Since he was nine years old, he wanted to be a professional baseball player, and played all throughout high school. He attended Marshall University in West Virginia on a baseball scholarship, but the program was abolished the following year. He then transferred to Nassau Community College in Long Island, and then to New York University to study film and television directing, completing his B.F.A. in 1970.
After marrying his college sweatheart Janice, he worked as a substitute teacher in Long Beach, also performing a comedy act at various clubs in the city. He toured several years with an improv group called 3's Company, and then moved to Los Angeles. Here, during his stand-up routine, he was spotted by television producer Norman Lear, and was given several appearances on All in the Family along with a guest spot on Howard Cosell's variety show. In 1977, he was given the role of Jodie Dallas, T.V.'s first openly gay character, in the soap-opera satire Soap. After five seasons, comedienne Joan Rivers used him in her 1978 film Rabbit Test, where Crystal played a man who discovers he is pregnant.
With this odd start, he returned to New York and appeared in several cable specials, TV movies, guest spots, hosted a comedy hour, and also toured nightclubs and college campuses, specializing in impersonations. In 1984, he was invited to join the cast of Saturday Night Live. Although he was only on for a season, he was considered by many the most popular cast member, and he earned an Emmy nomination in the Best Individual Performance category.
As we all know, his shaky career start did not stick for long, because he went on to star in some of the best movies ever made, including This is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally (all three directed by Rob Reiner), and many, many others.
In 1991, he moved back to Los Angeles and wrote, directed, produced, and starred in Mr. Saturday Night.
Although some of his recent movies have not made deep impressions in the box office, Crystal is still regarded as an extremely talented and funny individual, with his work leaving a great impression on our minds forever. He has won several performing and writing Emmy Awards for his emceeing of the Oscars, which he has hosted six times. Since 1986, he has co-hosted the HBO Comic Relief benefit specials with Robin Williams and Whoopi Goldberg.
After marrying his college sweatheart Janice, he worked as a substitute teacher in Long Beach, also performing a comedy act at various clubs in the city. He toured several years with an improv group called 3's Company, and then moved to Los Angeles. Here, during his stand-up routine, he was spotted by television producer Norman Lear, and was given several appearances on All in the Family along with a guest spot on Howard Cosell's variety show. In 1977, he was given the role of Jodie Dallas, T.V.'s first openly gay character, in the soap-opera satire Soap. After five seasons, comedienne Joan Rivers used him in her 1978 film Rabbit Test, where Crystal played a man who discovers he is pregnant.
With this odd start, he returned to New York and appeared in several cable specials, TV movies, guest spots, hosted a comedy hour, and also toured nightclubs and college campuses, specializing in impersonations. In 1984, he was invited to join the cast of Saturday Night Live. Although he was only on for a season, he was considered by many the most popular cast member, and he earned an Emmy nomination in the Best Individual Performance category.
As we all know, his shaky career start did not stick for long, because he went on to star in some of the best movies ever made, including This is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally (all three directed by Rob Reiner), and many, many others.
In 1991, he moved back to Los Angeles and wrote, directed, produced, and starred in Mr. Saturday Night.
Although some of his recent movies have not made deep impressions in the box office, Crystal is still regarded as an extremely talented and funny individual, with his work leaving a great impression on our minds forever. He has won several performing and writing Emmy Awards for his emceeing of the Oscars, which he has hosted six times. Since 1986, he has co-hosted the HBO Comic Relief benefit specials with Robin Williams and Whoopi Goldberg.
Billy was introduced to his wife Janice by good friend Steve Kohut.
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Billy says that his wife Janice was his first and only date.
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You're a Good Man Charlie Brown was Billy's first theater job in 1968. He was a house manager.
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Besides acting, Billy wrote some pieces for Playboy and The New York Times.
