Natanya Ross, a former child actor, has opened up about a difficult period in her life. She struggled with heroin addiction for 10 years. During that time, Ben Stiller’s work helped her cope with the challenges she faced.
Speaking to Stiller’s wife, Christine Taylor, Ross revealed that she spent two of those years living in a car with her boyfriend and ex-boyfriend, who were also “all former very successful child actors.”
Natanya Ross reveals how Ben Stiller’s performance helped her during heroin addiction
During that time, Ross found comfort in books and would visit bookstores to read. Two books stood out because she wanted to read them “over and over and over.” One of them was written by Jerry Stahl. His autobiography later inspired Stiller’s film, Permanent Midnight.
Ross said during her full interview on the We’re Still Here, Babe podcast that Stiller’s portrayal of Stahl, a writer battling addiction, had a lasting impact on her. “Ben’s performance in Permanent Midnight changed me as a human, because I think we were all so used to seeing him in such a powerful comedic way,” she told Taylor.
Released in 1998, Permanent Midnight marked a darker role for Stiller, who played Stahl as he struggled with addiction and went through rehabilitation. The film also starred Elizabeth Hurley, Maria Bello and Owen Wilson and was directed by David Veloz.
For Ross, the connection went beyond Stiller’s performance. She also had a personal link to the actor through her friend Aaron Schwartz, who starred with Stiller in Heavyweights. “One of my best friends is Aaron Schwartz, who starred in Heavyweights with Stiller,” Ross said.
After reading Stahl’s book and watching Permanent Midnight, Ross became a fan of his writing. And she said she eventually read everything he had written. Taylor then revealed that Stahl is one of Stiller’s closest friends and was his best man.
Taylor offered to connect Ross with Stahl the next time they were in Los Angeles. Ross, meanwhile, wanted him to know how much his work had meant to her and asked Taylor to at least tell him, “he’s changed my life.”
