American comedian, actor, and filmmaker
Billy Crystal
|
---|
Crystal in 2018
|
Birth name
| William Edward Crystal
|
---|
Born
| (
1948-03-14
)
March 14, 1948
(age 76)
New York City
, U.S.
|
---|
Medium
| - Stand-up
- film
- television
- theatre
- books
|
---|
Alma mater
| New York University
(
BFA
)
|
---|
Years active
| 1975?present
|
---|
Genres
| |
---|
Subject(s)
| |
---|
Spouse
|
Janice Goldfinger
(
m.
)
|
---|
Children
| 2, including
Jennifer Crystal Foley
|
---|
William Edward Crystal
(born March 14, 1948)
[1]
is an American comedian, actor, and filmmaker. Crystal is known as a
standup comedian
and for his film and stage roles. Crystal has received
numerous accolades
, including six
Primetime Emmy Awards
and a
Tony Award
as well as nominations for three
Grammy Awards
and three
Golden Globe Awards
. He was honored with a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame
in 1991, the
Mark Twain Prize for American Humor
in 2007, the
Critics' Choice Lifetime Achievement Award
in 2022, and the
Kennedy Center Honors
in 2023.
[2]
[3]
He gained prominence for television roles as
Jodie Dallas
on the
ABC
sitcom
Soap
from 1977 to 1981 and as a cast member and frequent host of
Saturday Night Live
from 1984 to 1985. Crystal then became known for his roles in films such as
Running Scared
(1986),
Throw Momma from the Train
(1987),
Memories of Me
(1988),
When Harry Met Sally...
(1989),
Mr. Saturday Night
(1992),
Forget Paris
(1995),
Father's Day
(1997), and
America's Sweethearts
(2001). He provided the voice of
Mike Wazowski
in the
Pixar
animated
Monsters, Inc.
franchise
. He has hosted the
Academy Awards
nine times,
beginning in 1990
and
in 2012
.
He made his
Broadway
debut in his one man show
700 Sundays
in 2004 for which he won the
Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event
. He returned to the show again in
2014
which was filmed by
HBO
and received a
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special
nomination. He wrote and starred in the Broadway musical
Mr. Saturday Night
based on his film in 2022 for which he received two Tony Award nominations for
Best Actor in a Musical
and
Best Book of a Musical
. He has written five books including his memoir
Still Foolin' Em
(2013).
Early life and education
[
edit
]
William Edward Crystal was born at
Doctors Hospital
on the
Upper East Side
of
Manhattan
,
[1]
and initially raised in
the Bronx
.
[4]
As a toddler, he moved with his family to 549 East Park Avenue in
Long Beach, New York
, on
Long Island
.
[4]
He and his older brothers Joel, who later became an art teacher, and Richard, nicknamed Rip, were the sons of Helen (
nee
Gabler), a housewife, and Jack Crystal, who owned and operated the Commodore Music Store, founded by Crystal's grandfather, Julius Gabler.
[5]
Crystal's father was also a
jazz
promoter, a producer, and an executive for an affiliated jazz record label,
Commodore Records
, founded by Crystal's uncle, musician and songwriter
Milt Gabler
.
[4]
Crystal is
Jewish
(his family emigrated from Austria, Russia, and Lithuania),
[6]
[7]
and he grew up attending
Temple Emanu-El (Long Beach, New York)
where he had his
bar mitzvah
.
[8]
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 home.
[4]
Jazz artists such as
Arvell Shaw
,
Pee Wee Russell
,
Eddie Condon
, and
Billie Holiday
were often guests in the home.
[4]
With the decline of
Dixieland jazz
and the rise of discount record stores, in 1963, Crystal's father lost his business
[6]
and died later that year at the age of 54
[5]
after having a
heart attack
.
[4]
His mother died in 2001.
[6]
After graduating from
Long Beach High School
in 1965,
[9]
Crystal attended
Marshall University
in
Huntington, West Virginia
, on a baseball scholarship,
[4]
having learned the game from his father, who pitched for
St. John's University
.
[
citation needed
]
Crystal never played baseball at Marshall because the program was suspended during his first year.
[10]
[11]
He did not return to Marshall as a sophomore, instead deciding to stay in New York to be close to his future wife. He studied acting at
HB Studio
.
[12]
He attended
Nassau Community College
with her and later transferred to
New York University
, where he was a film and television directing major. He graduated from
NYU
in 1970 with a
BFA
from its then
School of Fine Arts
.
[13]
[14]
One of his instructors was
Martin Scorsese
, while
Oliver Stone
and
Christopher Guest
were among his classmates.
[15]
Career
[
edit
]
1976?1985: Stand-up,
Soap
, and
SNL
[
edit
]
Crystal returned to New York City. For four years, he was part of a comedy trio with two friends. They played colleges and coffee houses and Crystal worked as a substitute teacher on Long Island.
