Ben Stein | |
|---|---|
 Stein atMurray State University in 2011 | |
| Born | Benjamin Jeremy Stein (1944-11-25)November 25, 1944 (age 81) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Education | Columbia University (BA) Yale University (JD) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1970–present (writer and lawyer) 1986–present (actor and comedian) |
| Television | Win Ben Stein's Money |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses | |
| Father | Herbert Stein |
| Website | benstein |
Benjamin Jeremy Stein (born November 25, 1944) is an American writer, lawyer, actor, comedian, and commentator on political and economic issues. He began his career as a speechwriter for U.S. presidentsRichard Nixon andGerald Ford before entering the entertainment field as an actor, comedian, and game show host. He is best known on screen as the economics teacher inFerris Bueller's Day Off, as the host ofWin Ben Stein's Money, and as Dr. Arthur Neuman inThe Mask andSon of the Mask. Stein also co-wrote and starred in the controversial 2008 filmExpelled which was widely criticized for promotingpseudoscientificintelligent designcreationist claims.[1][2] Stein is the son of economist and writerHerbert Stein, who worked at theWhite House under President Nixon. As acharacter actor, he is well known for his droning, monotonous delivery. In comedy, he is known for hisdeadpan delivery.[3]
Stein was born on November 25, 1944 in Washington, D.C., the son of Jewish parents Mildred (née Fishman), a homemaker, andHerbert Stein, a writer, economist, and presidential adviser.[4] He grew up in the Woodside Forest neighborhood ofSilver Spring, Maryland. Stein graduated in 1962 fromMontgomery Blair High School, which journalistCarl Bernstein (class of 1960) and actressGoldie Hawn (class of 1963) also attended.[5] He graduated fromColumbia University with aBachelor of Arts in economics in 1966.[6] As undergraduate, he studied under economistC. Lowell Harriss.[7] He then earned hisJuris Doctor in 1970 fromYale Law School, where he was electedvaledictorian of his class.[8] While at Yale, he studied finance under economistsJan Deutsch andHenry Wallich.[7]
He was first a poverty lawyer inNew Haven, Connecticut, and Washington, D.C., before becoming a trial lawyer for theFederal Trade Commission.
Stein's first teaching stint was as an adjunct professor, teaching about the political and social content of mass culture atAmerican University in Washington, D.C. He subsequently taught classes at theUniversity of California, Santa Cruz on political andcivil rights under theUnited States Constitution. AtPepperdine University Stein taughtlibel law andUnited States securities law and its ethical aspects. He was a professor of law and economics atPepperdine University Law School from about 1990 to 1997.[9]
Stein writes a regular column in the conservative media outletsThe American Spectator andNewsmax. He has also written for numerous publications, includingThe Wall Street Journal,The New York Times,New York Magazine,Penthouse,Los Angeles Magazine, andBarron's Magazine.[citation needed] He wrote a regular biweekly column forYahoo! Finance online, with his last article dated August 7, 2009.[10] His bestselling books (with investment advisor Phil DeMuth) includeYes, You Can Retire Comfortably;Can America Survive?; andYes, You Can Time the Market. In 2009, he published a collection of essays,The Real Stars.
Stein was fired from his position as a Sunday Business columnist atThe New York Times in August 2009 owing to a policy prohibiting writers from making product endorsements or advertising. Stein had recently become an advertising spokesman for credit information companyFreescore.com and, according to aTimes statement, had assumed there would be no conflict provided that he did not discuss credit scoring in general or FreeScore.com itself in his column. However, the publication felt that it would be inappropriate for him to write for them while he was involved in advertising and terminated his contract.[11] Writing inThe Spectator, Stein states his belief that the real reasons for his firing were budget cuts at theTimes, his criticism of Obama, and pressure from those critical ofExpelled, who "bamboozled some of the high pooh-bahs at theTimes into thinking there was a conflict of interest".[12]
Stein began his political career as a speechwriter and lawyer for PresidentRichard Nixon, and later for PresidentGerald Ford. On May 3, 1976,Time magazine speculated on the possibility of Stein having actually beenDeep Throat. Stein responded over the years not only by denying he was Deep Throat but by going further and accusing journalistBob Woodward of falsifying the famous secret source. In the May 14–21, 1998, edition of thePhiladelphia City Paper, Stein is quoted as saying, "Oh, I don't think there was a Deep Throat. That was a fake. I think there were several different sources and some they just made up."[13] AfterMark Felt's identity as Deep Throat was revealed, Stein stated that Nixon would have prevented the rise to power of theKhmer Rouge if he had not beenforced to resign. For his actions leading to that resignation, Stein said:
If there is such a thing as karma, if there is such a thing as justice in this life or the next, Mark Felt has bought himself the worst future of any man on this earth. And Bob Woodward is right behind him, withBen Bradlee bringing up the rear. Out of their smug arrogance and contempt, they hatched the worst nightmare imaginable: genocide.[14]
In 2005, Stein said in theAmerican Spectator:
Can anyone even remember now what Nixon did that was so terrible? He ended thewar in Vietnam, brought home thePOWs, ended the war in the Mideast, opened relations with China, started the first nuclear weapons reduction treaty, savedEretz Israel's life, started theEnvironmental Protection Agency. Does anyone remember what he did that was bad?
