Billy Crystal

At 76 years old, Billy Crystal has this physical status:

William Edward Crystal (born March 14, 1948) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and television presenter.

He rose to fame in the 1970s and 1980s as Jodie Dallas on ABC sitcom Soap and as a cast member and frequent host of Saturday Night Live.

During the late 1980s and 1990s, he became a Hollywood film actor, appearing in films including The Princess Bride (1987), Throw Momma from the Train (1991), and The Monsters, Inc. (1991).

Films have existed since 2001.

In 2020, he will reprise his role in the forthcoming Disney+ series Monsters at Work (2020) for his work, including six Primetime Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, a Mark Twain Prize, and a member of the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

He has hosted the Academy Awards nine times, beginning in 1990 and most recently in 2012.

Early life

Crystal was born in Manhattan's Upper East Side and was first raised in the Bronx. As a child, he and his family moved to 549 East Park Avenue in Long Beach, New York, on Long Island. Helen (née Gabler), a housewife and Jack Crystal, who owned and operated the Commodore Music Store, founded by Crystal's grandfather, Julius Gabler, and his older brothers Joel, who later became an art teacher and Richard, nicknamed Rip. Crystal's father, as well as a pianist, was a founder and an executive for a CBS record label, Commodore Records, founded by Crystal's uncle, singer, and songwriter Milt Gabler. Crystal is Jewish (his family immigrated from Austria, Russia, and Lithuania), and he grew up in Temple Emanu-El (Long Beach, New York) where he had his bar mitzvah. The three young brothers will entertain themselves by repeating comedy routines from Bob Newhart's days, Rich Little, and Sid Caesar's records, which their father would bring home. Many visitors were often in the house, including Arvell Shaw, Pee Wee Russell, Eddie Condon, and Billie Holiday. Crystal's father lost his company and died later this year after suffering a heart attack at the age of 54. In 2001, his mother died.

Crystal graduated from Long Beach High School in 1965 on a baseball scholarship, after discovering the sport from his father, who pitched for St. John's University. Crystal never played baseball at Marshall because the service was suspended during his first year. He did not return to Marshall as a sophomore but rather stayed in New York to be close to his future wife. He studied acting at HB Studio. He worked at Nassau Community College with her and later moved to New York University, where he was a film and television director major. He received a BFA from the School of Fine Arts at NYU in 1970. Martin Scorsese, one of his instructors, was a mentor, while Oliver Stone and Christopher Guest were among his classmates.

Personal life

Crystal married Janice Goldfinger, his high school sweetheart, on June 4, 1970. Billy has long praised his parents, "who always looked like they were together," for leading by example in his own marriage. They have two children, actress Jennifer and Lindsay, a director, and grandparents. They live in Los Angeles' Pacific Palisades neighborhood.

Crystal received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from New York University in 2016 and appeared at the commencement at Yankee Stadium.

Crystal began presenting Comic Relief on HBO with Robin Williams and Whoopi Goldberg in 1986. Comic Relief, which was founded by Bob Zmuda, raises funds for homeless people in the United States.

On September 6, 2005, Jay Leno, Crystal, and Jay Leno were the first celebrities to sign a Harley-Davidson motorcycle for Gulf Coast relief.

Crystal has exhibited in the Simon Wiesenthal Center Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. In the genealogy wing of the museum, Crystal's personal history is included in the "Finding Our Families, Discovering Ourselves" exhibit.

Crystal signed a one-day minor league deal to play with the New York Yankees on March 12, 2008, and was invited to the team's major league spring training. In honor of his impending 60th birthday, he wore uniform number 60. Crystal led off as the designated hitter in a spring training match against the Pittsburgh Pirates on March 13. He managed to make contact by fouling a fastball up the first base line, but Pirates pitcher Paul Maholm struck him out on six pitches and was later replaced in the batting order by Johnny Damon. He was announced on March 14, his 60th birthday.

When Crystal watched a game where Mantle had reached a home run, she was inspired by Yankee Hall of Fame legend Mickey Mantle, who had signed a program for children. Crystal met Mantle in person and had Mantle re-sign the same program several years later on The Dinah Shore Show, one of his first television appearances. Crystal would have been a good friend with Mantle until Mantle's death in 1995. Costas read at Mantle's funeral with his brother Bob Costas, and George Steinbrenner later invited Crystal to attend Mantle's dedication at Yankee Stadium. Crystal's book 'Em,' still Foolin', Crystal said that Joe DiMaggio punched him in the stomach after the reception, enraged at Crystal for not having introduced him as the "Greatest living player" at the time.

Crystal was also known for his portrayal of Yankee Hall of Famer-turned-broadcaster Phil Rizzuto. Rizzuto, the famous for his quirks calling games, did not travel to Anaheim, California, in 1996, in order to call the game for WPIX. Rather, Crystal joined the broadcasters in the booth and pretended to be Rizzuto for a few minutes during the August 31 game.

