Actor and filmmaker Ben Stiller is opening up about his personal connection to bowling as he helps bring the sport to the spotlight in a new documentary series he executive-produced.
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Stiller serves as an executive producer on the HBO docuseries Born to Bowl. The docuseries is a five-part project that follows professional bowlers competing on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour. The series offers an inside look at the lives, struggles, and ambitions of athletes in an often overlooked sport.
Speaking about the project to PEOPLE, Stiller said bowling holds a “warm place” in his heart. He recalled creating a short film centered on bowling that helped him gain recognition and eventually led to opportunities on Saturday Night Live.
Despite his enthusiasm, Stiller admitted he doesn’t possess the same level of skill as the professionals featured in the series. “I’ve had to bowl in public a couple times, he said. “The last time being at the premiere for this show [Born to Bowl] where the guys asked me if I would do the ceremonial first ball and I gutterballed it… of course.”
Ben Stiller Doesn’t Think Bowlers Get The Respect They Deserve
The documentary follows five top competitors as they navigate the financial and emotional realities of life on the bowling circuit.
The project also highlights bowling’s accessibility and cultural significance, qualities Stiller believes may contribute to the sport being undervalued. He suggested that the accessibility of bowling leads people to take the sport for granted.
I must admit, I have always viewed bowling as a recreational activity rather than a sport. But Stiller wants to change this perception.
“We all are trying to do our thing in life and you’re not always going to get the attention or the respect or maybe how you might think that people should react to something you’re doing,” Stiller expanded. “But these guys, they do it because they love the sport, they’re dedicated to it, and they want to be the best…. I support giving them their flowers, as they say.”