Ben Stein

Benjamin Jeremy Stein was born on November 25, 1944, in Washington, D.C., the son of economist Herbert Stein. He attended Montgomery Blair High School, where his classmates included Carl Bernstein and Goldie Hawn. He pursued higher education at Columbia University, graduating with honors in economics in 1966, and later earned his law degree as valedictorian from Yale Law School in 1970. His early career included working as a poverty lawyer, a trial lawyer for the Federal Trade Commission, and as an adjunct professor at institutions such as American University, University of California at Santa Cruz, and Pepperdine University, where he taught law and economics from approximately 1990 to 1997.

Stein also served as a speechwriter for U.S. Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford during the 1970s, where he was involved in significant policy discussions. He maintained a prolific writing career, contributing columns to reputable publications including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The American Spectator, and authored 16 books during this period. His transition into entertainment solidified with his iconic role as the economics teacher in the 1986 film “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” This led to a range of character roles in film and television.

His acting career expanded to include appearances in films such as “The Mask” (1994), “Son of the Mask” (2005), “Planes, Trains & Automobiles” (1987), and numerous TV series like “The Wonder Years,” “Seinfeld,” and “Family Guy.” From 1997 to 2003, Stein hosted the Comedy Central game show “Win Ben Stein’s Money,” which earned multiple Daytime Emmy Awards and was co-hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. He also hosted “Turn Ben Stein On” from 1999, further establishing his presence in the media landscape. Stein’s career reflects a diverse engagement across legal, academic, political, and entertainment sectors.