Oh, now I remember. He lied. He was a politician who lied. How remarkable. He lied to protect his subordinates who were covering up a ridiculous burglary that no one to this date has any clue about its purpose. He lied so he could stay in office and keep his agenda of peace going. That was his crime. He was a peacemaker and he wanted to make a world where there was a generation of peace. And he succeeded.
That is his legacy. He was a peacemaker. He was a lying, conniving, covering up peacemaker. He was not a lying, conniving drug addict likeJFK, a lying, conniving war starter likeLBJ, a lying, conniving seducer likeClinton—a lying, conniving peacemaker.[14]
Stein acted as the monotonous economics teacher in the 1986 movieFerris Bueller's Day Off. In one scene, he lectures on theSmoot-Hawley Tariff of 1930 and the then-current debate oversupply-side economics.
Stein played similarly bland and unemotional characters. He had a recurring role in the TV seriesThe Wonder Years as science teacher Mr. Cantwell, who would narrate 16 mm films in monotone. Stein also played himself inDave.
He appeared in several television advertisements, such as forClear Eyes eye drops throughout the 1990s and 2000s,Godfather's Pizza in 1987, a bland science teacher in 1990 forSprinkled Chips Ahoy! cookies, and in 2013 for small business accounting service firm 1-800Accountant.
From 1997 to 2003, Stein hosted theComedy Central game showWin Ben Stein's Money along with co-hostJimmy Kimmel (replaced byNancy Pimental and later bySal Iacono). True to its name, the money that contestants won on the show was subtracted from the $5,000 pay that Stein earned per episode (in addition to his salary). The show won fiveDaytime Emmy Awards before ending its run in 2003.
In 1999, Stein also hosted theComedy Central talk showTurn Ben Stein On. One of the mainstays of the show was Stein's dog, Puppy Wuppy, who had free run of the set. In 2001, Stein appeared on a celebrity episode ofThe Weakest Link entitled "TV Hosts Edition" alongside other television hosts and was voted off in round 6 despite being that round's Strongest Link.Anne Robinson's quip was that while he "might win Ben's money; you're NOT taking ours!".
Other movies and television shows in which Stein has appeared includeCharles in Charge;Seinfeld;Full House;Casper;Casper: A Spirited Beginning;Casper Meets Wendy;The Mask and its sequel,Son of the Mask as well as the television show,The Mask: Animated Series;Earthworm Jim;Star Search;MacGyver;Tales from the Crypt;Richie Rich;Game Show Moments Gone Bananas;Cavuto on Business;The O'Reilly Factor;CBS News Sunday Morning;Planes, Trains and Automobiles;Family Guy; the 1998–2004 version ofHollywood Squares; the Michael Berger-hosted version ofMatch Game;The Fairly OddParents;Duckman;Married... with Children;The Emperor's New School;My Girl 2;Ghostbusters II; and theintelligent design documentaryExpelled: No Intelligence Allowed.[15]
In addition, Stein's voice roles includeThe Pixies, magical creatures on theanimated seriesThe Fairly OddParents; Mr. Purutu on the animated seriesThe Emperor's New School; Professor Wisenstein inBruno the Kid; the birthday party clown, Mr. Giggles, onThe Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius; a bingo caller onRugrats; Francis "Pip" Pumphandle inAnimaniacs; and H.A. Futterman inFreakazoid!. Stein also voiced a psychiatrist, again named after himself, in the USA TV seriesDuckman; he once appeared in the sitcomMarried... with Children as a receptionist in the animal afterlife. He also made acameo appearance in the comic bookYoung Justice, as Ali Ben Styn. Anothercameo appearance was as Rabbi Goldberg in theFamily Guy episodes "When You Wish Upon a Weinstein" and "Family Goy". Stein also voiced the character Sam Schmaltz in the 1996 computer adventure gameToonstruck.
