Crystal the Monkey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Crystal

Crystal the Monkey at the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con
Species	Tufted capuchin (Sapajus apella)
Sex	Female
Born	(1994-05-06) May 6, 1994 (age 31) California, United States
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1997–present
Owner	Tom Gunderson
Residence	Los Angeles County, California
Height	1 ft 7 in (48 cm)

Crystal is a famous female tufted capuchin monkey. She was born on May 6, 1994. Crystal is known as an animal actress. She was bought and trained by Birds & Animals Unlimited. This is Hollywood's biggest company for animal actors.

Crystal's acting career started when she was a baby monkey. Her first movie was Disney's George of the Jungle in 1997. She became very well known for playing Dexter the monkey. Dexter was a funny character in the Night at the Museum movies. Crystal also appeared in The Hangover Part II. In 2022, she played Bennie, a pet monkey, in Steven Spielberg's film The Fabelmans. In 2012, she acted as Dr. Rizzo in the TV show Animal Practice.

Crystal's Acting Journey

Early Training at Universal Studios

In 1996, Birds & Animals Unlimited needed new animal actors. They sent a trainer to Florida to find a capuchin monkey. This company likes to train monkeys when they are young, around one year old. Crystal was two and a half years old, which was a bit older. But she was offered to the trainer. The trainer decided to buy Crystal and two younger monkeys.

Crystal was given to Tom Gunderson, a new trainer. He had mostly worked at the Universal Studios Florida's Animal Actors stage show. Tom named her Crystal after a country music singer. A writer for New York magazine said, "It was like she was born to perform."

Tom and Crystal worked together for eight years at the Animal Actors stage show. This show had loud noises and big audiences. Tom said it was like "boot camp" for a monkey. It helped Crystal get used to loud places. Most monkeys don't like loud music or children. But Crystal was very calm and mature. Instead of tearing up a stuffed animal, she would groom herself. She also liked to play with a child's activity center.

Becoming a Movie Star

By 2011, Crystal had been in over 20 movies. Her first big role was in George of the Jungle in 1997. Many people in Hollywood praised her. One writer said her movie list was "more hit-studded than most actors three times her age." USA Today called her "Hollywood's Hottest Monkey." The Los Angeles Times called her "the most powerful pet in Hollywood."

Crystal is famous for her role as Dexter in the Night at the Museum movies. She was in the first movie in 2006. Then she was in Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009) and Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014). In the second movie, she also played another character named Able.

In the 2009 film, her character Dexter slapped actor Ben Stiller. Her trainer encouraged her, saying, "Get him! Hit him harder!" Ben Stiller joked that he didn't like the monkey. He said it didn't feel good to be slapped by a monkey. During filming, Crystal had an unplanned moment. She went to the bathroom on actor Robin Williams, who played Teddy Roosevelt.

Crystal also had small roles, called cameos. She appeared with David Hasselhoff in the 2011 movie Hop. She also worked with Ken Jeong in the TV show Community. She even came to Community's panel at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2011.

In 2011, she played a monkey in The Hangover Part II. Some groups were concerned about using wild animals for entertainment. Ken Jeong, who worked with Crystal in this movie and others, praised her. He said, "She's amazing. She's not a monkey, she's an actor. And quite possibly the best actor I've worked with."

She played Donald the Monkey in the 2011 movie Zookeeper. Her voice was done by Adam Sandler. Crystal also played herself in the movie We Bought a Zoo.

After gymnast Gabby Douglas won a gold medal in the 2012 Summer Olympics, NBC showed a commercial. It showed Crystal swinging on gymnastic rings. This commercial was for NBC's new TV show, Animal Practice.

In Animal Practice, Crystal played Dr. Rizzo. She was a helper to a grumpy veterinarian. The show started in September 2012. Crystal earned her owner $12,000 for each episode. She made a lot of money that year. A writer watched Crystal filming a scene. She was giving the doctor a shoulder massage. Her trainer used hand signals to help her. He gave her yogurt from his fingers when she finished. After every scene, Crystal gets a treat. Her favorite treats include chocolate, Nutella, grapes, and pistachios. She also likes spiders and flies when she's not working!

In 2019, Crystal was in a Hindi-language Bollywood movie called Total Dhamaal. She played a security guard. In 2022, she was in Steven Spielberg's movie The Fabelmans. She played Bennie, the pet monkey of the main family.

Crystal's Home Life

Crystal lives with her trainer, Tom Gunderson. They live in Los Angeles County, California. Many other animals live in their home too. These include dogs, horses, a cat, and another female capuchin monkey named Squirt. Crystal sleeps at least eight hours every day. She shares a mattress with Tom, his wife, Squirt, and a chihuahua dog.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Crystal el Mono para niños

• List of individual monkeys