| Billy Crystal | |
|---|---|
Crystal at the 2008 All Stars and Legends Softball game at Yankee Stadium |
|
| Birth name | William Edward Crystal |
| Born | March 14, 1948 New York City, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Years active | 1975–present |
| Spouse | Janice Goldfinger (1970–present) |
| Emmy Awards | |
| Performance in Special Events 1989 The 31st Annual Grammy Awards Writing in a Variety or Music Program 1990 Midnight Train to Moscow 1991 The 63rd Annual Academy Awards 1992 The 64th Annual Academy Awards Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program 1991 The 63rd Annual Academy Awards 1998 The 70th Annual Academy Awards |
|
| American Comedy Awards | |
| Funniest Actor in a Motion Picture (Leading Role) 1989 When Harry Met Sally... 1991 City Slickers Funniest Male Performer in a TV Special (Leading or Supporting) Network, Cable or Syndication 1991 The 63rd Annual Academy Award 1992 The 64th Annual Academy Award 1993 The 65th Annual Academy Award 1998 The 70th Annual Academy Award Creative Achievement Award 1993 |
|
William Edward "Billy" Crystal[1] (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 eight times.
Crystal is taking over the hosting duties of the 84th Academy Awards after Eddie Murphy resigned.[2]
Contents |
Crystal was born in the Doctor's Hospital in Manhattan and raised in Long Beach, New York, the son of Helen (née Gabler), a housewife, and Jack Crystal, a record company executive and jazz producer who also owned and operated the Commodore Record store.[3][4] His uncle was musician and songwriter Milt Gabler, and his brother, Richard "Rip" Crystal, is a television producer. Crystal grew up in a Jewish family that he has described as "large" and "loving".[5]
After graduation from Long Beach High School, 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.[6]
Crystal returned to New York City and performed regularly at The Improv and Catch a Rising Star. He studied film and television direction under Martin Scorsese at New York University. 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.[7] He did do a stand-up bit later in that first season as Bill Crystal, on the April 17, 1976, episode; the "Can you dig it? I knew that you could." portion of which was repeatedly quoted by characters in the 1977 feature film Saturday Night Fever.
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 the series' entire 1977–1981 run.
In 1982, Billy Crystal hosted his own variety show, The Billy Crystal Comedy Hour on NBC. It lasted five episodes.
After hosting Saturday Night Live in 1984, he joined the regular cast.[7] 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.[7] 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 #58 on the Billboard Hot 100 during the same year. 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.
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 Rob Reiner's 1984 "rockumentary" This Is Spinal Tap 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." Reiner directed Crystal again in The Princess Bride (1987).
Reiner directed Crystal for a third time in the classic 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. 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 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. originally him to provide the voice of Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story (1995). He turned down that offer, but regretted it after the film became one of the most popular releases of the year.[7] Crystal later went on to provide the voice of Mike Wazowski in the Pixar film, Monsters, Inc. (2001), which was nominated for the inaugural Best Animated Feature Oscar.
Crystal hosted the Academy Awards broadcast in 1990–1993, 1997, 1998, 2000, and 2004; and he reportedly turned down hosting the 2006 ceremony to concentrate on his one-man show, 700 Sundays. On November 10, 2011 it was announced he would return as host for the 2012 Oscar ceremony, after Eddie Murphy backed out of hosting.[8] His eight times (soon to be 9) 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.[9] Crystal will return to host the 84th Academy Awards in 2012, replacing Eddie Murphy after Murphy stepped down from the position.
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.[7] 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.
In 1986, Crystal started hosting Comic Relief on HBO with Robin Williams and Whoopi Goldberg.[7] 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.[10]
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.
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.[11] 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.[12] He was released on March 14, his 60th birthday.[13]
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 homerun. Years later on The Dinah Shore Show, in one of his first television appearances, Crystal met Mantle in person and had Mantle resign 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 31st game.
Although a life-long Yankee fan,[14] he is a part-owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks, even earning a World Series ring in 2001 when the Diamondbacks beat his beloved Yankees.[15]
In the movie City Slickers, Crystal wears a New York Mets baseball cap.
Billy Crystal and his wife Janice (nee: Goldfinger) married in June 1970, and have two daughters, actress Jennifer and producer Lindsay, and are now grandparents.[16] They reside in Pacific Palisades, California.[17]
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.[18]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977–1981 | Soap | Jodie Dallas | TV series |
| 1977 | SST: Death Flight | David | |
| 1978 | Rabbit Test | Lionel Carpenter | |
| Human Feelings | Angel | Made for TV | |
| 1980 | Animalympics | Lodge Turkell | Voice |
| 1984 | This Is Spinal Tap | Morty the Mime | |
| 1986 | Running Scared | Danny Constanzo | |
| 1987 | The Princess Bride | Miracle Max | |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Hamlet | First Gravedigger | ||
| 1996 | Muppets Tonight | Himself | Guest star on third episode |
| 1997 | Deconstructing Harry | Larry | |
| Fathers' Day | Jack Lawrence | ||
| Friends | The Gynecologist (with Robin Williams) | TV Series | |
| 1998 | My Giant | Sam 'Sammy' Kamin | Writer/Producer |
| 1999 | Analyze This | Dr. Ben Sobel | Executive Producer |
| 2000 | The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle | Mattress salesman | Uncredited |
| 2001 | 61* | Director | |
| America's Sweethearts | Lee Phillips | Writer/Producer | |
| Monsters, Inc. | Michael "Mike" Wazowski | Voice | |
| 2002 | Mike's New Car | Mike Wazowski | Short Film Subject Voice |
| 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 | Mike Car | Voice |
| 2009 | Make 'Em Laugh: The Funny Business Of America | Host | |
| 2010 | Tooth Fairy | Jerry | Uncredited |
| Planet Sheen | Soldier Joagth | Voice Episode: What's Up Chock? |
|
| 2011 | The Muppets | Scenes cut | |
| 2013 | Monsters University | Mike Wazowski | Voice |
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
|||||
|
|||||