Stein has written for the television industry, including outlines for the TV movieMurder in Mississippi and for the lengthy ABC miniseriesAmerika. He has also contributed to the creation of the talk show parody seriesFernwood 2 Night.
Stein hosted a show onVH1 calledAmerica's Most Smartest Model. The show aimed to find the smartest among 14 models through a series of challenges.[16]
On May 14, 2006, during an appearance on theFox News programYour World with Neil Cavuto, Stein called for a tax increase of 3.5% for wealthy Americans, to be earmarked for soldiers and military initiatives. Stein wrote an editorial forThe New York Times critical of those who would rather make money in the world of finance than fightterrorism.[17]
On December 28, 2009, Stein appeared on CNN'sLarry King Live withRon Paul to discuss theattempted bombing of an American plane on Christmas Day 2009. Stein said that Paul's stance that the United States were "occupiers" in Iraq and Afghanistan was antisemitic. The comment started a shouting match between the two men.[18] Two days later, Stein clarified that "if Rep. Paul says he is... not an anti-Semite, I believe him".[19]
Stein's political and economics commentary has appeared onCNBC'sThe Kudlow Report andCNN.[20]
In the months before thelate-2000s recession, Stein made frequent and vehement claims about the economy's good health and the relative unimportance of the mortgage-derivative market; these would shortly be proven dead wrong.
Examples include:
In January 2008, business commentatorHenry Blodget wrote a piece forBusiness Insider entitled, "Ben Stein is an Idiot", which stated that Stein's criticism of those with bearish views and positions on the market was either "delusional" or a deliberate and "shrewd" attempt to create false controversy and increase web traffic.[24]
In aYahoo! Finance article published on October 17, 2008, Stein said his wildly incorrect claims were due to his expectations that the real-estate market would roughly resemble thecollapse of junk bonds in the early 1990s. He said he failed to understand that debt obligations based on real estate loans were less than the "staggeringly large" amount of obligations that were created through trading in derivatives of those: "Where I missed the boat was not realizing how large were the CDS [credit default swaps] based on the junk mortgage bonds."[25]
Stein is married to entertainment lawyer Alexandra Denman.[26][27] They were married in 1968 and divorced in 1974. They reconciled and in 1977 they were married again.[citation needed] Stein lives[when?] with Denman inBeverly Hills andMalibu, California.[28][29] He also has a summer home inSandpoint, Idaho,[30] and an apartment in theWatergate complex in Washington, D.C., which he inherited from his parents.[31]
In 2014, performance artist Tanya Ma claimed that a financial arrangement between her and Stein had turned inappropriate. Stein said of the incident that he only expected "hugging and kissing" and that he often gets "mad crushes" on women that "last about ten minutes."[32]
Stein isopposed to legalized abortion and was given an award in 2003 by theNational Right to Life Educational Trust Fund.[33]
In 2007, Stein chastised the police and the GOP leadership for their response to theLarry Craig scandal. Stein said thatCraig's sexuality should not be an issue: "A party that believes in individual rights should be rallying to his defense, not making him walk the plank."[34]
Stein has criticized the United StatesInternal Revenue Code for being too lenient on the wealthy. He has repeated the observation made byWarren Buffett, one of the richest individuals in the world (who pays mostlycapital gains tax), that Buffett pays a lower overall tax rate than his secretaries (who payincome taxes andpayroll taxes). Stein has advocated increasing taxation on the wealthy.[35] Stein objected to Obama's proposal in 2010 not to extend tax cuts for the highest earning taxpayers in the midst of the recession, saying that:
