The Billy Crystal Comedy Hour

Billy Crystal was born on March 14, 1948 in Manhattan, New York, and raised on Long Island. He is the youngest of three children of Helen (Gabler) and Jack Crystal. His father was a well-known concert promoter who co-founded Commodore Records and his mother was a homemaker. His family were Jewish emigrants from Russia, Austria, and Lithuania. With his father in the music business, Billy was no stranger to some of the best performers of the day. Legends like Billie Holiday, Pee Wee Russell, and Eddie Condon regularly stopped by the Crystal house. At 15, Billy faced personal tragedy when his father died of a heart attack at the relatively young age of 54. This gave Billy a real appreciation for what his father was able to accomplish while he was alive and what his mother did to support the family. together. Despite this tragedy, Billy was very optimistic and personable as a child. He had a unique talent for making people laugh.

With television becoming a new medium, Billy drew his influence from shows like The Honeymooners (1955) and "The Ed Sullivan Show" and from artists like Alan King, Ernie Kovacs and Jonathan Winters. He began doing monologues at age 16. His true dream, however, was to be a professional baseball player. Growing up his idol was Yankees outfielder Mickey Mantle. He spent long hours in the summers playing softball in the middle of Park Avenue with his brothers and his father, a former pitcher. at St. John's University. At Long Beach High, Billy played second base and was a varsity captain in his senior year. This earned him a baseball scholarship from Marshall University in West Virginia, which he accepted. However, He would never end up playing a game as the baseball program was suspended for his freshman year. This would lead to him dropping out of college and returning to New York. He then enrolled at nearby Nassau Community College, majoring in theater. It was all there. Where he met and fell in love with a dancer named Janice Goldfinger. They would marry in 1970 and have two daughters. Shortly after, Billy was accepted to New York University, where he majored in Film and Television Directing. While in college from New York, he studied with legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese. He also worked as a house manager and usher on a production of "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown."

He became a regular on Saturday Night Live (1975) in 1984, where his impression of Fernando Lamas with the catchphrase "You Look Mahvellous" was a huge hit with viewers. This would lead to appearances in feature films such as Running Scared (1986) and Throw Momma from the Train (1987) .In 1986, together with Whoopi Goldberg and Robin Williams, she founded Comic Relief, an annual stand-up comedy show that helped raise money for housing and healthcare for the homeless. The show has grown substantially with continued support from all three comics. Billy's career peaked in the late 1980s and early 1990s. His roles in the blockbuster films When Harry Met Sally ... (1989) and City Slickers (1991) helped establish itself as one of Hollwood's top movie stars.This star status was further validated when he was chosen to host the annual Oscars in 1990, an honor in which he would repeat seven times. He made his directorial debut on the big screen in the 1992 film Mr. Saturday Night (1992), which dealt with a downcast comedian who refuses to retire. He also wrote, produced, and starred in the film. was a huge success, it showed that Billy was much more than an actor and comedian. In the following years, Billy continued to act, produce and direct several films.

It had its share of hits (Analyze This (1999), America's Sweethearts (2001)) and a few flops (Fathers' Day (1997), My Giant (1998)). His role as the therapist for mobster Robert De Niro in Analyze This (1999) earned him critical acclaim. In 2001, Billy tapped into his childhood love for baseball and Mickey Mantle in a feature film. The film, 61 * (2001), which premiered on HBO, focused on the relationship between Mantle and Roger Maris and their search in 1961 for Babe Ruth's home run record. The film for which Billy served as director and executive producer, garnered 12 Emmy nominations in total.

Off screen, Billy remains married to Janice Crystal and they have homes in California and New York. His two daughters are involved in the movie business. Jennifer Crystal Foley is an aspiring actress who appeared in 61 * (2001), while Lindsay Crystal is an aspiring filmmaker who created and directed the documentary My Uncle Berns (2003).