Billy Crystal Biography

William Edward "Billy" Crystal (born March 14, 1948) is an American actor, writer, producer, comedian, and film director. He gained prominence in the 1970s for playing Jodie Dallas on the ABC sitcom Soap and became a Hollywood film star during the late 1980s and 1990s, appearing in the critical and box office successes When Harry Met Sally... and City Slickers. He has hosted the Academy Awards nine times from 1990 through the 84th Academy Awards in 2012.

Early life

Crystal was born at Doctors Hospital on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, and initially raised in The Bronx. As a toddler, he moved with his family to 549 East Park Avenue in Long Beach, New York, on Long Island. He and his older brothers Joel and Richard, nicknamed Rip, were the sons of Helen (née Gabler), a housewife, and Jack Crystal, who owned and operated the Commodore Music Store, founded by Helen's father, Julius Gabler. Jack Crystal was also a jazz promoter, a producer and executive for an affiliated jazz record label, Commodore Records, founded by Helen's brother, musician and songwriter Milt Gabler. Crystal grew up in a Jewish family. The three young brothers would entertain by reprising comedy routines from the likes of Bob Newhart, Rich Little and Sid Caesar records their father would bring. Jazz artists such as Arvell Shaw, Pee Wee Russell, Eddie Condon, and Billie Holiday were often guests in the home. With the decline of Dixieland jazz circa 1963, Crystal's father lost his business, and died later that year at the age of 54 after suffering a heart attack while bowling. His mother, Helen Crystal, died in 2001.

After graduation from Long Beach High School in 1965 Crystal attended Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia on a baseball scholarship, having learned the game from his father, who pitched for St. John's University. Crystal never played a game at Marshall because the program was suspended during his freshman year. He did not return to Marshall as a sophomore, staying back in New York with his future wife. He instead attended Nassau Community College and later New York University, where he graduated in 1970 with a BFA from its Tisch School of the Arts, His instructors there included Martin Scorsese, with Oliver Stone and Christopher Guest among his classmates.

Career

Television

Crystal returned to New York City and performed regularly at The Improv and Catch a Rising Star. In 1976, Crystal appeared on an episode of All in the Family. He was on the dais for The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast of Muhammad Ali on February 19, 1976, where he did impressions of both Ali and sportscaster Howard Cosell. He was scheduled to appear on the first episode of NBC Saturday Night (later renamed Saturday Night Live) (October 11, 1975), but his sketch was cut. He did perform on episode 17 of that first season, doing a monologue of an old jazz man capped by the line "Can you dig it? I knew that you could." Host Ron Nessen introduced him as "Bill Crystal."

Crystal's earliest prominent role was as Jodie Dallas on Soap, one of the first unambiguously homosexual characters in the cast of an American television series. He continued in the role during the series' entire 1977"1981 run.

In 1982, Billy Crystal hosted his own variety show, The Billy Crystal Comedy Hour on NBC. When Crystal arrived to shoot the fifth episode, he learned it had been canceled after only the first two aired. After hosting Saturday Night Live in 1984, he joined the regular cast. His most famous recurring sketch was his parody of Fernando Lamas, Fernando, a smarmy talk-show host whose catchphrase, "You look... mahvelous!," became a media sensation. Crystal subsequently released an album of his stand-up material titled Mahvelous! in 1985, as well as the single "You Look Marvelous", which peaked at No. 58 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, and No. 17 in Canada. Also in the 1980s, Crystal starred in an episode of Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre as the smartest of the three little pigs.

In 1996, Crystal was the guest star of the third episode of Muppets Tonight.

Billy Crystal hosted three Grammy Awards Telecasts: the 29th Grammys; the 30th Grammys; and the 31st Grammys.

Acting in film and hosting the Oscars

Crystal's first film role was in Joan Rivers's 1978 film Rabbit Test. Crystal also made game show appearances such as The Hollywood Squares, All Star Secrets and The $20,000 Pyramid. He holds the record for getting his contestant partner to the top of the pyramid in winner's circle in the fastest time, 26 seconds.

Crystal appeared briefly in the Rob Reiner "rockumentary" This Is Spinal Tap (1984) as Morty The Mime, a waiter dressed as a mime at one of Spinal Tap's parties. He shared the scene with a then-unknown, non-speaking Dana Carvey. Crystal's line in the film was "Mime is money." He later starred in the action comedy Running Scared (1986). Reiner directed Crystal again in The Princess Bride (1987).

Reiner directed Crystal for a third time in the romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally... (1989), for which Crystal was nominated for a Golden Globe. Crystal then starred in the buddy comedy City Slickers (1991), which proved very successful both commercially and critically and for which Crystal was nominated for his second Golden Globe.

Following the success of these films, Crystal wrote, directed, and starred in Mr. Saturday Night (1992) and Forget Paris (1995). In the former, Crystal played a serious role in aging makeup, as an egotistical comedian who reflects back on his career, although the character was from his SNL days. He directed the made-for-television movie 61* (2001) based on Roger Maris's and Mickey Mantle's race to break Babe Ruth's single-season home run record in 1961. This earned Crystal an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special.

