Billy Crystal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Billy Crystal |
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Crystal in 2018
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| Birth name | William Edward Crystal |
| Born | March 14, 1948 New York City, U.S. |
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| Alma mater | New York University (BFA) |
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Janice Goldfinger
(m. 1970) |
| Children | 2, including Jennifer Crystal |
William Edward Crystal (born March 14, 1948) is a famous American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is well-known for his stand-up comedy and his many roles in movies and on stage. Billy Crystal has won many awards, including six Primetime Emmy Awards and a Tony Award. He has also been nominated for three Grammy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards.
In 1991, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He was also honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2007, the Critics' Choice Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022, and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2023.
Crystal became famous for his TV roles, like playing Jodie Dallas on the ABC sitcom Soap from 1977 to 1981. He was also a cast member and often hosted Saturday Night Live from 1984 to 1985. Later, Crystal starred in popular movies such as When Harry Met Sally... (1989), City Slickers (1991), and America's Sweethearts (2001). He also voiced Mike Wazowski in the Pixar animated Monsters, Inc. movies. He has hosted the Academy Awards (the Oscars) nine times, starting in 1990 and most recently in 2012.
Billy Crystal made his Broadway debut in 2004 with his one-man show 700 Sundays. He won a Tony Award for this show. He brought the show back in 2014, and it was filmed by HBO. In 2022, he wrote and starred in the Broadway musical Mr. Saturday Night, based on his film. He has also written five books, including his memoir Still Foolin' Em (2013).
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Early Life and Education
William Edward Crystal was born in New York City on March 14, 1948. He grew up in the Bronx and later moved with his family to Long Beach, New York. His mother, Helen, was a housewife, and his father, Jack Crystal, owned the Commodore Music Store. His grandfather, Julius Gabler, started the store.
Billy's father was also a jazz promoter and worked for a jazz record label called Commodore Records. This label was started by Billy's uncle, Milt Gabler. The Crystal family is Jewish, and Billy had his bar mitzvah at Temple Emanu-El.
As kids, Billy and his older brothers, Joel and Richard, loved to perform comedy routines. Famous jazz artists like Billie Holiday often visited their home. In 1963, Billy's father lost his business and passed away that same year at age 54. His mother passed away in 2001.
After finishing high school in 1965, Crystal went to Marshall University in West Virginia on a baseball scholarship. He learned to play baseball from his father. However, he never played at Marshall because the baseball program was stopped during his first year.
He decided to return to New York to be near his future wife. He studied acting at HB Studio and later went to New York University (NYU). He studied film and television directing and graduated from NYU in 1970 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree. His teachers included famous director Martin Scorsese.
Career Highlights
Early Career in Comedy and TV
After college, Billy Crystal was part of a comedy trio for four years. They performed at colleges and coffee houses. Crystal also worked as a substitute teacher. Later, he started performing solo at comedy clubs like The Improv.
In 1976, he appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. He also did impressions of Muhammad Ali and sportscaster Howard Cosell at a celebrity roast for Dean Martin. This started a lifelong friendship between Crystal and Ali.
Crystal was supposed to be on the first episode of Saturday Night Live in 1975, but his part was cut. He did perform on a later episode that season. He also appeared on game shows like The Hollywood Squares. He holds a record on The $20,000 Pyramid for helping his partner win in just 26 seconds.
Crystal's first big role was as Jodie Dallas on the TV show Soap. He played this role from 1977 to 1981. In 1982, he hosted his own variety show, The Billy Crystal Comedy Hour, but it was canceled quickly.
After hosting Saturday Night Live twice, Crystal joined the regular cast for the 1984–85 season. His most famous character was Fernando Lamas, a talk-show host who would say, "You look... mahvelous!" This phrase became very popular. In the 1980s, Crystal also starred in an episode of Faerie Tale Theatre as one of the three little pigs.
Crystal's first movie role was in the 1978 film Rabbit Test. He also had a small role in the movie This Is Spinal Tap (1984) as a mime.
Becoming a Leading Man and Oscar Host
In 1985, Crystal released a comedy album called Mahvelous!. The main song, "You Look Marvelous," featured his Fernando Lamas character and had a music video on MTV. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award.
He then starred in the action comedy Running Scared (1986) with Gregory Hines. Critics praised their chemistry in the movie.
Billy Crystal became famous for hosting the Academy Awards (the Oscars). He hosted the show nine times between 1990 and 2012. His hosting was highly praised, and he won two Primetime Emmy Awards for it. Critics often said he made the Oscar shows much better.
