Stiller was born on March 16, 1982, in Park Ridge, Illinois. In 2004, he graduated with a BA from Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin, followed by a BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago during the following year and a MFA in Screenwriting from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California, in 2009. Also in 2009, Stiller became a production assistant during the re-shoots of The Final Destination. Then, he became a member of the production crew of Criminal Minds and has remained there since. Stiller wrote his first episode for the show, Breath Play, in Season Ten as a guest writer. For the next season, he was hired as a staff writer.