Anne Meara, the comedian, actress and mother of Hollywood star Ben Stiller has died aged 85.

Husband Jerry Stiller, the actor and comic, along with Ben said Meara died on Saturday - but they haven't yet released further details about the death.

The family put out a statement on Sunday that described Meara as Jerry’s “husband and partner in life”.

The statement, sent to AP, continued: “The two were married for 61 years and worked together almost as long.”

“Anne’s memory lives on in the hearts of daughter Amy, son Ben, her grandchildren, her extended family and friends, and the millions she entertained as an actress, writer and comedienne,” it added.

Meara found fame and success as part of a comedy duo with her husband, and together they starred in various productions in television and cinema.

Meara was nominated for numerous Emmy awards, including twice for her performance on Archie Bunker’s Place. She won a Writers Guild Award for The Other Woman, a film for TV that came out in 1983.

She and Jerry also performed as Stiller & Meara on the popular Ed Sullivan Show in the 1960s, and also worked on various award-winning commercials for TV and radio.