It’s almost weird how well it works. You see Ben Stiller in an SUV, alone at night, his face reflecting the orange hum of passing streetlights, and he is just... going through it. He isn't being Derek Zoolander. He isn't being the guy from Meet the Parents. Honestly, he’s just every single one of us at 2:00 AM when a song hits too close to home and you’re driving nowhere just to feel something.
The ben stiller sza video for her track "Drive" caught everyone off guard when it dropped in late 2024. It wasn't just a cameo; it was a full-on mood. People were confused, then they were obsessed. Why is the guy who directed Severance lip-syncing for his life to an R&B track about isolation?
Turns out, there’s a whole lot of weird, cool context behind this collaboration that most people missed.
Why Ben Stiller? The Severance Connection
If you think this was just some random PR move, you’ve gotta look at SZA’s Twitter (or X) history. She is a massive, self-proclaimed "stan" of the Apple TV+ show Severance. Like, she was actually hounding Stiller online for Season 2 updates. At one point, she tweeted that she was trying to be polite, but she needed the new season "right the f--- now."
Stiller actually replied. "Ok ok got it," he wrote.
That interaction basically sparked the friendship. When it came time to film the visuals for "Drive," which is the intro to her deluxe album LANA, she didn't want a typical music video love interest. She wanted someone who could embody that specific, heavy feeling of being "stuck"—a major theme in Severance and the song itself.
The John Cena Rejection
Here is a bit of tea that surfaced later: SZA’s team actually tried to get her to use John Cena for the video.
Nothing against Cena—the man is a legend—but SZA reportedly "put her foot down." She told Stiller on a podcast later that they kept telling her Stiller was too far-fetched and would never say yes. She didn't care. She told her team, "No, I need my Ben, please."
She basically Manifested it. Stiller said yes immediately because he’s a fan of her work too. It's a rare case of two high-level artists just actually liking each other's vibe without it feeling like a corporate "collab."
Breaking Down the "Drive" Music Video
The video, directed by Bradley J. Calder, is deceptively simple. For about three minutes, it’s just Ben.
He’s driving down a desolate highway. The lyrics talk about being up until midnight, driving to nowhere, and hoping someone is missing you somewhere. Stiller doesn't just mouth the words; he acts them out with this intense, almost uncomfortable sincerity.
- The Swerve: At one point, he gets so lost in the emotion that he closes his eyes and veers into the opposite lane. It’s a moment that feels genuinely dangerous and raw.
- The Donuts: Eventually, he pulls over and starts doing donuts on the side of the road. It’s like a physical release of all that built-up tension.
- The Dance: He gets out of the car and starts dancing. It’s not "cool" dancing. It’s the kind of dancing you do in your room when you think no one is watching. It’s vulnerable.
That 2003 Throwback
If the vibe felt familiar to older fans, there’s a reason. Stiller did something very similar in Jack Johnson’s 2003 video for "Taylor." In that one, he played a self-absorbed director trying to teach Jack Johnson how to lip-sync.
The SZA video feels like the "dark gritty reboot" of that moment. In "Taylor," it was a joke. In "Drive," it’s a confession. It shows a massive amount of range for Stiller to take a concept he used for comedy twenty years ago and turn it into a piece of melancholic art.
The Bug Twist (Wait, What?)
Just when you think you’re watching a grounded indie movie about a guy in a mid-life crisis, the camera pans away from Stiller and into the woods.
Then things get weird.
We see SZA. But she’s not "normal" SZA. She is wearing these wild, bug-like prosthetics—antennas, compound eyes, the whole deal. This links back to the LANA album cover where she’s seen topless in a field wearing a bug mask.
It’s a jarring transition. You go from the hyper-realism of Ben Stiller’s face to this surrealist, insectoid fantasy. According to SZA, the bug represents a state of transformation and the feeling of being "exposed" or scrutinized. It’s a literal interpretation of the lyrics "they keep trying me so hard with all the bullsh*t."
Why the Ben Stiller SZA Video Actually Matters
In an era of hyper-polished, high-budget music videos that feel like three-minute perfume commercials, this was different. It felt human.
Most people get it wrong—they think the ben stiller sza video is just a "funny cameo." It’s really not. It’s a study in loneliness. Stiller captures the "uniquely female experience" (as some critics put it) of vibing to a heartbreak song, which is hilarious because he’s a 59-year-old man. But that’s the point. The feeling is universal.
The "Total Freak" Comment
After the video came out, SZA called Stiller a "total freak" on social media.
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People took it the wrong way at first, but Stiller later clarified that he took it as a huge compliment. In the industry, "freak" usually refers to someone who is obsessively dedicated to the craft or has a weird, unique energy. Stiller admitted he had to learn the song perfectly and spent hours in that car getting into the right headspace. He wasn't just showing up for a paycheck; he was "part of her world."
What to Do Next
If you haven't watched the video lately, go back and look at the eyes. Stiller’s performance is actually a masterclass in micro-expressions.
Next steps for fans:
- Watch the Jack Johnson "Taylor" video right after watching SZA’s "Drive." The contrast between 2003 Ben and 2024 Ben is wild.
- Listen to the Severance podcast episode where SZA and Ben Stiller talk. They go deep into why she rejected John Cena and how they actually filmed the driving scenes.
- Check out the "Crybaby" transition. The end of the "Drive" video actually segues into a preview of another track, which explains the shift in visual style.
It’s rare when a viral moment actually has some soul behind it, but this one definitely does. Stiller isn't just a passenger; he’s the engine that makes the whole thing move.