There is no known economic theory under which raising my taxes in the midst of a severe recession will help the economy recover. It isn't part of any well known monetarist or Keynesian theory. So if it does no good to raise our taxes, I assume we are being punished. But for what? I don't own slaves. I employ a lot of people full- and part-time and they are all happy with their pay. When charity calls, I almost always write out a check...Maybe when the economy recovers, raising my taxes makes sense, but for now, it's just punishment.[36]
In 2012, Stein stated that due to the tremendous amount of national debt, he agreed with Obama's proposal to increase taxes on the wealthy and that ultimately everyone's taxes should be raised to avoid defaulting on the debt.[37]
When the head of theInternational Monetary Fund,Dominique Strauss-Kahn, was arrested forsexual assault and attempted rape in 2011, Stein published an editorial[38] inThe American Spectator in which he closely scrutinized Strauss-Kahn's accuser and cited Strauss-Kahn's education, wealth, and position as reasons to believe he was unlikely to have committed the crime:
In life, events tend to follow patterns. People who commit crimes tend to be criminals, for example. Can anyone tell me any economists who have been convicted of violent sex crimes?[39]
Stein's editorial was criticized by a number of media outlets.[40][41][42][43] Jon Stewart dedicated an entire segment onThe Daily Show to his response.[44] All charges against Dominique Strauss-Kahn were formally dismissed by a judge on August 23, 2011.
In response to thedeath of Michael Brown, Stein made the following comment:
The idea of calling this poor young man unarmed when he was 6'4", 300 pounds, full of muscles, apparently, according to what I read inThe New York Times, on marijuana. To call him unarmed is like callingSonny Liston unarmed orCassius Clay unarmed. He wasn't unarmed. He was armed with his incredibly strong, scary self.[45]
Stein has denounced thescientific theory ofevolution, which he and otherintelligent design advocates call "Darwinism", declaring it to be "a painful, bloody chapter in the history of ideologies", "the most compelling argument yet for Imperialism", and the inspiration for theHolocaust.[46][47] Stein does not say belief in evolution alone leads to genocide, but that scientific materialism is a necessary component.[48] He co-wrote and stars inExpelled: No Intelligence Allowed, a film that aims to persuade viewers that evolution was instrumental to the rise of theeugenics movement,Nazi Germany, and theHolocaust, and portrays advocates of intelligent design as victims of intellectual discrimination by thescientific community, which has rejected intelligent design ascreationistpseudoscience.[1][49][2] In the trailer for the film, Stein said that his aim was to expose "people out there who want to keep science in a little box where it can't possibly touch God."[50]
Many critics point out that Stein selectively used and edited quotes byCharles Darwin to make his case inExpelled, also noting that scenes shot atPepperdine University, in which Stein gives a speech to an auditorium full of students, in fact used a large number of extras, hired to respond favorably to Stein's speech, to fill the room.[51]The media response to the film has been largely unfavorable. It received an 11% meta-score fromRotten Tomatoes. Multiple reviews, including those ofUSA Today andScientific American, have described the film as propaganda.[1][49][2]
In aTrinity Broadcasting Network interview withPaul Crouch Jr. regarding the movie, Stein claimed that "[religion] leads you to a very glorious place, and science leads you to killing people".[52]
