Billy Crystal
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- This article describes the American comedian.
- For the American political commentator, see Bill Kristol.
Billy Crystal (born March 14, 1947) is an American actor, writer, producer, and film director. He was born in Long Beach, New York to Jewish parents.
Crystal's earliest prominent role was as "Jodie Dallas" on Soap, one of the first gay characters portrayed on American television.
He was scheduled to appear on the first episode of Saturday Night Live (October 11, 1975), but his sketch was cut. After hosting a show years later, in 1984, he joined the cast. His most famous recurring sketch was his parody of Fernando Lamas, a smarmy talkshow host whose catch phrase, "You look mahvelous!" became a media sensation.
He appeared briefly in Rob Reiner's 1984 "rockumentary" This Is Spinal Tap.
Crystal wrote, directed and starred in Forget Paris (1995) and Mr. Saturday Night (1992).
In 1986, Crystal started hosting Comic Relief on HBO with Robin Williams, and Whoopi Goldberg. Comic Relief, which was founded in 1986 by Andy Kaufman sidekick, Bob Zmuda, raises money for homeless men, women and children in the United States.
Crystal hosted the Academy Awards broadcast in 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2004.
Crystal is currently starring in a solo show on Broadway entitled 700 Sundays. The two act play, which he concieved and wrote, is about his parents and his childhood growing up on Long Island. It is playing at the Broadhurst Theater. Crystal won the 2005 Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event for 700 Sundays.
Crystal has performed twice with Pixar, once in 2001's Monsters, Inc. and once in their 2005 dub of Studio Ghibli's adaptation of Howl's Moving Castle.
Filmography
- Rabbit Test - (1978) as "Lionel Carpenter"
- Running Scared - (1986) as "Danny Costanzo"
- The Princess Bride - (1987) as "Miracle Max"
- Throw Momma from the Train - (1987) as "Larry Donner"
- Memories of Me - (1988) as Abbie
- When Harry Met Sally - (1989) as "Harry Burns"
- City Slickers (1991) as "Mitch Robbins"
- Analyze This (1999) as "Ben Sobel, M.D."
- Monsters, Inc. (2001) (voiceover) as "Michael Wazowski"
- Analyze That (2002) as "Ben Sobel, M.D."
- Howl's Moving Castle (2005) (voiceover) as "Calcifer"