(edit) In 1992, Billy was the first guest of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. (edit) Billy was educated at Long Beach High School, in New York. (edit) Billy is five feet and eight inches tall. (edit) Billy is a big fan of the NBC sitcom Scrubs and donated a clip from his movie When Harry Met Sally for one of its episodes. (edit) Billy wrote a children's book, "I Already Know I Love You" with illustrations done by Elizabeth Saylos. He dedicated it to his granddaughter Ella Ryan (born 2003). (edit) Billy is a basketball enthusiast and is an avid fan of the Los Angeles Clippers. He is good friends with former LA Laker Vlade Divac. (edit) Billy married producer Janice Crystal on June 4, 1970. They have two daughters Jennifer and Lindsay, both of whom are actresses. Lindsay is also an aspiring director. (edit) Billy wrote and acted in a one-man Broadway play called 700 Sundays, an autobiography. (edit) Billy appeared in the music video of Michael McDonald's "Sweet Freedom". (edit) Billy did a TV commercial for Diet Pepsi in the late 80's and a TV commercial for New York Experience in 2001. (edit) Billy's dad was in the music business while his mom used to do the voice of Minnie Mouse during Macy's Day parades in New York. (edit) Billy has been involved with two movies with John Goodman named The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Monsters, Inc. (edit) As of 2007, he has won 25 awards including three Emmys and was nominated for over twenty. He was also the recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2007. (edit)
(edit) In 1992, Billy was the first guest of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. (edit) Billy was educated at Long Beach High School, in New York. (edit) Billy is five feet and eight inches tall. (edit) Billy is a big fan of the NBC sitcom Scrubs and donated a clip from his movie When Harry Met Sally for one of its episodes. (edit) Billy wrote a children's book, "I Already Know I Love You" with illustrations done by Elizabeth Saylos. He dedicated it to his granddaughter Ella Ryan (born 2003). (edit) Billy is a basketball enthusiast and is an avid fan of the Los Angeles Clippers. He is good friends with former LA Laker Vlade Divac. (edit) Billy married producer Janice Crystal on June 4, 1970. They have two daughters Jennifer and Lindsay, both of whom are actresses. Lindsay is also an aspiring director. (edit) Billy wrote and acted in a one-man Broadway play called 700 Sundays, an autobiography. (edit) Billy appeared in the music video of Michael McDonald's "Sweet Freedom". (edit) Billy did a TV commercial for Diet Pepsi in the late 80's and a TV commercial for New York Experience in 2001. (edit) Billy's dad was in the music business while his mom used to do the voice of Minnie Mouse during Macy's Day parades in New York. (edit) Billy has been involved with two movies with John Goodman named The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Monsters, Inc. (edit) As of 2007, he has won 25 awards including three Emmys and was nominated for over twenty. He was also the recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2007. (edit)
Billy: Women need a reason to have sex. Men just need a place.
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Billy: (on his wife) The reason we are together is because she puts lead in my shoes and doesn't let me fly off the earth. And it's always been that way.
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Billy: As soon as they announced the nominations, I'd wake up thinking Shakespeare jokes - Shakespeare in love, Shakespeare in Heat, Private Ryan, General Ryan, Saving Shakespeare, Ryan in Love, y'know?
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Billy: Even when I was in school shows, in elementary school doing plays, I'd always go off book and start improvising.
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Billy: I had really good hearing and when you're scared it gets heightened so you hear scratching noises or something.
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Billy: At some point I stopped stand-up because I didn't have something to say on a nightly basis.
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Billy: I had really good hearing and when you're scared it gets heightened so you hear scratching noises or something.
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Billy: As a director and an actor, I encourage improvisation but in character and in the moment of what it is.
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Billy: Nobody is more truthful when he's acting than De Niro.
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Billy: That's the thing about jazz: it's free flowing, it comes from your soul.
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Billy: The house smelled of brisket and bourbon. That's the music I grew up on.
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Billy: The epic animation, the whale, Cleo, all the other stuff that Disney was able to put in movies, amazing ideas.
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Billy: The inspiration was this great group of 40 or 50 relatives, sometimes for Thanksgiving or Passover or something and my brothers would just go up and make them laugh.
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Billy: In high school, I was the class comedian as opposed to the class clown. The difference is the class clown is the guy who drops his pants at the football game, the class comedian is the guy who talked him into it.
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Billy: (to Robin Williams on "Father's Day") No, there is no dead body in the middle of the road. You didn't hit anyone.
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Person Vital Stats
Person
Score: 8.6 Great 38 votes
Score: 8.6 Great 38 votes
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