[16]
He later became a solo act and performed regularly at
The Improv
and
Catch a Rising Star
. In 1976, Crystal appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and 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
on October 11, 1975 (The show was later renamed
Saturday Night Live
on March 26, 1977), but his sketch was cut.
[17]
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".
[18]
He made a guest appearance on "The Love Boat" Season 2 Episode 5, which aired on October 20, 1978. Crystal also made game show appearances such as
The Hollywood Squares
,
All Star Secrets
and
The $20,000 Pyramid
.
To this day, he holds the Pyramid franchise's record for getting his contestant partner to the top of the pyramid in the winner's circle in the fastest time: 26 seconds.
[19]
[20]
Crystal's earliest prominent role was as
Jodie Dallas
on
Soap
,
one of the first unambiguously gay characters in the cast of an American television series.
[21]
He continued in the role during the series's entire 1977?1981 run.
[22]
[23]
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.
[24]
After hosting
Saturday Night Live
twice, on March 17, 1984, and the show's ninth season finale on May 5, he joined the regular cast for
the 1984?85 season
.
[17]
His most famous recurring sketch was his parody of
Fernando Lamas
, a smarmy talk-show host whose
catchphrase
, "You look... mahvelous!", became a media sensation.
[17]
Also in the 1980s, Crystal starred in an episode of
Shelley Duvall
's
Faerie Tale Theatre
as the smartest of the three little pigs.
Crystal's first film role was in
Joan Rivers
' 1978 film
Rabbit Test
, the story of the "world's first pregnant man."
[25]
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
, stating famously that "Mime is money."
[26]
1986?1999: Oscar host and leading man status
[
edit
]
Due to the success of Crystal's standup and
SNL
career, in 1985, he released an album of his stand-up material titled
Mahvelous!
. The title track
You Look Marvelous
, written by Crystal and
Paul Shaffer
, had an accompanying music video that debuted on
MTV
.
[27]
Both the song and video features Crystal in character as his
SNL
persona of talk show host
Fernando Lamas
. The video features Lamas cruising around in what was at the time the world's longest stretch limousine, built by custom-coach designer and builder Vini Bergeman,
[28]
surrounded by models in bikinis. The single peaked at No. 58 on the
Billboard
Hot 100
in the US and No. 17 in Canada. The album was nominated for a
Grammy
Award for Best Comedy Recording at the 1986 Grammy Awards.
[29]
[30]
He later starred in the action comedy
Running Scared
(1986) opposite
Gregory Hines
. Film critic of the
Chicago Sun-Times
Roger Ebert
praised the two for their on-screen chemistry writing, "But Crystal and Hines...don't need a plot because they have so much good dialogue and such a great screen relationship."
[31]
During this time Crystal hosted the
Academy Awards
broadcast a total of 9 times, from
1990
,
1991
,
1992
,
1993
,
1997
,
1998
,
2000
,
2004
and
2012
. His hosting was critically praised, resulting in two
Primetime Emmy Award
wins for hosting and writing the
63rd Academy Awards
and an Emmy win for writing the
64th Academy Awards
.
San Francisco Chronicle
columnist John Carman raved about Crystal's performance for the
70th Academy Awards
writing, "It was the best Oscar show in two decades...Crystal was back in razor form."
[32]
The Seattle Times
television editor Kay McFadden praised Crystal commenting that "he possesses nearly impeccable timing and judgment."
[33]
He reunited with director Rob Reiner in
The Princess Bride
(1987), in a comedic supporting role as "Miracle Max". Reiner got Crystal to accept the part by saying, "How would you like to play Mel Brooks?" Reiner also allowed Crystal to ad-lib, and his parting shot, "Have fun storming the castle!" is a frequently quoted line. Critic
Roger Ebert
described Crystal as a highlight of the film writing "the funniest sequences in the film stars Billy Crystal and Carol Kane, both unrecogizable behind makeup, as an ancient wizard and crone who specialize in bringing the dead back to life".
[34]
Reiner directed Crystal for a third time in the romantic comedy
When Harry Met Sally...
(1989). Crystal starred alongside
Meg Ryan
,
Bruno Kirby
and
Carrie Fisher
in a script written by
Nora Ephron
.
The Hollywood Reporter
praised the film and Crystal's performance writing, "Crystal's lustrous, deeply-shaded performance is certain to win him legions of new fans; indeed, his prowess as a comic reaches its deepest human dimension here."
[35]
He was nominated for the
Golden Globe Award for Best Actor ? Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
losing to
Morgan Freeman
in
Driving Miss Daisy
(1989). The film has since become an iconic classic for the genre and is Crystal's most celebrated film. In 2019 the
BBC
named the film the greatest romantic comedy of all time.