Crystal has continued working in film, including roles in Analyze This (1999) and Analyze That (2002) with Robert De Niro, and in the English version of Howl's Moving Castle as the voice of Calcifer. He was originally asked to provide the voice of Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story (1995) but turned it down, a decision he later regretted due to the popularity of the series. Crystal later went on to provide the voice of Mike Wazowski in the Pixar film Monsters, Inc. (2001), and reprised his role in the prequel, Monsters University, which was released in June 2013.

Crystal hosted the Academy Awards broadcast in 1990"1993, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2004 and 2012. He returned as emcee for the 2012 Oscar ceremony, after Eddie Murphy backed out of hosting. His nine times as the M.C. is second only to Bob Hope's 18 in most ceremonies hosted. At the 83rd Academy Awards ceremony in 2011, he appeared as a presenter for a digitally inserted Bob Hope and before doing so was given a standing ovation. Film critic Roger Ebert said when Crystal came onstage about two hours into the show, he got the first laughs of the broadcast. Crystal's hosting gigs have regularly included an introductory video segment in which he comedically inserts himself into scenes of that year's films in addition to a song following his opening monologue.

Broadway

Crystal won the 2005 Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event for 700 Sundays, a two-act, one-man play, which he conceived and wrote about his parents and his childhood growing up on Long Island. He toured the U.S. with the show in 2006 and Australia in 2007.

Following the initial success of the play, Crystal wrote the book 700 Sundays for Warner Books, which was published on October 31, 2005. In conjunction with the book and the play that also paid tribute to his uncle, Milt Gabler, Crystal produced two CD compilations: Billy Crystal Presents: The Milt Gabler Story, which featured his uncle's most influential recordings from Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit" to "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley & His Comets; and Billy Remembers Billie featuring Crystal's favorite Holiday recordings.

Philanthropy

In 1986, Crystal started hosting Comic Relief on HBO with Robin Williams and Whoopi Goldberg. Founded by Bob Zmuda, Comic Relief raises money for homeless people in the United States.

On September 6, 2005, on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Crystal and Jay Leno were the first celebrities to sign a Harley-Davidson motorcycle to be auctioned off for Gulf Coast relief.

Crystal has participated in the Simon Wiesenthal Center Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. Portraying himself in a video, Crystal introduces museum guests to the genealogy wing of the museum.

New York baseball

On March 12, 2008, Crystal signed a minor league contract, for a single day, to play with the New York Yankees, and was invited to the team's major league spring training. He wore uniform number 60, in honor of his upcoming 60th birthday. On March 13, in a spring training game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Crystal led off as the designated hitter. He managed to make contact, fouling a fastball up the first base line, but was eventually struck out by Pirates pitcher Paul Maholm on 6 pitches and was later replaced in the batting order by Johnny Damon. He was released on March 14, his 60th birthday.

Crystal's boyhood idol was Yankee Hall of Fame legend Mickey Mantle who had signed a program for him when Crystal attended a game where Mantle had hit a home run. Years later on The Dinah Shore Show, in one of his first television appearances, Crystal met Mantle in person and had Mantle re-sign the same program. Crystal would be good friends with Mickey Mantle until Mantle's death in 1995.

Crystal also was well known for his impressions of Yankee Hall of Famer turned broadcaster Phil Rizzuto. Rizzuto, known for his quirks calling games, did not travel to Anaheim, California in 1996 to call the game for WPIX. Instead, Crystal joined the broadcasters in the booth and pretended to be Rizzuto for a few minutes during the August 31 game.

Although a lifelong Yankee fan, he is a part-owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks, even earning a World Series ring in 2001 when the Diamondbacks beat his beloved Yankees.

In the movie City Slickers, Crystal wears a New York Mets baseball cap. In the 1986 film Running Scared Crystal's character is an avid Chicago Cubs fan, wearing a Cubs' jersey in several scenes. In the 2012 film Parental Guidance, Crystal's character is the announcer for the Minor League baseball team the Fresno Grizzlies and aspires to announce for their major league affiliate the San Francisco Giants.

Personal life

Billy Crystal and his wife Janice (née: Goldfinger) married in June 1970, have two daughters, actress Jennifer and producer Lindsay, and are grandparents. They reside in Pacific Palisades, California.

