|
The following biography
is from
Wikipedia.org
“The
Free Encyclopedia.”
Buy This at Allposters.com
William Edward "Billy"
Crystal[1] (born March 14, 1948) is an American actor, writer, producer,
comedian and film director. He gained prominence in the 1970s for
playing Jodie Dallas on the ABC sitcom Soap and became a Hollywood film
star during the late 1980s and 1990s, appearing in the critical and box
office successes When Harry Met Sally... and City Slickers. He has
already hosted the Academy Awards eight times, and has taken over the
hosting duties of the 84th Awards following the resignation of Eddie
Murphy.[2] This will be Crystal's ninth time hosting the Academy Awards.
****
Background Information
Birth name William Edward Crystal
Born March 14, 1948 (1948-03-14)
(age 63)
New York City, United States
Nationality American
Years active 1975–present
Spouse Janice Goldfinger
(1970–present)
Emmy Awards
Performance in Special Events
1989 The 31st Annual Grammy Awards
Writing in a Variety or Music
Program
1990 Midnight Train to Moscow
1991 The 63rd Annual Academy Awards
1992 The 64th Annual Academy Awards
Individual Performance in a Variety
or Music Program
1991 The 63rd Annual Academy Awards
1998 The 70th Annual Academy Awards
American Comedy Awards
Funniest Actor in a Motion Picture
(Leading Role)
1989 When Harry Met Sally...
1991 City Slickers
Funniest Male Performer in a TV
Special (Leading or Supporting) Network, Cable or Syndication
1991 The 63rd Annual Academy Award
1992 The 64th Annual Academy Award
1993 The 65th Annual Academy Award
1998 The 70th Annual Academy Award
Creative Achievement Award
1993
****
Career
Television
Crystal returned to New York City
and performed regularly at The Improv and Catch a Rising Star. He studied film
and television direction under Martin Scorsese at New York University. In 1976,
Crystal appeared on an episode of All in the Family. He was on the dais for 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 scheduled to
appear on the first episode of NBC Saturday Night (later renamed Saturday Night
Live) (October 11, 1975), but his sketch was cut.[7] He did do a stand-up bit
later in that first season as Bill Crystal, on the April 17, 1976, episode; the
"Can you dig it? I knew that you could." portion of which was repeatedly quoted
by characters in the 1977 feature film Saturday Night Fever.
Crystal's earliest prominent role
was as Jodie Dallas on Soap, one of the first unambiguously homosexual
characters in the cast of an American television series. He continued in the
role the series' entire 1977–1981 run.
In 1982, Billy Crystal hosted his
own variety show, The Billy Crystal Comedy Hour on NBC. It lasted five episodes.
After hosting Saturday Night Live
in 1984, he joined the regular cast.[7] His most famous recurring sketch was his
parody of Fernando Lamas, Fernando, a smarmy talk show host whose catchphrase,
"You look... mahvelous!," became a media sensation.[7] Crystal subsequently
released an album of his stand-up material titled Mahvelous! in 1985, as well as
the single "You Look Marvelous", which peaked at #58 on the Billboard Hot 100
during the same year. Also in the 1980s, Crystal starred in an episode of
Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre as the smartest of the three little pigs.
In 1996, Crystal was the guest star
of the third episode of Muppets Tonight.
Acting
in film and hosting the Oscars
Crystal's first film role was in
Joan Rivers's 1978 film Rabbit Test. Crystal also made game show appearances
such as The Hollywood Squares, All Star Secrets and The $20,000 Pyramid. He
holds the record for getting his contestant partner to the top of the pyramid in
winner's circle in the fastest time, 26 seconds.
Crystal appeared briefly in Rob
Reiner's 1984 "rockumentary" This Is Spinal Tap as Morty The Mime, a waiter
dressed as a mime at one of Spinal Tap's parties. He shared the scene with a
then-unknown, non-speaking Dana Carvey. Crystal's line in the film was "Mime is
money." Reiner directed Crystal again in The Princess Bride (1987).
Reiner directed Crystal for a third
time in the classic romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally... (1989), for which
Crystal was nominated for a Golden Globe. Crystal then starred in the buddy
comedy City Slickers (1991), which proved very successful both commercially and
critically and for which Crystal was nominated for his second Golden Globe.