[36]
In 1991, Crystal created and produced the HBO six-part comedy miniseries
Sessions
starring
Michael McKean
and
Elliott Gould
. The
Los Angeles Times
praised the project describing it as "swankily written, elegantly staged and perfectly cast".
[37]
Crystal then starred in the award-winning buddy comedy
City Slickers
(1991), which proved very successful both commercially and critically and for which Crystal was nominated for his second
Golden Globe
. The film was followed by a sequel, which was less successful. The name of his company is Face Productions.
[38]
Entertainment Weekly
praised Crystal's performance writing, "It's also the first movie ever to do the talented Billy Crystal justice...he's far more pleasureful to watch in this sort of dramatic-comedy role than, say, Robin Williams, because his comfy, urban-shlemiel personality helps ground the jokes".
[39]
Following the significant 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.
In 1992, he narrated
Dr. Seuss
Video Classics:
Horton Hatches the Egg
. Crystal was originally asked to voice
Buzz Lightyear
in
Toy Story
(1995) but turned it down, a decision he later regretted due to the popularity of the series.
[17]
Crystal later films include a supporting roles in
Kenneth Branagh
's
William Shakespeare
epic
Hamlet
(1996), and
Woody Allen
's critically acclaimed comedy ensemble film
Deconstructing Harry
(1997). Crystal had starred opposite
Robin Williams
in
Father's Day
(1997) and had success alongside
Robert De Niro
in
Harold Ramis
' mobster comedy
Analyze This
(1999). In 1996, Crystal was the guest star of the third episode of
Muppets Tonight
and hosted three
Grammy Awards
Telecasts: the
29th Grammys
; the
30th Grammys
; and the
31st Grammys
. Crystal was a guest on the first and the last episode of
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
,
which concluded February 6, 2014, after 22 seasons on the air.
[40]
2000?2014: Later film work and Broadway debut
[
edit
]
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
Primetime Emmy Award
nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special. More recent performances include roles in
America's Sweethearts
(2001), the sequel
Analyze That
(2002), and
Parental Guidance
(2012). Crystal later went on to provide the voice of Mike Wazowski in the blockbuster
Pixar
film
Monsters, Inc.
(2001),
Cars
(2006), during the
epilogue
in the
end credits
, and to reprise his voice role in the prequel,
Monsters University
(2013). Crystal also provided the voice of
Calcifer
in the English version of
Hayao Miyazaki
's
Howl's Moving Castle
(2004). 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
.
[17]
He toured throughout the US with the show in 2006 and then 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.
He returned as the host for the
2012 Oscar ceremony
, after
Eddie Murphy
resigned from hosting.
[41]
[42]
His nine times is second only to
Bob Hope
's 19 in most ceremonies hosted.
[43]
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.
[44]
Crystal's hosting gigs have regularly included an introductory video segment in which he comedically inserts himself into scenes of that year's nominees in addition to a song following his opening monologue. In 2013, Crystal released his autobiographical memoir
Still Foolin' Em
.
[45]
The audiobook version was nominated for a
Grammy
Award for Best Spoken Word Album at the 2014
Grammy
Awards.
[30]
In the fall of 2013, he brought the show,
700 Sundays
back to Broadway for a two-month run at the
Imperial Theatre
.
HBO
filmed the January 3?4, 2014 performances for a special, which debuted on their network on April 19, 2014, entitled
Billy Crystal: 700 Sundays
.
[46]
[47]
The televised special received three
Primetime Emmy Award
nominations including
Outstanding Variety Special
, and
Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special
.
In 2014, Crystal paid tribute to his close friend
Robin Williams
at the
66th Primetime Emmy Awards
. In his tribute he talked about their friendship, saying, "As genius as he was on stage, he was the greatest friend you could ever imagine. Supportive. Protective. Loving. It's very hard to talk about him in the past because he was so present in all of our lives. For almost 40 years, he was the brightest star in the comedy galaxy…[His] beautiful light will continue to shine on us forever. And the glow will be so bright, it'll warm your heart. It'll make your eyes glisten. And you'll think to yourselves: Robin Williams. What a concept."
[48]
[49]
Crystal stated that paying tribute to Williams so publicly and so soon after Williams had died was one of "the hardest things I've had to do" and that "I was really worried that I wasn't going to get through it."
[50]
[51]
Crystal soon after appeared on
The View
where he and
Whoopi Goldberg
shared stories about Williams, reminiscing about their friendship, and their collaborations together on
Comic Relief
.
[52]
2015?present: Return to Broadway
[
edit
]
In 2015, Crystal co-starred alongside
Josh Gad
on the
FX
comedy series
The Comedians
, which ran for just one season before being canceled.
