SINGAPORE — The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is definitely not the type of film one would normally associate funnyman Ben Stiller with. Stiller directs and stars in this surreal and sensitive film based on James Thurber’s classic story of a day-dreamer who escapes his anonymous life by disappearing into a world of fantasies filled with heroism, romance and action. It also boasts a stellar supporting cast that includes Oscar winners Sean Penn and Shirley MacLaine, and Oscar nominee Kristen Wiig.

“James Thurber’s writing is beautiful and there’s a melancholic tone to that story. I wanted that tone to translate to this movie,” Stiller said. “It is the idea that we all have so much inside of us that nobody knows about. Inside we’re all heroes who go unnoticed. Walter sees so much but nobody really sees him and I thought that was a beautiful idea.

“This film is not just about a guy who has crazy daydreams. It is about a guy who is trying to get in touch with himself. I liked the idea of the guy stepping out into the world and actually trying to make a change.”

Q: You are fantastically successful, which cannot be said for Walter Mitty.

A: Look, I’m extremely fortunate and I’m grateful for all the gifts that I’ve been given in my life, especially my family. Creatively, I am so lucky to have had all these opportunities, but I feel that everybody lives a different life in their head than they do in the real world; and there’s always a different story going on inside us. There are always those moments in life when you go: “I wish I had said this, I wish I had done that.” I am sure everybody has that experience, no matter how outwardly successful they are. I feel like there’s so much that I want to do and explore creatively, that I haven’t done yet. So the story felt very personal.

Q: In what ways would you like to be different?

A: I wish I could be looser, and literally my wife was saying to me yesterday, “You should just loosen up more and enjoy everything.” I don’t know if it’s not in my DNA to be like that, but it’s a challenge for me.

Q: Did it feel like you were taking a risk with this movie?

A: It was daunting because the tone was different from anything I had done before. But I wanted to take a chance and go for it because I felt connected to the message in the script. I think maybe I related to Walter’s story at this point in my life because I’m getting to an age where I’m becoming more aware of those things. As you get older you start to think more about time and how short life is, and you start wanting to take advantage of the moment.

Q: How challenging was it directing and acting at the same time?

A: It is always frustrating because you always want to be a better director for your actor and a better actor for your director. You wish you’d hired a better actor! To be in two places at once is hard. You just have to accept it. I try to be open to getting as much help as possible and I work with people that I really respect in terms of the crew. The preparation work is really important.

Q: Were you really out shooting in the icy North Sea, or was it a tank?

A: I felt we had to shoot in real high seas, with a real boat, a real helicopter and real waves. We were about a mile out at sea with seven-foot swells. The boat with the camera in it went away, and there was this two-minute period where I was just floating in the North Sea with nobody around, just by myself with a briefcase, waiting for the camera to come back. I kept thinking, “I hope they can find me when they come back for the shot.” There was a real sense of danger and it was one of those moments when I thought, “This is really happening.”

Q: Were you lucky with the weather in Iceland?

A: Well, when we were there I met Russell Crowe who had just been filming Noah and he said, “Good luck and just remember — dominate the weather!” I was like, “Dominate the weather? How do you dominate the weather?” But what he meant was you have to fight through and keep going because the weather’s going to change so quickly. I think there are these Norse gods of weather who respect you as a film-maker if you just keep going (Laughs). We were very fortunate. We had a Hawaiian blessing before we started the movie. I asked a friend of mine who’s a Hawaiian priest to come onto our set and give us a blessing at the beginning of the shoot. I think that paid off for us in Iceland, because somehow we were really fortunate to get the sun when we needed it and to get the stormy seas when we needed them.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty opens in cinemas on Dec 25.