Ben previously revealed that Ella had a conversation with him about not being “there” in her childhood for his career.
“She’s pretty clear about it, and sometimes it’s something I don’t want to hear. It’s hard to hear,” he explained to Esquire. “Because I wasn’t there the way I saw my parents (actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Miara) not there. I’ve always been like, ‘Well, I wouldn’t do that.’ ”
Ben said it was “uncomfortful” to hear Ella say it, but “it’s important to acknowledge her feelings: “But that’s what I was trying to navigate my desire to satisfy the hopes and dreams I had.”
The retired director went on to say that Ella and her brother Quinlin have not maintained a note about his absence due to work.
“What I’ve learned is that your child isn’t maintaining a score in your career,” he explained. “It would be original to think that my kids actually care about it. They just want the parents who are emotionally present and support them. That’s probably what they want more than I go out and push the boundaries of my creativity.”