Following the success of these
films, Crystal wrote, directed, and starred in Mr. Saturday Night (1992) and
Forget Paris (1995). In the former, Crystal played a serious role in aging
makeup, as an egotistical comedian who reflects back on his career. He directed
the made-for-television movie 61* (2001) based on Roger Maris's and Mickey
Mantle's race to break Babe Ruth's single-season home run record in 1961. This
earned Crystal an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries,
Movie or a Special.
Crystal has continued working in
film, including Analyze This (1999) and Analyze That (2002) with Robert De Niro,
and in the English version of Howl's Moving Castle as the voice of Calcifer. He
was originally asked to provide the voice of Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story (1995)
but turned it down, a decision he later regretted due to popularity of the
series.[7] Crystal later went on to provide the voice of Mike Wazowski in the
Pixar film, Monsters, Inc. (2001), which was nominated for the inaugural Best
Animated Feature Oscar.
Crystal hosted the Academy Awards
broadcast in 1990–1993, 1997, 1998, 2000, and 2004; and he reportedly turned
down hosting the 2006 ceremony to concentrate on his one-man show, 700 Sundays.
On November 10, 2011 it was announced he would return as host for the 2012 Oscar
ceremony, after Eddie Murphy backed out of hosting.[8] His eight times (soon to
be 9) as the M.C. is second only to Bob Hope's 18 in most ceremonies hosted. At
the 83rd Academy Awards ceremony in 2011, he appeared as a presenter for a
digitally inserted Bob Hope and before doing so was given a standing ovation.
Film critic Roger Ebert said when Crystal came onstage about two hours into the
show, he got the first laughs of the broadcast.[9] Crystal will return to host
the 84th Academy Awards in 2012, replacing Eddie Murphy after Murphy stepped
down from the position.
Broadway
Crystal won the 2005 Tony Award for
Best Special Theatrical Event for 700 Sundays, a two-act, one-man play, which he
conceived and wrote about his parents and his childhood growing up on Long
Island.[7] He toured the U.S. with the show in 2006 and Australia in 2007.
Following the initial success of
the play, Crystal wrote the book 700 Sundays for Warner Books, which was
published on October 31, 2005. In conjunction with the book and the play that
also paid tribute to his uncle, Milt Gabler, Crystal produced two CD
compilations: Billy Crystal Presents: The Milt Gabler Story, which featured his
uncle's most influential recordings from Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit" to
"Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley & His Comets; and Billy Remembers Billie
featuring Crystal's favorite Holiday recordings.
Philanthropy
In 1986, Crystal started hosting
Comic Relief on HBO with Robin Williams and Whoopi Goldberg.[7] Founded by Bob
Zmuda, Comic Relief raises money for homeless people in the United States.
On September 6, 2005, on The
Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Crystal and Jay Leno were the first celebrities to
sign a Harley-Davidson motorcycle to be auctioned off for Gulf Coast relief.[10]
Crystal has participated in the
Simon Wiesenthal Center Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. Portraying himself
in a video, Crystal introduces museum guests to the genealogy wing of the
museum.
New
York baseball
On March 12, 2008, Crystal signed a
minor league contract, for a single day, to play with the New York Yankees, and
was invited to the team's major league spring training. He wore uniform number
60, in honor of his upcoming 60th birthday.[11] On March 13, in a spring
training game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Crystal led off as the designated
hitter. He managed to make contact, fouling a fastball up the first base line,
but was eventually struck out by Pirates pitcher Paul Maholm on 6 pitches and
was later replaced in the batting order by Johnny Damon.[12] He was released on
March 14, his 60th birthday.[13]
Crystal's boyhood idol was Yankee
Hall of Fame legend Mickey Mantle who had signed a program for him when Crystal
attended a game where Mantle had hit a homerun. Years later on The Dinah Shore
Show, in one of his first television appearances, Crystal met Mantle in person
and had Mantle re-sign the same program. Crystal would be good friends with
Mickey Mantle until Mantle's death in 1995.
Crystal also was well known for his
impressions of Yankee Hall of Famer turned broadcaster Phil Rizzuto. Rizzuto,
known for his quirks calling games, did not travel to Anaheim, California in
1996 to call the game for WPIX. Instead, Crystal joined the broadcasters in the
booth and pretended to be Rizzuto for a few minutes during the August 31st game.
