Why Ben Stiller Is Comparing Ariana Grande To Robert De Niro

Ben Stiller has worked with legends. So when he starts comparing someone to Robert De Niro — the man who became his father-in-law on screen and a friend off it — you lean in and listen. This week, that someone is Ariana Grande.

In a new interview with Empire magazine, Stiller opened up about sharing the screen with the multi-platinum superstar in "Focker-in-Law," the fourth installment of the Meet the Parents saga. Grande joins the cast alongside returning veterans Stiller and De Niro — and from the sound of it, she didn't just hold her own. She belonged.

Director John Hamburg said it plainly: she fit right in, going 'toe-to-toe' with two of the most formidable comic actors alive while bringing an energy that lit up the set. 'She has great timing,' Stiller explained, 'and just this amazing thing on screen where she emanates something you want to watch. It's cool to work with someone like that — in the same way, like, with De Niro. Somebody just has something, and they bring it.'

High praise, from someone who would know. 'Focker-in-Law' arrives in theaters November 25 — and after hearing Stiller talk about his new co-star, it might be worth showing up early. Catch all the latest entertainment news right here on Vena Soul — Arizona's hottest R&B.