TheAnti-Defamation League issued a statement condemning the film's misuse of theHolocaust and its imagery, "Using the Holocaust in order to tarnish those who promote the theory of evolution is outrageous and trivializes the complex factors that led to the mass extermination of European Jewry".[53]
At theUniversity of Vermont, Stein was invited to receive an honorary degree and be thecommencement speaker for the graduating class of 2009. University President Dan Fogel received complaints about Stein's planned appearance, due to Stein's views on evolution. Stein declined his commencement invitation.[54]
At the private, ChristianLiberty University 2009 graduation, Stein was awarded an honorary degree and, according to the university, "spoke extensively about his work onExpelled: No Intelligence Allowed".[55]
Stein is a staunch supporter of Israel. OnLarry King Live in 2009, in a heated exchange with then-CongressmanRon Paul, he referred to Paul asantisemitic for referring to the U.S. as "occupiers" in the Arabian peninsula.[56]
Stein endorsedJohn McCain for president in 2008, calling him "an impressive guy".[57] That year, he also stated that he would vote forRalph Nader.[58] In January 2012, Stein appeared in political advertisements sponsored by Associated Industries of Florida supporting legislation that would create three resort casinos inSouth Florida.[59] He claimed in late 2014 that PresidentBarack Obama was the most racist president in American history, saying Obama "made everything about race".[60]
In 2016, Stein reprised the famous attendance scene fromFerris Bueller in a campaign ad[61] for Iowa SenatorChuck Grassley. In it, Stein intoned the last name of Grassley's opponent (Patty Judge) to silence, while facts about her missed votes and absences from state board meetings were listed. Stein then calls out "Grassley," which gets a response; Stein mutters, "He's always here."[62]
Stein initially supportedDonald Trump in the2016 U.S. presidential election, but retracted his support in October 2016, writing, "But it's time for Donald Trump to go back toTrump Tower. Time forMike Pence to move to the top of the ticket."[63] However, Stein went on to vote for Trump.[64]
In February 2023, Stein released a video on Donald Trump's Truth Social stating he missed the Aunt Jemima logo with a "large African American woman chef." He added, "But, I prefer when it was a black person, showing their incredible skill at making pancakes." The video was also shared on Twitter[65] and the story ran on media outlets across the country.[66][67]
The originalAunt Jemima logo and brand name was retired in 2021 by PepsiCo and its subsidiary, Quaker Oats. This was due to the connection with the"Mammy" stereotype and racial connotations associated with the character.[68][69]
Stein's book titles to date (7 fiction, 21 nonfiction) include:
| Year | Title | Publisher | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | |||
| On the Brink: A Novel (coauthor: Herbert Stein) | Ballantine Books | 0-345-27650-7 | |
| 1978 | Dreemz (hardcover:California Dreemz) | Ballantine Books | 0-345-28156-X |
| 1979 | The View from Sunset Boulevard: America as Brought to You By the People Who Make Television | Basic Books | 0-465-09032-X |
| 1981 | Moneypower: How to Make Inflation Make You Rich (coauthor: Herbert Stein) | Avon | 0-380-54809-7 |
| 1982 | 'Ludes | St. Martin's Press | 0-312-50012-2 |
| 1986 | Her Only Sin | St. Martin's Press | 0-312-90636-6 |
| 1988 | Hollywood Days, Hollywood Nights: The Diary of a Mad Screenwriter | Bantam Books | 0-553-34520-6 |
| 1992 | A License to Steal: the Untold Story of Michael Milken and the Conspiracy to Bilk the Nation | Simon & Schuster | 0-671-74272-8 |
| 1998 | Tommy & Me: The Making of a Dad | Free Press | 0-68483-896-6 |
| 2002 | How to Ruin Your Life | Hay House | 1-56170-974-3 |
| 2003 | How to Ruin Your Love Life | Hay House | 1-4019-0240-5 |
