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Ben Stiller Reflects on Working with Jim Carrey at The Cable Guy Reunion
13 Jun 2026 By Tommy Pihl (Editor-in-Chief)
Following the world premiere of the new 4K restoration of "The Cable Guy" at the 2026 Tribeca Festival, director Ben Stiller and star Matthew Broderick participated in a special post-screening panel moderated by PEOPLE President Leah Wyar.
During the discussion, Stiller looked back on making the 1996 cult classic and revealed that it took some time to adjust to Jim Carrey's unique working style and creative energy. Stiller spoke about his admiration for Matthew Broderick long before they worked together on The Cable Guy, recalling how Broderick's success as a young actor made him both inspired and envious.
"I was kind of starstruck and excited at the possibility of putting you and Jim together," Stiller told Broderick. "Obviously Jim was this one kind of energy and your ability to ground and react."
The director explained that working with Jim Carrey was a new experience for him at the time.
"I'd never worked with Jim and Jim is this kind of energy powerhouse. He comes in and his working style was very different," Stiller said. "My memory of it was us trying to figure out how to navigate that."
Broderick agreed with Stiller's recollection, and both noted that the creative tension that existed during production ultimately benefited the film.
"I honestly felt like that tension was actually kind of the movie, what played into the movie," Stiller said. Broderick responded, "Yeah. I think that's very true."
The dynamic between Jim Carrey's eccentric cable installer Chip Douglas and Broderick's unsuspecting Steven Kovacs became one of the film's defining elements and helped establish The Cable Guy as one of the most unusual and memorable comedies of the 1990s.
The panel also touched on the film's impressive ensemble cast, which included Jack Black, Leslie Mann, Owen Wilson, Bob Odenkirk, David Cross, Janeane Garofalo and Andy Dick. Looking back, Stiller admitted that the group did not seem extraordinary at the time because many of them were simply friends and frequent collaborators.
"It was just people you know who you want to work with," Stiller said, noting that several cast members came from his work on The Ben Stiller Show.
Thirty years after its original release, The Cable Guy continues to find new audiences and has become one of the most appreciated films in Jim Carrey's career. The new 4K restoration premiered on June 12 at New York City's SVA Theatre as part of the Tribeca Festival's 30th anniversary celebration of the film.
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