Though a lifelong Yankees fan, he is a lifelong fan of the Arizona Diamondbacks, as well as winning a World Series ring in 2001 when the Diamondbacks defeated his beloved Yankees.

Crystal wore a New York Mets baseball cap in City Slickers. In the 1986 film Running Scared, his protagonist is an avid Chicago Cubs fan and wears 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 whose hopes to announce the San Francisco Giants, their Major League affiliate.

Crystal appeared in Ken Burns' 1994 film Baseball, sharing personal tales about his baseball life, including encountering Casey Stengel as a youth and Ted Williams as an adult.

Crystal is a lifetime Los Angeles Clippers fan and season ticket holder.

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Career

Crystal has returned to New York City. He appeared with two others in a comedy trio for four years. Crystal worked as a substitute tutor on Long Island, and they enjoyed colleges and coffee shops. He performed regularly at The Improv and Catch a Rising Star as a solo artist and appeared on numerous television shows like The Improv and Catch a Rising Star. Crystal appeared on an episode of All in the Family in 1976. He appeared at 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 supposed 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. On episode 17 of the first season of the Jazz Man, he appeared on an old jazz man capped by the word "Can you dig it?" I had no idea." "Bill Crystal" was the host's name before he met him. Crystal appeared on the first and the last episodes of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, which concluded on February 6, 2014, after 22 seasons on the air. Crystal has appeared on game shows including The Hollywood Squares, All Star Secrets, and The $20,000 Pyramid. To this day, he holds the Pyramid franchise's record for bringing his contestant partner to the top of the pyramid in the fastest time: 26 seconds.

Crystal's earliest appearance on Soap was as Jodie Dallas, one of the first unambiguously gay characters in an American television series. He remained in the role from 1977 to 1981.

Billy Crystal hosted his own variety show, The Billy Crystal Comedy Hour on NBC in 1982. Crystal found the fifth episode on the internet when she arrived. Since only the first two episodes had been broadcast, it had been postponed. He appeared on Saturday Night Live twice, on March 17, 1984, and the show's ninth season finale on May 5, 1984. Fernando Lamas, a smarmy talk show host whose catchphrase was "You look... he was the parody of Fernando Lamas, his most popular recurring sketch."

mahvelous!

"It's been a media sensation" since it was announced on television. Crystal appeared in Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre as the most adamant of the three little pigs back in the 1980s.

Crystal appeared in three Grammy Awards Telecasts in 1996: the 29th Grammys; the 30th Grammys; and the 31st Grammys.

Crystal appeared alongside Josh Gad in the FX comedy series The Comedians in 2015, which had just one season before being cancelled.

Crystal's first film appearance was in Joan Rivers' 1978 film Rabbit Test, the tale of the "world's first pregnant man."

Crystal appeared in this "rockumentary" by Rob Reiner (1984) as Morty The Mime, a waiter dressed as a mime at one of Spinal Tap's parties. Dana Carvey, a then-unknown, non-speaking Dana Carvey, told the audience that "Mime is money." He appeared in Running Scared (1986) and was directed by Reiner again in The Princess Bride (1987), in a comedic supporting role as "Miracle Max." "How would you like to play Mel Brooks?" Reiner coerced Crystal to take the role. "Have fun storming the castle," Reiner allowed Crystal to ad-lib, as well as his parting shot. This is a commonly quoted line.

Crystal was directed by Reiner for a third time in the romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally (1989), in which Crystal appeared alongside Meg Ryan and for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe. The film has since become a signature of the genre and is Crystal's most celebrated film. Crystal then appeared in City Slickers (1991), which was both commercially and critically important, and for which Crystal was nominated for his second Golden Globe. The film was followed by a sequel, which was less popular. He narrated Dr. Seuss Video Classics: Horton Hatches the Egg in 1992. Face Productions is the name of his company.

Crystal wrote, directed, and appeared in Mr. Saturday Night (1992) and Forget Paris (1995), a sequel to these films' immense success, which culminated in this success. Crystal, an egotistical comedian who reflects back on his career, had a crucial part in aging makeup in the former. Deconstructing Harry, Woody Allen's critically acclaimed comedy ensemble film, starred Crystal (1997). In Harold Ramis' mobster comedy Analyze This (1999), Crystal had another hit with Robert De Niro. The newest appearances include roles in America's Sweethearts (2001), Analyze That (2002), and Parental Guidance (2012).

He produced the made-for-television film 61 (2001), based on Roger Maris' and Mickey Mantle's efforts to defeat Babe Ruth's single-season home run record in 1961. Crystal received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Film, or a Special.

Crystal had been invited to appear Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story (1995), but he later regretted it due to the series's success. Crystal later went on to appear in the blockbuster film Monsters, Inc. (2001), Cars (2006), as Mike Wazowski in the epilogue and then reprised his voice in Monsters University (2013). In the English version of Hayao Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle (2004), Crystal also played Calcifer.