| 2004 | How to Ruin Your Financial Life | Hay House | 1-4019-0241-3 |
| Can America Survive? The Rage of the Left, the Truth, and What to Do About It | New Beginnings Press | 1-4019-0333-9 | |
| 2005 | Yes, You Can Be a Successful Income Investor: Reaching for Yield in Today's Market | New Beginnings Press | 1-4019-0319-3 |
| Yes, You Can Still Retire Comfortably: The Baby-Boom Retirement Crisis and how to Beat It | New Beginnings Press | 1-4019-0318-5 | |
| 2006 | How Successful People Win: Using "Bunkhouse Logic" to Get What You Want in Life | Hay House | 1-56170-975-1 |
| 2007 | The Real Stars: In Today's America, Who Are the True Heroes? | New Beginnings Press | 1-40191-144-7 |
| 2008 | How to Ruin the United States of America | New Beginnings Press | 1-40191-869-7 |
| 2012 | How to Really Ruin Your Financial Life and Portfolio | Wiley | 1-11833-873-1 |
| Year | Title | Credit | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actor | Screenwriter | Role | |||
| 1976 | All's Fair | No | No | Consultant | |
| 1977 | Fernwood 2 Night | No | No | Creative consultant | |
| 1984 | The Wild Life | Yes | No | Surplus salesman | |
| 1986 | Ferris Bueller's Day Off | Yes | No | Economics teacher | |
| 1987 | Planes, Trains & Automobiles | Yes | No | Wichita airport representative | |
| 1987–1990 | Charles in Charge | Yes | No | Stanley Willard | 4 episodes |
| 1988 | Frankenstein General Hospital | Yes | No | Dr. Who | |
| 1988 | The Boost | No | Yes | ||
| 1989 | Ghostbusters II | Yes | No | Public Works official | |
| 1989 | Easy Wheels | Yes | No | Preacher | |
| 1989–1991 | The Wonder Years | Yes | No | Mr. Cantwell | 12 episodes |
| 1991 | Soapdish | Yes | No | Nitwit executive | |
| 1991 | MacGyver | Yes | No | Major Snead | Episode: "Honest Abe" |
| 1992 | Honeymoon in Vegas | Yes | No | Walter | |
| 1992 | Mastergate | Yes | No | Marvin Rotweiler | |
| 1993 | Melrose Place | Yes | No | loan officer | Episode: "My New Partner" |
| 1993 | Dave | Yes | No | Himself | |
| 1993 | Dennis the Menace | Yes | No | Boss | |
| 1993 | Me and the Kid | Yes | No | Fred Herbert | |
| 1993 | Full House | Yes | No | Elliott Warner | Episode: "Another Opening, Another No Show" |
| 1993 | Animaniacs | Yes | No | Francis "Pip" Pumphandle | Voice, episode: "Chairman of the Bored"[70] |
| 1993 | The Day My Parents Ran Away | Yes | No | Dr. Lillianfarb | |
| 1993–1994 | Hearts Afire | Yes | No | Mr. Starnes | 2 episodes |
| 1994 | My Girl 2 | Yes | No | Stanley Rosenfeld | |
| 1994 | Love & War | Yes | No | Dr. Baxter | Episode: "Are the Stars Out Tonight?" |
| 1994 | Mr. Write | Yes | No | Eliott | uncredited |
| 1994 | North | Yes | No | Curator | |
| 1994 | The Mask | Yes | No | Dr. Arthur Neuman | |
| 1994 | Richie Rich | Yes | No | School teacher | |
| 1995 | Tales from the Crypt | Yes | No | Andrews | Episode: "Doctor of Horror" |
| 1995 | Miami Rhapsody | Yes | No | Rabbi | |
| 1995 | Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman | Yes | No | Pro lawyer | Episode: "Whine, Whine, Whine" |
| 1995 | Casper | Yes | No | Mr. Rugg | |
| 1995 | Married... with Children | Yes | No | Thomas | Episode: "Requiem for a Dead Briard" |
| 1995 | Freakazoid! | Yes | No | H.A. Futterman | Voice, episode: "Relax-O-Vision"[70] |
| 1995 | Live Shot | Yes | No | Hal, Herb | 2 episodes |
| 1995 | The Marshal | Yes | No | Ben | Episode: "Time Off for Clever Behavior" |
| 1995–1996 | The Mask: Animated Series | Yes | No | Dr. Arthur Neuman | Voice, 3 episodes |
| 1996–1998 | The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper | Yes | No | Mr. Happ | Voice, 3 episodes |
| 1996 | Bruno the Kid | Yes | No | Professor Wisenstein | Voice |
| 1996 | Aaahh!!! Real Monsters | Yes | No | Glug, Computer | Voice, episode: "Less Talk, More Monsters"[70] |
| 1996 | Earthworm Jim | Yes | No | Dr. Houston, Rosebud | Voice, 2 episodes |
| 1996 | House Arrest | Yes | No | Ralph Doyle | |
