Ben Stiller meets with Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine

On June 20th, actor and comedian Ben Stiller met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Stiller, who is best known for writing and starring in many high-profile comedy films, went on behalf of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Stiller has worked with the UNHCR since 2016 and in 2018 was named as one of their Goodwill Ambassadors. This is not the first trip he has made as an Ambassador – for example, he has traveled to Guatemala to meet displaced refugees in the country.

Goodwill Ambassadors typically are well-known people who use their fame to advocate for a specific cause. Stiller’s trip to Ukraine intentionally coincided with World Refugee Day, and was designed to bring attention to the refugee crisis in Ukraine and the plight of refugees worldwide.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense tweeted out its thanks to Stiller and other celebrities who had visited Ukraine in the past few months. “Millions around the world have heard the truth from you about the struggle of the [Ukrainian] people,” they tweeted.

Despite his increasing involvement in humanitarian aid and philanthropy, Stiller has not retired from show business. He recently produced and directed several episodes of the hit Apple TV+ black comedy/psychological thriller Severance. 

While Stiller has not announced further plans, it is safe to assume that he will continue to focus on both entertainment and humanitarian aid in the future.