Ben Stiller was reminded of Wicked: For Good star Ariana Grande‘s prodigious talents when the singer signed on to play his future daughter-in-law in the upcoming episode in the Fockers quadrilogy, Focker-in-Law. “It’s crazy how talented [she is],” Stiller told Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday night’s (Nov. 12) Tonight Show.
“She’s so sweet. I didn’t know her before,” Stiller said, before quickly realizing that they had previously had a meet-weird on set. “Actually, I had met her before because she did a cameo in Zoolander 2 10 years ago. She was in an orgy scene we had. But I haven’t seen her since the orgy. She’s so great with comedy. She’s amazing in Wicked and she’s such a good singer, obviously, too,” he recalled.
Stiller described how Grande would wander around set humming and singing to herself, mimicking the vocal exercises the singer would do to keep her instrument prepped. He described the murmurations as “incredible, operatic… kind of soliloquy. And that’s just her humming. It doesn’t sound like I just did it. That sounds like I was possessed or something.”
Though Grande’s dramatic chops are on full display in both Wicked movies, the 32-year-old superstar who got her start in light comedy on Nickelodeon’s Victorious and Sam & Cat more than 15 years ago still has her comedy chops fully intact according to Stiller. “She’s so good with comedy. She’s just like a total natural,” he told Fallon. “I feel like she could do anything.”
Grande recently confirmed that she’d finished her time on the Fockers-in-Law set while sharing a sweet message to her co-stars and some pics from the shoot. “these past few months have been so, so unimaginably special. i love my Fockers, and i love my Byrnes… so, so very much. i will miss this bunch terribly. see you next november!” Grande wrote on on Oct. 31 in a post that featured her pointing to a nameplate with her character’s name (Olivia Jones) and hugging Stiller.
Fockers-in-Law, which also stars returning cast members Robert De Niro, Teri Polo and Blythe Danner, will be in theaters on Nov. 25, 2026.
Watch Stiller talk working with Grande on The Tonight Show below.
