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 female tufted capuchin monkey who is a famous animal actress. She was born on May 6, 1994. Her acting career started when she was just a baby in the 1997 Disney movie George of the Jungle.

You might know her as the playful monkey Dexter in the Night at the Museum movies. She also played a mischievous monkey in the movie ... Part II and the pet monkey Bennie in Steven Spielberg's 2022 film The Fabelmans. In 2012, she starred as Dr. Rizzo in the TV show Animal Practice.

Acting Career

How It All Began

In 1996, a company called Birds & Animals Unlimited, which finds animal actors for Hollywood, was looking for a capuchin monkey. A trainer named Tom Gunderson was sent to find one. He met a two-and-a-half-year-old monkey named Crystal. Even though she was a little older than they usually liked to train, Gunderson saw something special in her. He named her after the country music singer Crystal Gayle.

Gunderson and Crystal worked together for eight years at the Animal Actors stage show at Universal Studios Florida. The show had loud noises and cheering crowds. This experience was like a training camp for Crystal. It helped her get used to the busy and noisy environment of a movie set. She was very calm and focused compared to other monkeys.

Rise to Stardom in Movies and TV

By 2011, Crystal had already been in over 20 movies. Her first big film was George of the Jungle in 1997. She became very famous for playing Dexter, the troublesome monkey in the 2006 movie Night at the Museum. She returned for the sequels, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009) and Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014).

In one funny scene in the second movie, her character had to slap the actor Ben Stiller. Stiller joked that he didn't enjoy being slapped by a monkey.

Crystal has also appeared in other big movies. She played a monkey in the 2011 film ... Part II. Some people were worried when the director joked that she learned to smoke for the movie. However, the director later explained that Crystal never used a real cigarette. The smoke was added with computers later, and the cigarette she held was fake.

She also played Donald the Monkey in the movie Zookeeper and Crystal the Capuchin in We Bought a Zoo.

Work on Television

Crystal has also been a star on TV. She appeared in the comedy series Community. In 2012, she starred in the NBC show Animal Practice as Dr. Rizzo. She played the animal sidekick to a veterinarian. The show didn't last long, but Crystal was very popular. Her owner earned $12,000 for each episode she was in.

Her trainer, Gunderson, uses hand signals to guide her during filming. When she does a good job, he rewards her with her favorite treats, like yogurt, grapes, and peanuts.

Personal Life

Crystal lives with her trainer, Tom Gunderson, and his family in Los Angeles County, California. She is not the only animal in the house! She lives with dogs, horses, a cat, and another capuchin monkey named Squirt. Crystal sleeps on a mattress she shares with Gunderson, his wife, and Squirt.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Crystal el Mono para niños

• List of individual monkeys