Although a life-long Yankee
fan,[14] he is a part-owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks, even earning a World
Series ring in 2001 when the Diamondbacks beat his beloved Yankees.[15]
In the movie City Slickers, Crystal
wears a New York Mets baseball cap.
Personal life
Billy Crystal and his wife Janice
(nee: Goldfinger) married in June 1970, and have two daughters, actress Jennifer
and producer Lindsay, and are now grandparents.[16] They reside in Pacific
Palisades, California.[17]
Awards
In addition to his Golden Globe
Award-nominations, Emmy Awards, and Tony Award, Crystal won the Drama Desk Award
for Outstanding One-Person Show for 700 Sundays and received the Mark Twain
Prize for American Humor in 2007.[18]
Filmography
|
1977–1981 |
Soap |
Jodie Dallas |
TV series |
|
1977 |
SST: Death Flight |
David |
|
|
1978 |
Rabbit Test |
Lionel Carpenter |
|
|
Human Feelings |
Angel |
Made for TV |
|
1980 |
Animalympics |
Lodge Turkell |
Voice |
|
1984 |
This Is Spinal Tap |
Morty the Mime |
|
|
1986 |
Running Scared |
Danny Constanzo |
|
|
1987 |
The Princess Bride |
Miracle Max |
|
|
Throw Momma from the
Train |
Larry Donner |
|
|
1988 |
Memories of Me |
Abbie |
Writer/Producer |
|
1989 |
When Harry Met Sally... |
Harry Burns |
American Comedy Award for
Funniest Actor in a Motion Picture
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical
or Comedy |
|
1991 |
City Slickers |
Mitch Robbins |
Executive Producer
American Comedy Award for Funniest Actor in a Motion Picture
MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical
or Comedy |
|
1992 |
Horton Hatches the Egg |
Narrator |
Voice |
|
Mr. Saturday Night |
Buddy Young, Jr. |
Writer/Director/Producer
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical
or Comedy |
|
1994 |
City Slickers II: The
Legend of Curly's Gold |
Mitch Robbins |
Writer/Producer |
|
1995 |
Forget Paris |
Mickey Gordon |
Writer/Director/Producer |
|
1996 |
Muppets Tonight |
Himself |
Guest star on third episode |
|
Hamlet |
First Gravedigger |
|
|
1997 |
Deconstructing Harry |
Larry |
|
|
Fathers' Day |
Jack Lawrence |
|
|
Friends |
The Gynecologist (with
Robin Williams) |
TV Series |
|
1998 |
My Giant |
Sam 'Sammy' Kamin |
Writer/Producer |
|
1999 |
Analyze This |
Dr. Ben Sobel |
Executive Producer |
|
2000 |
The Adventures of Rocky
& Bullwinkle |
Mattress salesman |
Uncredited |
|
2001 |
61* |
|
Director |
|
America's Sweethearts |
Lee Phillips |
Writer/Producer |
|
Monsters, Inc. |
Michael "Mike" Wazowski |
Voice |
|
2002 |
Mike's New Car |
Mike Wazowski |
Short Film Subject
Voice |
|
Analyze That |
Dr. Ben Sobel |
Executive Producer |
|
2004 |
Howl's Moving Castle |
Calcifer |
Voice |
|
2005 |
Dinotopia: Quest for the
Ruby Sunstone |
Karl Scott |
Voice |
|
2006 |
Cars |
Mike Car |
Voice |
|
2009 |
Make 'Em Laugh: The
Funny Business Of America |
|
Host |
|
2010 |
Tooth Fairy |
Jerry |
Uncredited |
|
Planet Sheen |
Soldier Joagth |
Voice
Episode: What's Up Chock? |
|
2011 |
The Muppets |
|
Scenes cut |
|
2013 |
Monsters University |
Mike Wazowski |
Voice |
Saturday Night Live
Characters
Al Minkman, a shady businessman
Fernando, host of Fernando's
Hideaway, a celebrity interview show; based on actor Fernando Lamas
Buddy Young, Jr. (an insult comic
who appears on Weekend Update)
Lew Goldman
Ricky, a bowler
Tony Minetti, a butcher
Willie, a man who, along with his
friend, Frankie (played by Christopher Guest), discuss their masochistic
tendencies
Impersonations
Fernando Lamas
Howard Cosell
Muhammad Ali
John F. Kennedy
Joe Franklin
Hervé Villechaize
Joe Garagiola
Adam Ant
Prince
Sammy Davis, Jr.
