William Jacob Crystal is better known in Hollywood as Billy Crystal. He is the funny guy with a witty sense of humour, making people laugh on TV shows, in films and when he plays host to the Oscars. He is an award-winning actor, writer, producer, comedian and film director.
Crystal was born on 14 March, 1948, in Long Island, New York. His father, Jack, was a record company executive and his mother, Helen, was a homemaker. Sadly his father died when Crystal was only 15 years old. His uncle, Milt Gabler, was a songwriter and a big influence on Crystal, who wrote a book and a play in tribute to him. With both his father and uncle part of the music industry, legends like Pee Wee Russell and Billie Holiday were often guests at the Crystal residence.
Crystal realised at an early age that he could make people laugh. He drew inspiration from TV shows like The Ed Sullivan Show and by 16 he was performing stand-up acts. But Crystal’s real dream was to be a professional baseball player. His idol was Mickey Mantle and he even got a baseball scholarship from Marshall University. However, when the programme was discontinued, he moved to New York and never returned because at Nassau Community College he met his future wife, Janice Goldfinger. They married in 1970 and have two daughters.
Crystal then joined New York University, where he studied under legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese. After graduating in 1976 he moved to Hollywood and within a year he got his first break to play Jodie Dallas in the ABC sitcom Soap. Crystal was the first actor to play a gay character on American TV. Crystal continued his stand-up acts and they soon attracted large audiences. He became a regular on Saturday Night Live and also hosted The Billy Crystal Comedy Hour (1982). His catchphrase, “You look mahvellous”, helped to make him a household name.
His popularity led to his roles in films like Running Scared (1986), The Princess Bride (1987), Throw Momma From The Train (1987) and the huge hit When Harry Met Sally (1989). His other notable films include City Slickers (1991), his directorial debut Mr Saturday Night (1992), America’s Sweethearts (2001), the box-office hit Analyze This (1999) with Robert De Niro, and its sequel Analyze That (2002). He has also featured in many successful animated films and has lent his voice to Mike in Monsters Inc. (2001), Calcifer in Howl’s Moving Castle (2005) and to Mike Car in Cars (2006).
Crystal has hosted the Oscars seven times. He has been nominated for three Golden Globes, won six Emmy Awards and received over 20 nominations. All this goes to show how popular his brand of comedy continues to be.
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