Ben Stiller may be one of comedy's most bankable stars, just for once, the older film clich� happens to be correct: Unlike so many of his film acting peers, what he really wants to do � is direct.
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Stiller, 42, stars in, co-wrote and directed "Tropic Thunder," a $90 million war zone comedy striking theaters today.
But in the days before its freeing, "Tropic Thunder" has been met by protests from advocates for the disabled, who object to the film's recurrent use of the logos "retard" to describe a character depicted by Stiller's character, Tugg Speedman, a fading natural action star, dire for an Oscar.
Watch Chris Connelly's full interview with Ben Stiller tonight on "Nightline" at 11:35 p.m. ET
"We screened the picture so many times and this didn't come up until very late and I think the cat spearheading [the protest] hasn't seen the movie. So in the context of the film I think it's actually clear, they were making fun of the actors and actors who try to use serious subjects to pull ahead awards," Stiller said on "Good Morning America" today. "It's most actors and self-importance. I think the context of the picture it's pretty clear."
Stiller aforesaid he wanted to try his hand in the director's chairman, even as his peers chose to stay in front of the camera.
"You get to, you jazz, make the decisions and the choices and get under one's skin to sort of stress to make it materialise the style you get word it in your