Crystal worked with director Rob Reiner again in The Princess Bride (1987). He played a funny supporting role as "Miracle Max." Reiner let Crystal make up some of his lines, and his line, "Have fun storming the castle!" is still quoted today.
Reiner directed Crystal for a third time in the romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally... (1989). Crystal starred with Meg Ryan. The movie was a big hit and is considered a classic romantic comedy. Crystal was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his role.
In 1991, Crystal created and produced a TV miniseries called Sessions. He then starred in the successful comedy City Slickers (1991), which earned him another Golden Globe Award nomination. He also wrote, directed, and starred in Mr. Saturday Night (1992) and Forget Paris (1995). In Mr. Saturday Night, he played an older comedian looking back on his life.
Crystal was asked to voice Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story (1995) but turned it down, which he later regretted. His later films include Hamlet (1996), Deconstructing Harry (1997), and Analyze This (1999) with Robert De Niro. Crystal also hosted three Grammy Awards shows in the late 1980s.
Later Film Work and Broadway Success
In 2001, Crystal directed the TV movie 61*, about baseball players Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle. This earned him an Primetime Emmy Award nomination for directing. He also appeared in movies like America's Sweethearts (2001) and Parental Guidance (2012).
Crystal voiced Mike Wazowski in the popular Pixar movie Monsters, Inc. (2001) and its prequel Monsters University (2013). He also voiced Calcifer in the English version of Howl's Moving Castle (2004).
In 2005, Crystal won a Tony Award for his one-man play 700 Sundays. He wrote this play about his parents and his childhood. He toured the US and Australia with the show. He also wrote a book called 700 Sundays and produced two music CDs related to his uncle Milt Gabler.
Crystal returned to host the Oscars in 2012. He has hosted the show nine times, which is second only to Bob Hope. His hosting often included funny video segments where he put himself into scenes from the nominated movies.
In 2013, Crystal released his memoir Still Foolin' Em. The audiobook version was nominated for a Grammy Award. In 2013, he brought 700 Sundays back to Broadway, and HBO filmed it for a TV special. This special received three Primetime Emmy Award nominations.
In 2014, Crystal gave a moving tribute to his close friend, comedian Robin Williams, at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards. He spoke about their friendship and how bright Robin's light was.
Recent Projects and Honors
In 2015, Crystal starred with Josh Gad in the TV comedy series The Comedians. The show ran for one season and received good reviews for the chemistry between Crystal and Gad.
In 2016, Crystal gave a eulogy (a speech honoring someone who has died) for Muhammad Ali at his funeral. He spoke about his admiration for Ali as a boxer and a kind person, sharing stories of their friendship.
In 2021, Crystal played Buddy Young Jr. in a musical version of his movie Mr. Saturday Night. In 2022, he brought Mr. Saturday Night to Broadway as a musical, starring in it himself. He earned a Drama League Award for his work in theater. At the 75th Tony Awards, Crystal performed a song from his musical and even taught some Yiddish scat singing to the audience, including Lin-Manuel Miranda and Samuel L. Jackson.
In 2023, Billy Crystal was honored at the Kennedy Center Honors. Many famous people, including Rob Reiner, Meg Ryan, and Whoopi Goldberg, paid tribute to him.
Awards and Achievements
Billy Crystal has received many awards for his work. He won six Primetime Emmy Awards for his performances and writing for the Grammy Awards and Academy Awards shows. For his Broadway show 700 Sundays (2005), he won a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award. He also received Tony nominations for his musical Mr. Saturday Night (2022).
He has been nominated for three Grammy Awards for his comedy album You Look Marvelous, his audiobook Still Foolin' Em, and the musical album for Mr. Saturday Night. He also received three Golden Globe Award nominations for his acting in When Harry Met Sally... (1989), City Slickers (1991), and Mr. Saturday Night (1992).
Crystal has received many special honors. He got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991. In 2007, he received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, where he was honored by friends like Robin Williams and Whoopi Goldberg. He was named one of the Disney Legends in 2013. He also received the Critics' Choice Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022 and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2023.
Music Albums
Albums
- Mahvelous!, (A&M Records, 1985)
Singles
- "You Look Marvelous", (A&M Records, 1985)
- "I Hate When That Happens", (A&M Records, 1985)
- "The Christmas Song", (A&M Records, 1985)
Images for kids
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A robot for kids.
See also
In Spanish: Billy Crystal para niños
