Ben Stein

In 1968, he married Alexandra Denman, an entertainment lawyer from Arkansas. But, the couple divorced in 1974 only to get re-married to each other three years later in 1977. The couple adopted a son, Tommy Stein, in 1987.

He was born on November 25, 1944 in Washington, D.C., United States, to Herbert Stein, an economist and presidential adviser, and his wife, Mildred Stein, a homemaker.He has a sister, Rachel Stein, who is a writer.

He received his early education from the Montgomery Blair High School, Silver Spring, and graduated in 1962. Then he got enrolled at the Columbia University and majored in economics in 1966.

Later, he attended the Yale Law School and graduated in 1970 as the valedictorian of the class. While earning his law degree, he also studied drama and strongly protested against the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War.

After graduation from the law school, he started his career as a poverty lawyer in New Haven, Connecticut and Washington, D.C. and later joined as an attorney with the Federal Trade Commission. Shortly after, he moved to California to teach film and law classes at the University of California. In 1973, he returned to Washington and resumed his job at the FTC.

As the Watergate scandal unfolded, he wrote editorials in defense of President Richard Nixon. When the articles caught the attention of the Nixon administration, he was recruited by Pat Buchanan. He began his political career as a speechwriter and lawyer for President Nixon and later for President Gerald Ford.

In 1984, he made his big screen debut in the role of a surplus salesman in the movie ‘The Wild Life’. His film career received a boost from his famous cameo role as the colorless and boring economics teacher in the 1986 cult movie ‘Ferris Bueller's Day Off’.

His other film appearances include character roles in ‘Ghostbusters II’ (1989), ‘Dennis the Menace’ (1993), ‘Casper’ (1995), ‘House Arrest’ (1996) and ‘Son of the Mask’ (2005). He also did voice works for several movies such as ‘Rugrats’, ‘Hercules’, ‘The Emperor's New School’ , ‘King of the Hill’ and ‘Santa vs. the Snowman 3D’.

Some of his notable TV appearance were playing the roles of Rabbi Goldberg on ‘Family Guy’, Dr. Mopp on the ‘Hughleys’, Sam Hinkle on ‘Total Security’, Shellbach on ‘Seinfeld’ and Thomas on ‘Married with Children’. He had a recurring role in the TV series ‘The Wonder Years’ (1989-91).

In the 1986 classic film ‘Ferris Bueller's Day Off’, he appeared in an unforgettable cameo as a monotone Economics teacher who, while calling out students' names for attendance, uttered one of the film's most famous quotes: "Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?"

In 1997, he hosted his own game show titled ‘Win Ben Stein's Money’ offered to him by the Comedy Central. The show won seven Emmy awards before ending its run in 2003.