[53]
His series received mixed reviews with many critics noting the chemistry developed further as the series went on. The series was compared to backstage shows such as
The Larry Sanders Show
and
30 Rock
. Kate Kulzick of
The A.V. Club
wrote "The odd-couple pairing of Crystal and Gad works well, with their generational divide providing many of the show's early highlights...The friendly rapport that develops between the fictionalized Billy and Josh allows them to relax a bit and get to know each other better".
[54]
In 2016, Crystal gave one of the eulogies for
Muhammad Ali
at his funeral. In his remembrance of Ali, Crystal talked about his admiration for Ali as a boxer, and humanitarian. He also shared stories of their unlikely friendship after Crystal did a series of impersonations of him. Crystal stated of Ali's legacy, "Only once in a thousand years or so, do we get to hear a
Mozart
, or see a
Picasso
, or read a
Shakespeare
. Ali was one of them. And yet, at his heart, he was still a kid from
Louisville
who ran with the gods and walked with the crippled and smiled at the foolishness of it all."
[55]
[56]
In the fall of 2021, Crystal reprised the role of Buddy Young Jr., in a theatrical musical staging of
Mr. Saturday Night
at the
Barrington Stage Company
in
Pittsfield, MA
.
[57]
In 2022, Crystal adapted his 1992 movie
Mr. Saturday Night
into a
Broadway
musical with the same name
. Crystal stars in the musical reprising his role from the film alongside
David Paymer
. The production began previews on Broadway at the
Nederlander Theatre
on March 29, 2022, prior to officially opening on April 27.
[58]
Crystal earned the
Drama League Award
for Contribution to the Theater Award for "his extraordinary work on stages across the country and commitment to mentorship in the field".
[59]
Crystal performed a number with the ensemble from his musical at the
75th Tony Awards
. He also performed what he described as
Yiddish
scat singing
. He went into the crowd teaching
Lin-Manuel Miranda
and
Samuel L. Jackson
as well as the rest of the audience.
[60]
The New York Times
praised Crystal on his bit, describing it as a highlight of the telecast writing, "one of the few moments that broke through...is when [Crystal] brought it out into the audience, and threw it up to the balcony, he showed how precision delivery and command of a room can make even the oldest, silliest material impossibly compelling."
[61]
In 2023 Crystal was celebrated by the
Kennedy Center Honors
. Tributes came from
Rob Reiner
,
Meg Ryan
,
Whoopi Goldberg
,
Robert De Niro
,
Jay Leno
, and
Bob Costas
.
Lin-Manuel Miranda
and
Marc Shaiman
did a tribute to Crystal's "Oscar Medleys" to the tunes of "
Too Marvelous for Words
", "
It Had to Be You
" (the theme from
When Harry Met Sally...
) and "
My Favorite Things
" from
The Sound of Music
.
[62]
Acting credits and accolades
[
edit
]
Crystal has received numerous accolades including six
Primetime Emmy Awards
for
Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program
as the host of the
31st Annual Grammy Awards
(1989),
63rd Academy Awards
(1991), and
70th Academy Awards
(1998) and the
Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series
for writing his comedy special
Midnight Train to Moscow
(1990), and the
63rd Academy Awards
and
64th Academy Awards
(1992). For his
Broadway
debut, his one man show
700 Sundays
(2005), he won the
Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event
, and the
Drama Desk Award
.
[63]
He received further Tony nominations for
Best Actor in a Musical
and
Best Book of a Musical
for
Mr. Saturday Night
(2022).
He received nominations for three
Grammy Awards
for
Best Comedy Album
for
You Look Marvelous
(1986),
Best Spoken Word Album
for
Still Foolin' Em
(2014), and
Best Musical Theatre Album
for
Mr. Saturday Night
(2023).
[64]
He also received three
Golden Globe Award
nominations for
Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
for his performances in the romantic comedy
When Harry Met Sally...
(1989), the western comedy
City Slickers
(1991), and Crystal's directorial debut
Mr. Saturday Night
(1992).
[65]
He has also received numerous honors including a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame
in 1991, and was awarded with the
Mark Twain Prize for American Humor
in 2007 where he was honored by
Robin Williams
,
Whoopi Goldberg
,
Robert De Niro
,
Martin Short
, and
Rob Reiner
at the
John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts
in
Washington D.C.
He was made one of the
Disney Legends
in 2013 and also received the
Critics' Choice Lifetime Achievement Award
in 2022 and the
Kennedy Center Honors
in 2023.
[2]
[3]
Discography
[
edit
]
Albums
[
edit
]
- Mahvelous!
, (A&M Records, 1985) [#65 US]
Singles
[
edit
]
- "You Look Marvelous", (A&M Records, 1985) [#58 US]
- "I Hate When That Happens", (A&M Records, 1985)
- "The Christmas Song", (A&M Records, 1985)
Bibliography
[
edit
]
Personal life
[
edit
]
On June 4, 1970, Crystal married his high school sweetheart, Janice Goldfinger.