| 1996 | Toonstruck | Yes | No | Sam Schmaltz | Video game |
| 1996–1997 | Duckman | Yes | No | Dr. Ben Stein, Lionel Stein | Voice, 9 episodes |
| 1997 | Seinfeld | Yes | No | Shellbach | Episode: "The Comeback" |
| 1997 | Murphy Brown | Yes | No | Williams | Episode: "How to Marry a Billionaire" |
| 1997 | A Smile Like Yours | Yes | No | clinic video narrator | Voice |
| 1997 | 101 Dalmatians: The Series | Yes | No | waiter | Voice, episode: "Two Faces of Anita" |
| 1997 | Casper: A Spirited Beginning | Yes | No | Grocer | |
| 1997 | Total Security | Yes | No | Sam Hinkle | Episode: "Citizen Canine" |
| 1997 | Rugrats | Yes | No | Bingo Caller | Voice, episode: "Lady Luck"[70] |
| 1997–2003 | Win Ben Stein's Money | No | No | Himself | host |
| 1998 | Muppets Tonight | Yes | No | The Sad And Lonely Man That Science Has Left Dr. Honeydew | Episode: "Andie MacDowell" |
| 1998 | Breakfast with Einstein | Yes | No | Jack | |
| 1998 | Men in White | Yes | No | Man in Strangemeister's head | |
| 1998 | Casper Meets Wendy | Yes | No | Lawyer | uncredited |
| 1998 | Hercules | Yes | No | Trivia | Voice, episode: "Hercules and the Pool Party" |
| 1998 | The Secret Files of the Spy Dogs | Yes | No | Ernst Stavro Blowfish | Episode: "I.H.R.F./Oatz" |
| 1998 | Pinky and the Brain | Yes | No | Francis "Pip" Pumphandle | Voice, episode: "Star Warners"[70] |
| 1998 | The Hughleys | Yes | No | Dr. Mopp | Episode: "I'm Shrinnnking" |
| 1998 | Tannenbaum | Yes | No | Car lot owner | |
| 1999 | Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain | Yes | No | Rockin' Johnny Hot | Voice, episode: "At the Hop!"[70] |
| 1999 | Wakko's Wish | Yes | No | Desire Fulfillment Facilitator | Voice[70] |
| 1999 | Shasta McNasty | Yes | No | himself | Episode: "Adult Education" |
| 1999 | Turn Ben Stein On | No | No | Himself | Host, executive producer, theme music composer |
| 2000 | The Man Show | Yes | No | Juggy University professor | Episode: "X-Ray Specs" |
| 2001 | The Drew Carey Show | Yes | No | Heavenly Guide | Episode: "Drew's in a Coma" |
| 2001 | Lloyd in Space | Yes | No | Ranger Wormy | Episode: "Caution: Wormhole!" |
| 2001 | Osmosis Jones | Yes | No | Doc | uncredited |
| 2002 | The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius | Yes | No | Giggles the clown | Voice, episode: "Hypno Birthday to You"[70] |
| 2002 | Santa vs. the Snowman 3D | Yes | No | Spunky the Elf | Voice[70] |
| 2002 | Most Outrageous Game Show Moments | No | No | Himself | Co-host |
| 2002 | Do Over | Yes | No | Teacher | Episode: "Joel Larsen's Day Off" |
| 2003–2009 | Family Guy | Yes | No | Rabbi Goldberg | Voice, 2 episodes |
| 2004 | King of the Hill | Yes | No | Quizmaster | Voice, episode: "Stressed for Success" |
| 2004–2008 | The Fairly OddParents | Yes | No | Head Pixie, Sanderson, Pixies | Voice, 8 episodes[70] |
| 2004 | As Told by Ginger | Yes | No | Buddy Baker | Voice, 3 episodes[70] |
| 2005 | Son of the Mask | Yes | No | Dr. Neuman | |
| 2005 | Game Show Moments Gone Bananas | No | No | Himself (Presenter) | |
| 2006 | Mayor Dog | Yes | No | Narrator | |
| 2006 | Totally Awesome | Yes | No | Narrator | |
| 2006 | The Emperor's New School | Yes | No | Mr. Purutu | Voice, 8 episodes |
| 2007 | America's Most Smartest Model | No | No | Himself (Host) | |
| 2007 | Your Mommy Kills Animals | No | No | Himself | |
| 2008 | Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed | No | Yes | Himself | Documentary |
| 2012–2018 | Cavuto on Business | No | No | Himself | Panelist |
| 2016 | Facetiming With Mommy | Yes | No | Daddy | TV series |
| 2018 | The Last Sharknado: It's About Time | Yes | No | Alexander Hamilton[71] | |
| 2019 | Animal Sanctuary | Yes | No | Donald Donkey | Voice; Short |
| TBA | The Engagement Ring | Yes | No | Dr. Miller | Announced |
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host 1999 withJimmy Kimmel | Succeeded by |
