Elite Daily: As a big Bravo fan, what would you say is the peak Real Housewives scene?Ella Stiller: This is kind of niche, but it’s a thousand percent the thing I think of the most and quote all the time. A few seasons ago on Salt Lake City, they were all at dinner and Bronwyn is sort of gaslighting everyone, saying “No, things are fine with me and Todd. Everything’s fine.” And Heather Gay says, “So, it was all a ruse?” To me, that’s the greatest moment ever, and it’s when I realized these are my girls.ED: Do you have a Bravo hot take?ES: I guess my hot take is I love Heather Gay. I can’t believe that’s a hot take, but it is.ED: You worked with Chris Briney in the play Dilaria last year. Were you familiar with The Summer I Turned Pretty before you met him?ES: I wasn’t. I’d never seen it, which I’m grateful for because it made my experience working with him feel more normal. But it’s so funny, because I feel so connected to it now, even though I’ve never seen it. The last season was coming out when we were doing Dilaria, so I met a lot of those fans, and I sort of felt I was along for the ride with Chris in this crazy moment of his life.ED: Your last two standout roles were in The Comeback and And Just Like That, which were both revivals of these big, beloved HBO series. How did it feel to jump onboard with these established casts who’ve worked together for decades?ES: It’s a crazy big responsibility, because you don’t want to ruin what’s already perfect or to insert yourself into these relationships that have so much history. I was so nervous coming into The Comeback, I didn’t want to take up too much space. But they just welcomed me immediately, and I became part of this big family who’ve known each other for years.HBOED: The Comeback is my favorite show of all time, and I really enjoyed your character Patience adding this new Gen Z lens to the show.ES: I love that girl, and I still get recognized for playing Patience all the time because that show has such a cult following. I was sitting at a bar last week, and someone came up to me like, “Oh, my God, are you Patience!?” It’s the best thing ever.ED: And Just Like That was your first big job after graduating from Juilliard in 2024. That must have been such a major transitional period for you — what was the summer like? ES: I could not have been more ready to graduate from that school. I feel like they never totally got my thing — they would assign me these roles that weren’t really juicy. So that summer, I was just auditioning a lot, and then I got the And Just Like That script and it was the first audition where I was like, “I can so do this, and I think I’m going to get it.” It was so exciting.ED: What was it like when you first stepped onto that set?ES: It was crazy. It was my first TV job, and the first scene that I did is knocking on a door and it opens up to Carrie Bradshaw. I was so nervous and terrified and excited — like, this is the world that I love so much. It felt like night and day from how I was perceived as at Juilliard. I’ll always think of it as the best first job imaginable.HBO MaxED: And Just Like That unfortunately ended before we got to see your character Mia become a mother. Do you know if there were plans to explore Mia raising this kid with Miranda’s son?ES: I’m not sure. I do know that people were feeling like they didn’t know if it was going to be the end, but I think there was a real sense of “This is an OK place to leave it.” But yeah, it would’ve been fun to explore that storyline. I love Mia’s relationship with Miranda, and I think that had kind of a beautiful resolution.ED: What are you manifesting for 2027?ES: I’m manifesting Season 2 of Cupertino!This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Ella Stiller On ‘Cupertino,’ ‘And Just Like That,’ & Flirting With AI