[67]
Crystal has long credited his parents, "who always looked like they loved being together," with setting an example for his own marriage.
[68]
They have two daughters: actress
Jennifer
and Lindsay, a producer, and are grandparents.
[69]
They live in the
Pacific Palisades
neighborhood of
Los Angeles
,
California
.
[70]
Crystal received an honorary
Doctor of Fine Arts
degree from New York University in 2016 and spoke at the commencement at Yankee Stadium.
[71]
Philanthropy
[
edit
]
In 1986, Crystal started hosting
Comic Relief
on
HBO
with
Robin Williams
and
Whoopi Goldberg
.
[17]
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.
[72]
Crystal has participated in the
Simon Wiesenthal Center
Museum of Tolerance
in Los Angeles. Crystal's personal history is featured in the "Finding Our Families, Finding Ourselves" exhibit in the genealogy wing of the museum.
[73]
Political views
[
edit
]
Crystal is a supporter of the
Democratic Party
and has appeared in
advertisements
on behalf of the party.
[74]
Crystal was an outspoken critic of
Donald Trump
, during
Trump's 2016 Presidential campaign
. He supported
Hillary Clinton
in the
2016 United States presidential election
.
[75]
[76]
Sports
[
edit
]
On March 12, 2008, Crystal signed a one-day minor league contract to play with the
New York Yankees
, and he was invited to the team's major league spring training. He wore uniform number 60 in honor of his upcoming 60th birthday.
[77]
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 six pitches and was later replaced in the batting order by
Johnny Damon
.
[78]
He was released on March 14, his 60th birthday.
[79]
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 Mantle until Mantle's death in 1995. He and
Bob Costas
together wrote the eulogy Costas read at Mantle's funeral, and
George Steinbrenner
then invited Crystal to emcee the unveiling of Mantle's monument at
Yankee Stadium
. In his 2013 memoir
Still Foolin' 'Em
, Crystal claimed that after the ceremony, near the Yankees clubhouse, he was punched in the stomach by
Joe DiMaggio
, who was angry at Crystal for not having introduced him to the crowd as the "Greatest living player".
Crystal also was well known for his impressions of Yankees 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 Yankees fan,
[80]
he is a part-owner of the
Arizona Diamondbacks
, even earning a
World Series ring
in 2001 when the Diamondbacks beat his beloved Yankees.
[81]
In
City Slickers
, Crystal wore a
New York Mets
baseball cap
. In the 1986 film
Running Scared
, his character is an avid
Chicago Cubs
fan, wearing a Cubs' jersey in several scenes. In the 2012 film
Parental Guidance
, his character is the announcer for the
Fresno Grizzlies
, a
Minor League Baseball
team, who aspires to announce for their
Major League affiliate
, the
San Francisco Giants
.
Crystal appeared in
Ken Burns
's 1994 documentary
Baseball
, telling personal stories about his life-long love of baseball, including meeting
Casey Stengel
as a child and
Ted Williams
as an adult.
Crystal is also a longtime
Los Angeles Clippers
fan and season ticket holder.
[82]
[83]
[
non-primary source needed
]
[84]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
On page 17 of his book
700 Sundays
, Crystal displays his birth announcement, which gives his first two names as "William Edward", not "William Jacob"
Crystal, Billy (2005).
700 Sundays
.
Grand Central Publishing
. p.
17
.
ISBN
978-0-446-57867-7
.
Sunday Number One. I'm born. March 14, 1948, in Manhattan at Doctor's [
sic
] Hospital overlooking Gracie Mansion. 7:30 in the morning.
- ^
a
b
Nordyke, Kimberly (February 2022).
"Billy Crystal to Receive Lifetime Achievement Nod at Critics Choice Awards"
.
The Hollywood Reporter
. Retrieved
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2022
.
- ^
a
b
"Billy Crystal and Queen Latifah look marvelous as they headline this year's Kennedy Center Honors"
.
Associated Press
. June 22, 2023
. Retrieved
June 22,
2023
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
Fischler, Marcelle S. (February 27, 2005).
"700 Memories of Childhood in Long Beach"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
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2012
.
- ^
a
b
Kane, Joe.
"Jack Crystal: A Man To Remember"
. AllAboutJazz.com. Archived from
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. Retrieved
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.
- ^
a
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Braver, Rita (November 6, 2005).
"Life Is Short, Laugh Hard"
.
CBS News
. Archived from
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on June 15, 2007
. Retrieved
June 4,
2007
.
- ^
"Billy is crystal clear"
.
Woman's Day
. Archived from
the original
on October 23, 2013.