Phil Rizzuto
Bibliography
Crystal, Billy (2004). I Already
Know I Love You. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0060593911. A children's book.
Crystal, Billy (2006). Grandpa's
Little One. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 9780060781736. A children's book.
Crystal, Billy (2005). 700 Sundays.
New York: Warner Books. ISBN 0446578673. Crystal's memoirs with his father.
References
References1.^ On page 17 of his
book, 700 Sundays, Crystal displays his birth announcement, which states that
his full name is "William Edward", not "William Jacob" Crystal, Billy (October
2005). 700 Sundays. p. 17. ISBN 0446578673.
2.^
http://themuddoctor.blogspot.com/2011/11/oscar-update-billy-crystal-officially.html
3.^ "Billy Crystal Biography".
filmreference.com. http://www.filmreference.com/film/61/Billy-Crystal.html.
Retrieved January 16, 2008.
4.^ Kane, Joe. "Jack Crystal: A Man
To Remember". Allaboutjazz.
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/articles/arti0102_03.htm. Retrieved January 16,
2008.
5.^ 700 Sundays by Billy
CrystalBraver, Rita (November 6, 2005). "Life Is Short, Laugh Hard". CBS News.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/11/06/sunday/main1015865.shtml.
6.^ "Billy Crystal Biography".
Yahoo! Movies. http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800015850/bio.
Retrieved 16 January 2008.
7.^ a b c d e f "Billy Crystal, 2nd
Visit". Lipton, James (host). Inside the Actors Studio. Bravo. October 8, 2007.
No. 1307, season 13.
8.^
http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/11/10/billy-crystal-to-return-as-host-for-84th-academy-awards/110348/?utm_campaign=WP>Twitter&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitter
9.^ "Oscars: "King" wins, show
loses". Chicago Sun-Times. http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110227/OSCARS/110229986.
10.^ The Associated Press
(September 30, 2005). "Leno's autographed bike raises $500,000". USAToday.
http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-09-30-leno-bike_x.htm.
11.^ "Billy Crystal to sign
contract with Yankees". Yahoo. March 10, 2008.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=ApQysfnqvYEYnzAzS7waMwc5nYcB?slug=ap-yankees-crystal&prov=ap&type=lgns.
12.^ Crystal strikes out in only
at-bat
13.^ "Yankees release Billy Crystal
on 61st birthday - Baseball - NBCSports.com". Nbcsports.msnbc.com. March 14,
2008. http://www.nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/23566549/. Retrieved November 3, 2008.
14.^ Crystal, Billy (April 19,
2009). "Feeling Lonely Behind the Facade". The New York Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/19/sports/baseball/19crystal.html?_r=1&8dpc.
Retrieved March 26, 2010.
15.^ "Billy Crystal Strikes Out in
New Career". The Insider. March 14, 2008.
http://www.theinsider.com/news/727182_Billy_Crystal_Strikes_Out_in_New_Career.
Retrieved December 6, 2009.
16.^ "Celebrity Parents: Billy
Crystal"
17.^ "Having Struggled From Warm-Up
Act to Headliner: BILLY CRYSTAL". Time. October 19, 1992.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,976793,00.html.
18.^ Trescott, Jacqueline (May 2,
2007). "Billy Crystal, Clearly Funny". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/01/AR2007050101252.html.
* *
* *
The
above biography has been copied in part or in whole
from an article on
Wikipedia.org
"The Free Encyclopedia." It has been modified under
the GNU Free Document License Section 5 in the
following manner: (1) All links within the article
have been removed, including text links such as
"[#]"; (2) The "[Edit]" text and link have been
removed [if you would like to update the article,
you may do so from the original page]; (3) the table
of Contents links and text have been removed; and
(4) all of the sections of the original article have
not been copied. All of the above text is available
under the terms of the
GNU Free Document License.
URL of Original Article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Crystal
Date Article Copied:
February 2012
We
will try to replace this article with an original
biography in the near future, but we hope this will
be of help to our visitors in the mean time. |
