For as long as we’ve known him, Ben Stiller has been a writer and director as much as he’s been an actor. The son of famed comedians Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, Ben Stiller made a name for himself first by creating the short-lived but influential comedy series “The Ben Stiller Show,” then by directing, co-writing and starring in the Gen-X film staple “Reality Bites.”

From that point on,

Stiller appeared in a variety of successful comedies ranging from popular hits.

Similar to “Meet the Parents,” he has become associated with cult favorites such as “Zoolander” and deeply emotional blend-genre films like “Brad’s Status.” Numerous characters have left an indelible mark due to being part of projects he directed himself, for instance, playing the exceedingly dim Dereck Zoolander and portraying the diva-like action hero Tugg Speedman from “Tropic Thunder.”

Next, a double blow from movies that failed to meet expectations (initially

his self-serious “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”

and then the

much anticipated but little seen “Zoolander 2”

) led Stiller to return to working in television and, eventually, bring his biggest success to life with Apple TV+’s “Severance,” with Stiller having directed many of the show’s best episodes. With the series having recently concluded its second season in dramatic fashion, many viewers have wondered whether Stiller might be saving a role for himself in

the hotly anticipated “Severance” season 3.

But don’t hold your breath — because, according to Stiller himself, that’s not going to happen any time soon.

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Stiller’s Directing Legacy Includes ‘A Significant Element’ of Severance

When Stiller and his cast took the stage at a recent “Severance” panel (via

GoldDerby

), moderator Conan O’Brien spoke on the topic of Stiller appearing in the show, saying, “There might be people that would think, ‘Oh, Ben’s gonna peek in or pop up as a character,’ and no, you’re just very much interested in this being a big part of your directing legacy.”

To which Stiller replied:

“It’s very clear to me that that’s my job on the show … The most fun for me when we’re making the show is being able to just watch these performances and be the first audience for it.”

It’s not hard to imagine why he’d feel this way: The cast of “Severance” is delivering some of the best performances on television right now, so getting to be their very first audience is a special treat. In an interview with

Yahoo! for season 1,

Stiller elaborated that pulling back from acting helped him to maintain a healthier work-life balance:

For many years, I both directed and acted in the same projects. It was around five years back when I finally made up my mind not to juggle these roles anymore and focus solely on one task at a time. Recently, however, I have delved into directing and producing various endeavors, which has brought me considerable satisfaction.

This shouldn’t be surprising to those familiar with how diligently Stiller approaches his role as a director. It’s well known that he takes his work very seriously.

“cellphones off-set” policy

to help keep all the cast and crew locked in on their work.

However, there is one minor exception to this: Stiller did carry out the performance.

a brief, unnamed appearance in season one

Voicing a cartoon character based on Lumon’s founder Kier Eagan, though actress Britt Lower referred to it as more of an Easter egg. This cartoon might resurface in season 3, but for now, the next time you’ll see Stiller onscreen will be in his upcoming project.

“Happy Gilmore 2.”

Both seasons of “Severance” are streaming on Apple TV+.

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