- ^
"Billy Crystal The Hilarious Story About His Bar Mitzvah"
.
Hudson Union Society
. Archived from
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on April 12, 2020
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
Ketchum, Diane (June 3, 1990).
"Long Island Journal: Crystal Gazing"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
December 4,
2012
.
- ^
"Billy Crystal | Hollywood Walk of Fame"
. Walkoffame
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
"1965 MAC Baseball Season"
. The Baseball Cube
. Retrieved
December 21,
2022
.
- ^
"HB Studio ? Notable Alumni | One of the Original Acting Studios in NYC"
.
- ^
"Billy Crystal Biography"
.
Yahoo! Movies
. Retrieved
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2008
.
- ^
Crystal, Billy (2013).
Still Foolin' Em
.
Henry Holt and Company
. p.
39
.
ISBN
978-0-8050-9820-4
.
- ^
Crystal, in
Lovece, Frank
(December 10, 2012).
"Crystal Clear: Veteran Comedy Star Discusses 'Parental Guidance' and his Sandy-Ravaged Hometown"
.
Film Journal International
. Archived from
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on September 6, 2013
. Retrieved
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2013
.
- ^
"Episode 740 ? Billy Crystal"
.
WTF with Marc Maron Podcast
. September 7, 2016.
- ^
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Lipton, James (host) (October 8, 2007).
"Billy Crystal, 2nd Visit"
.
Inside the Actors Studio
. Season 13. Episode 1307. Bravo. Archived from
the original
on October 11, 2007.
- ^
"Season 1: Episode 17 > Ron Nessen / Patti Smith > Billy Crystal Stand-Up"
. Saturday Night Live Transcripts. Archived from
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. Retrieved
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2013
.
- ^
"$10,000 Pyramid Episodes - $10,000 Pyramid Full Episode Guides on ABC | TVGuide.com"
.
Archived
from the original on December 17, 2014
. Retrieved
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2014
.
- ^
"10,000 Pyramid aka 25,000 Pyramid aka 100,000 Pyramid"
.
Archive of American Television
. October 23, 2017.
- ^
"TV's gay characters, before and after Ellen"
.
USA Today
. Retrieved
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2018
.
- ^
"Billy Crystal | Encyclopedia.com"
.
www.encyclopedia.com
. Retrieved
September 21,
2018
.
- ^
Soap (TV Series 1977?1981)
, retrieved
September 21,
2018
- ^
Crystal, Billy (2013).
Still Foolin' Em
.
Henry Holt and Company
. p.
93
.
ISBN
978-0-8050-9820-4
.
- ^
Maslin, Janet (April 9, 1978).
"Joan Rivers 'Rabbit Test' Film Depicts First Pregnant Man"
.
The New York Times
.
- ^
"In the '80s, mime is money: Minor Detail's 'Canvas of Life'
"
.
Tampa Bay Times
. Retrieved
May 10,
2022
.
- ^
Bull, Debby (October 24, 1985).
"Billy Crystal's Winning Season"
.
Rolling Stone
.
- ^
Garbow, Roger (March 27, 2020).
"The Larger-Than-Life Tale of Vini 'Big Daddy' Bergeman, the Limo King of Los Angeles"
.
The Drive
.
- ^
"Billy Crystal ? You Look Marvelous"
.
Discogs
. 1985.
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.
grammy.com
. November 19, 2019.
- ^
"Running Scared (1986) movie review"
.
Rogerebert.com
. Retrieved
January 3,
2023
.
- ^
Carman, John (March 24, 1998).
"Oscar Polishes Up His Image / Crystal clearly a winner for best show in decades"
.
San Francisco Chronicle
.
Hearst Corporation
.
Archived
from the original on February 2, 2014
. Retrieved
January 23,
2014
.
- ^
McFadden, Kay (March 24, 1998).
"Ceremony Shapes Up As A Night To Remember"
.
The Seattle Times
.
The Seattle Times Company
.
Archived
from the original on February 1, 2014
. Retrieved
January 23,
2014
.
- ^
"The Princess Bride"
.
Rogerebert.com
. Retrieved
June 22,
2023
.
- ^
"
'When Harry Met Sally': THR's 1989 Review"
.
The Hollywood Reporter
. December 28, 2016
. Retrieved
June 22,
2023
.
- ^
"Why When Harry met Sally is the greatest romcom of all time"
.
BBC
. Retrieved
June 22,
2023
.
- ^
"TV Review : Comedy on a Couch in Billy Crystal's 'Sessions'
"
.
Los Angeles Times
. October 5, 1991
. Retrieved
June 22,
2023
.
- ^
"Billy Crystal"
.
Variety
. November 12, 2013
. Retrieved
October 15,
2020
.
- ^
"City Slickers"
.