Awards

In addition to his Golden Globe Award-nominations, Emmy Awards, and Tony Award, Crystal won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding One-Person Show for 700 Sundays and received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2007. On August 10, 2013, Crystal received a Disney Legends award for his contributions in film and television for Disney, primarily for performing the voice of Mike Wazowski in Monsters, Inc., and its prequel, Monsters University.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1977	SST: Death Flight	David
1978	Rabbit Test	Lionel Carpenter
1980	Animalympics	Lodge Turkell (voice)
1984	This Is Spinal Tap	Morty the Mime
1986	Running Scared	Danny Constanzo
1987	'	Miracle Max
1987	Throw Momma from the Train	Larry Donner
1988	Memories of Me	Abbie	Writer/Producer
1989	When Harry Met Sally...	Harry Burns	American Comedy Award for Funniest Actor in a Motion Picture Nominated "? Golden Globe Award for Best Actor " Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
1991	City Slickers	Mitch Robbins	Executive producer American Comedy Award for Funniest Actor in a Motion Picture MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance Nominated "? Golden Globe Award for Best Actor " Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
1992	Horton Hatches the Egg	Narrator (voice)
1992	Mr. Saturday Night	Buddy Young, Jr.	Writer/Director/Producer Nominated "? Golden Globe Award for Best Actor " Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
1994	City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold	Mitch Robbins	Writer/Producer
1995	Forget Paris	Mickey Gordon	Writer/Director/Producer
1996	Hamlet	First Gravedigger
1997	Deconstructing Harry	Larry
1997	Fathers' Day	Jack Lawrence
1998	My Giant	Sam 'Sammy' Kamin	Writer/Producer
1999	Analyze This	Dr. Ben Sobel	Executive Producer
2000	'	Mattress salesman	Uncredited
2001	61*		Director
2001	America's Sweethearts	Lee Phillips	Writer/Producer
2001	Monsters, Inc.	Michael "Mike" Wazowski (voice)
2002	Mike's New Car	Michael "Mike" Wazowski (voice)	Short film
2002	Analyze That	Dr. Ben Sobel	Executive producer
2004	Howl's Moving Castle	Calcifer (voice)
2005	Dinotopia: Quest for the Ruby Sunstone	Karl Scott (voice)
2006	Cars	Michael "Mike" Wazowski Car (voice)	Cameo
2009	Make 'Em Laugh: The Funny Business Of America	Himself (host)
2010	Tooth Fairy	Jerry	Uncredited
2012	Parental Guidance	Artie Decker
2012	Small Apartments	Burt Walnut
2013	Monsters University	Michael "Mike" Wazowski (voice)

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1976	All in the Family	Angel	Episode: "New Year's Wedding"
1976	The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast	Himself	Episode: "Muhammad Ali Roast"
1977"1981	Soap (TV series)	Jodie Dallas	73 episodes
1982	The Billy Crystal Comedy Hour	Himself (host)	5 episodes
1984	Saturday Night Live	Himself (host)	Episode: "Billy Crystal/Al Jarreau"
1984	Saturday Night Live	Himself (co-host)	Episode: "Billy Crystal, Ed Koch, Edwin Newman, Don Novello, Betty Thomas/The Cars"
1984-1985	Saturday Night Live	Himself, Various	18 episodes
1985	Simon & Simon	Ben Crane	Episode: "Quint Is Out"
1986-1988	Sesame Street	Ricky	2 episodes
1987	29th Grammy Awards	Himself (host)	TV special
1988	30th Grammy Awards	Himself (host)	TV special
1989	31st Grammy Awards	Himself (host)	TV special
1990	62nd Academy Awards	Himself (host)	TV special
1991	63rd Academy Awards	Himself (host)	TV special
1992	64th Academy Awards	Himself (host)	TV special
1993	65th Academy Awards	Himself (host)	TV special
1995	Frasier	Jack (voice)	Episode: "Leapin' Lizards"
1996	Muppets Tonight	Himself	Episode: "Billy Crystal"
1997	Friends	Tim The Gynecologist (with Robin Williams)	Episode: "The One with the Ultimate Fighting Champion"
1997	69th Academy Awards	Himself (host)	TV special
1998	70th Academy Awards	Himself (host)	TV special
2000	72nd Academy Awards	Himself (host)	TV special
2002	Liberty's Kids	John Adams (voice)	6 episodes
2004	76th Academy Awards	Himself (host)	TV special
2010	Planet Sheen	Soldier Joagth (voice)	Episode: "What's Up Chock?"
2012	84th Academy Awards	Himself (host)	TV special

Video games

Year	Title	Role
2002	Monsters, Inc. Scream Arena	Mike Wazowski (voice)

Saturday Night Live

• Al Minkman, a shady businessman
• Fernando, host of Fernando's Hideaway, a celebrity interview show; based on actor Fernando Lamas
• Buddy Young, Jr. (an insult comic who appears on Weekend Update)
• Lew Goldman
• Ricky, a bowler
• Tony Minetti, a butcher
• Willie, a man who, along with his friend, Frankie (played by Christopher Guest), discuss their masochistic tendencies

Impersonations

• Fernando Lamas
• Howard Cosell
• Muhammad Ali
• John F. Kennedy
• Joe Franklin
• Hervé Villechaize
• Joe Garagiola
• Adam Ant
• Prince
• Sammy Davis, Jr.
• Phil Rizzuto

Bibliography

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