Crystal's stand-up and SNL careers in 1985, he released Mahvelous!, an album of his stand-up comedy, as well as the single You Look Marvelous! which debuted at No. 1. The Billboard Hot 100 in the United States has 58, and No. 58 is No. 58. In Canada, there are 17 people. In addition to the title track, You Look Marvelous will be accompanied by a music video that premiered on MTV. Crystal appears in both the song and video as the talk show host Fernando Lamas' SNL persona. Models in bikinis are shown in the video showing Lamas cruising around in what was once the world's longest stretch limousine, built by custom-coach designer and builder Vini Bergeman. At the 1986 Grammy Awards for Best Comedy Recording, the album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Recording.

Crystal's autobiographical book Still Foolin' Ember in 2013 appeared on his autobiography. At the 2014 Grammy Awards, the audiobook version was selected for a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album.

Crystal has appeared on television for a total of nine times, including 1990 to 1993, 1997, 1998, 2000, and 2012. His hosting had been lauded, resulting in two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for both hosting and preparing the 63rd Academy Awards and an Emmy award for writing the 64th Academy Awards. After Eddie Murphy resigned from hosting the 2012 Oscar ceremony, he returned as the host for the 2012 Oscar ceremony. In most ceremonies held, his nine times rank second only to Bob Hope's 19. He appeared as a host for a digitally embedded Bob Hope at the 83rd Academy Awards ceremony in 2011, and was lauded for his service before doing so. When Crystal appeared onstage about two hours into the program, he got the first laughs of the program, according to film critic Roger Ebert. In comparison to a song preceding his opening monologue, Crystal's hosting gigs have regularly included an introductory video segment in which he humorously inserts himself into scenes of that year's nominees.

Crystal received the 2005 Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event for 700 People, a two-act, one-man performance in which he imagined and wrote about his parents and their childhood growing up on Long Island. In 2006 and then Australia in 2007, he toured around the country and then Australia in 2007.

Crystal wrote the book 700 Sundays for Warner Books, which was published on October 31, 2005, following the initial success of the performance. Crystal produces two CD compilations: Billy Crystal Presents: Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit" and Milt Gabler's "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley & His Comets, as well as the book and the play that paid tribute to his uncle, Milt Gabler; and Billy Crystal Presents Billie featuring Crystal's most popular holiday tunes; and Billy Crystal Presents Billie featuring Crystal's most popular holiday tunes; and "Britis

In the fall of 2013, he brought the show back to Broadway for a two-month run at the Imperial Theatre. Billy Crystal: 700 Sundays – HBO filmed the January 3–4, 2014 appearances for a special that debuted on their network on April 19, 2014. Three Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Variety Special and Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special, were both given to the televised special.

Crystal converted Mr. Saturday Night, his 1992 film Mr. Saturday Night, into a Broadway musical with the same name in 2022. Crystal portrays his character in the musical version, alongside David Paymer. Previews on Broadway at the Nederlander Theatre began on March 29, 2022, just before the show opened on April 27. Crystal received the Drama League Award for her "extraordinary contributions to the Theatre Award" for her "extraordinary performances on stage around the country and dedication to mentorship in the field. At the 75th Tony Awards, Crystal performed a number with the ensemble from his musical debut. He also performed what he described as Yidish scat singing. Lin-Manuel Miranda and Samuel L. Jackson, as well as the rest of the audience, were welcomed into the crowd. "One of the few moments that broke through...is when [Crystal] brought it out into the audience and threw it up to the balcony," the New York Times said.

At the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2014, Crystal paid tribute to his close friend Robin Williams. "As genius as he was on stage, he was the greatest friend you could ever imagine," he said about their friendship. The support is most helpful. Protective. Loving is a girl. Since he was so present in both of our lives, it's impossible to remember him in the past. He was the brightest star of the comedy galaxy for almost 40 years; [His] the radiant light that will continue to shine on us forever. The light will be so brilliant that it will warm your heart. It'll make your eyes glisten. And you'll want to remember: Robin Williams is a writer who writes about himself. What a term? Crystal said that paying tribute to Williams so openly and so soon after her death was one of "the hardest things I've ever had to do" and that "I was really worried that I wasn't going to get through it." Crystal appeared on The View shortly after, reminiscing about their friendship and their work on Comic Relief together.

At his funeral, Crystal officiated one of Muhammad Ali's eulogies. Crystal recalled Ali's adoration for Ali as a boxer and a humanitarian. After Crystal did a string of impersonations of him, he also told stories of their unlikely friendship. "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, he was still a kid from Louisville who played with the gods and walked with the crippled and marvelled at the foolishness of it all."

In a dramatic musical performance of Mr. Saturday Night at the Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield, MA, Crystal reimagined Buddy Young Jr.

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