Entertainment Weekly
. Retrieved
June 22,
2023
.
- ^
"Season 22: Episode 77"
. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Archived from
the original
on February 8, 2014
. Retrieved
February 8,
2014
.
- ^
"Eddie Murphy drops out as Oscars host"
. CNN. November 9, 2011.
- ^
"Billy Crystal to return as host for 84th Academy Awards"
.
TV by the Numbers
.zap2it.com. Archived from
the original
on November 12, 2011
. Retrieved
April 10,
2012
.
- ^
Keegan, Rebecca (February 20, 2019).
"The Politics of Oscar: Inside the Academy's Long, Hard Road to a Hostless Show"
.
The Hollywood Reporter
. Archived from
the original
on February 25, 2019
. Retrieved
February 25,
2019
.
- ^
"Oscars: "King" wins, show loses"
.
Chicago Sun-Times
. Archived from
the original
on March 2, 2011
. Retrieved
August 24,
2021
.
- ^
Itzkoff, Dave (September 5, 2013).
"Last Laugh? He Doesn't Need It Yet"
.
The New York Times
. Archived from
the original
on January 1, 2022.
- ^
"Billy Crystal's hit Broadway play '700 Sundays' coming to HBO"
.
Los Angeles Times
. December 4, 2013
. Retrieved
December 11,
2013
.
- ^
"DVR Alert: HBO Debuts Billy Crystal's 700 Sundays Tonight"
. Retrieved
April 20,
2014
.
- ^
"Robin Williams Remembered by Billy Crystal in Poignant Emmy Tribute"
.
Rolling Stone
. August 26, 2014
. Retrieved
June 6,
2020
.
- ^
"Billy Crystal pays tribute to Robin Williams at the 2014 Emmy awards"
.
The Guardian
. August 26, 2014
. Retrieved
June 6,
2020
.
- ^
"Billy Crystal Remembers His Friend, Robin Williams"
.
YouTube
.
Archived
from the original on November 23, 2021
. Retrieved
June 6,
2020
.
- ^
"Billy Crystal: Robin Williams Emmy tribute was 'the hardest thing I've ever had to do'
"
.
NBC
. September 16, 2014
. Retrieved
June 6,
2020
.
- ^
"Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Crystal Share Stories About Robin Williams on 'The View'
"
.
ABC News
. Retrieved
June 6,
2020
.
- ^
Maane Khatchatourian (February 14, 2015).
"Watch: Billy Crystal and Josh Gad in 'The Comedians' First Trailer"
.
Variety
.
- ^
"The Comedians succeeds with a familiar formula"
.
A.V. Club
. April 9, 2015
. Retrieved
June 22,
2023
.
- ^
"Watch Billy Crystal's Funny, Poignant Eulogy for Muhammad Ali"
.
Vulture
. June 11, 2016
. Retrieved
June 6,
2020
.
- ^
"Muhammad Ali Funeral ? Billy Crystal Imitates Ali"
.
YouTube
.
Archived
from the original on November 23, 2021
. Retrieved
June 6,
2020
.
- ^
"Barrington Stage Company welcomes Billy Crystal in a presentation of a new musical in development -- Mr. Saturday Night"
.
Barrington Stage Company
. Retrieved
October 29,
2021
.
- ^
Rabinowitz, Chloe (January 12, 2022).
"Shoshana Bean & More Complete the Cast of Mr. Saturday Night on Broadway"
.
BroadwayWorld
. Retrieved
January 12,
2022
.
- ^
"Nominations Announced for 88th Annual Drama League Awards"
.
Broadway.com
. Retrieved
April 26,
2022
.
- ^
"Tony Awards 2022 biggest moments: Billy Crystal sings Yiddish with Samuel L. Jackson"
.
USA Today
. Retrieved
June 13,
2022
.
- ^
Green, Jesse; Phillips, Maya; Soloski, Alexis; Collins-Hughes, Laura; Vincentelli, Elisabeth; Testa, Jessica (June 13, 2022).
"Best Schtick: Billy Crystal Makes Silly Compelling"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
June 13,
2022
.
- ^
Kennedy Center (December 28, 2023).
"Lin-Manuel Miranda honors Billy Crystal | 46th Kennedy Center Honors"
.
YouTube
. Retrieved
December 30,
2023
.
- ^
"Billy Crystal's Tony Award-Winning Broadway Debut 700 Sundays Closes, June 12"
.
Playbill
.com
. Retrieved
May 27,
2020
.
- ^
"Billy Crystal ? Artist"
.
Grammy.com
. Retrieved
May 27,
2020
.
- ^
"Billy Crystal ? Winners & Nominees"
.
Goldenglobes.com
. Retrieved
May 27,
2020
.
