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Stiller missed out on Ethical Culture

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The famous names who have passed through the doors of Ethical Culture Fieldston School are vast with the likes of Stephen Sondheim, Jeffrey Katzenberg and Barbara Walters. But it seems the school was very close to adding one more famous name to that list, if only he passed the test.

Comedian Ben Stiller revealed the missed opportunity during “Stars in the House,” the online video series created in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic to raise money for The Actors Fund, which provides health care and other support to those working in the entertainment industry.

Stiller was on the program last week with host Seth Rudetsky and husband James Wesley as part of a virtual reunion for the cast and crew of the 2006 film “Night at the Museum,” a comedy fantasy based inside the American Museum of Natural History.

The group was talking about the Texas schools Wesley and actor Owen Wilson attended, and as an aside, Rudetsky joked Stiller — who grew up as part of a showbusiness family — went to Ethical Culture.

But the “Zoolander” actor had to correct the host.

“I didn’t get into Ethical Culture when I was 6,” Stiller said. “I failed the test. I wasn’t smart enough.”

Stiller ultimately attended The Cathedral School of St. John the Divine in Manhattan’s Morningside Heights, which boasts its own list of alums like actor Burgess Meredith.

Yet everything turned out OK for Stiller, who is rumored to be reprising his role as the lion Alex in the animated “Madagascar 4.”

 

Janny starts Press internship

Pete Janny has joined The Riverdale Press newsroom as its fall intern.

He’s in his junior year at Manhattan College, majoring in business analytics with a minor in communication.

He’s also a reporter with the campus newspaper, The Quadrangle, where he’s both the sports editor and the managing editor.

When he’s not busy with school — or with reporting — he’s most likely tweeting or talking about the latest shenanigans in the sports world, with special consideration given to the classic indiscretions of the New York teams.

“My knack for storytelling and unadulterated desire for the greater good of society has led me to the exhilarating field of journalism,” Janny said.

Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Stephen Sondheim, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Barbara Walters, Stars in the House, Ben Stiller, The Actors Fund, Seth Rudetsky, James Wesley, Owen Wilson, The Cathedral School of St. John the Divine, Morningside Heights, Michael Hinman, Burgess Meredith, Pete Janny, Manhattan College, The Quadrangle,

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