- ^
"Still Foolin' 'Em by Billy Crystal"
.
stillfoolinem.com
. Archived from
the original
on October 4, 2013
. Retrieved
April 7,
2015
.
- ^
Crystal,
Still Foolin' 'em
, p. 43
- ^
Hautman, Nicholas (November 13, 2018).
"Billy Crystal Reveals the Secret to His 48-Year Marriage"
.
Us Weekly
. Retrieved
September 28,
2022
.
- ^
Lee, Sandra Y.
"Celebrity Parents: Billy Crystal"
. Parents.com
. Retrieved
May 4,
2012
.
- ^
"Having Struggled From Warm-Up Act to Headliner: BILLY CRYSTAL"
.
Time
. October 19, 1992. Archived from
the original
on October 23, 2009.
- ^
"Darren Walker, Ford Foundation President, to Speak at NYU's Commencement"
. March 10, 2016.
- ^
"Leno's autographed bike raises $500,000"
.
USA Today
. Associated Press. September 30, 2005.
- ^
"Finding Our Families, Finding Ourselves"
.
Museum of Tolerance
.
Simon Wiesenthal Center
. Archived from
the original
on January 19, 2018
. Retrieved
January 19,
2018
.
- ^
"Billy Crystal Takes on "Insane" VP Debate, Teases Voting Spot with Bill Kristol for Florida Seniors"
.
The Hollywood Reporter
. October 8, 2020.
- ^
"Billy Crystal Pretends to Choke as He Calls Donald Trump "President-Elect," Says "We're in This Together"
"
.
The Hollywood Reporter
. November 18, 2016.
- ^
"Billy Crystal Repeatedly Skewers Donald Trump at Hillary Clinton's Broadway Fundraiser"
.
Billboard
.
- ^
"Billy Crystal to sign contract with Yankees"
. Yahoo. March 10, 2008. Archived from
the original
on March 16, 2008
. Retrieved
September 8,
2014
.
- ^
Chris Girandola.
"Crystal strikes out in only at-bat"
. Major League Baseball. Archived from
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on February 12, 2012
. Retrieved
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2012
.
- ^
"Yankees release Billy Crystal on 60th birthday ? Baseball"
. MSNBC. March 14, 2008. Archived from
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on October 26, 2008
. Retrieved
November 3,
2008
.
- ^
Crystal, Billy (April 19, 2009).
"Feeling Lonely Behind the Facade"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
March 26,
2010
.
- ^
"Billy Crystal Strikes Out in New Career"
. The Insider. March 14, 2008
. Retrieved
December 6,
2009
.
[
permanent dead link
]
- ^
"Billy Crystal Talks About Being a Loyal Clipper Fan"
.
Archived
from the original on November 23, 2021 – via YouTube.
- ^
"Billy Crystal on Twitter"
.
Twitter
.
- ^
Staff report.
"Billy Crystal loves the Clippers, and Jamal Crawford's dribbling"
.
Sporting News
. Archived from
the original
on January 21, 2015
. Retrieved
November 26,
2014
.
External links
[
edit
]
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1984?2000
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2001?2020
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2021?present
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1959?1975
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1976?1990
| |
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1991?2008
| |
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|
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- Billy Crystal
/
Jerry Belson
,
James L. Brooks
,
Marc Flanagan
, Dinah Kirgo,
Jay Kogen
,
Marilyn Suzanne Miller
,
Heide Perlman
, Ian Praiser,
Sam Simon
,
Tracey Ullman
and
Wallace Wolodarsky
(1990, tie)
- Billy Crystal
,
Hal Kanter
,
Buz Kohan
,
David Steinberg
,
Bruce Vilanch
and
Robert Wuhl
(1991)
- No award (1992)
- Judd Apatow
,
Robert Cohen
,
David Cross
,
Brent Forrester
, Jeff Kahn, Bruce Kirschbaum,
Bob Odenkirk
,
Sultan Pepper
,
Dino Stamatopoulos
and
Ben Stiller
(1993)
- No award (1994)
- No award (1995)
- David Feldman
,
Eddie Feldmann
, Mike Gandolfi,
Tom Hertz
,
Leah Krinsky
,
Dennis Miller
and
Rick Overton
(1996)
- Chris Rock
(1997)
- Jose Arroyo,
David Feldman
,
Eddie Feldmann
,
Jim Hanna
,
Leah Krinsky
,
Dennis Miller
and
David Weiss
(1998)
- Tom Agna
,
Vernon Chatman
,
Louis C.K.
,
Lance Crouther
, Gregory Greenberg,
Ali LeRoi
,
Steve O'Donnell
,
Chris Rock
, Frank Sebastiano,
Chuck Sklar
,
Jeff Stilson
,
Wanda Sykes
and Mike Upchurch (1999)
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International
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Artists
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Other
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