Billy Crystal - Definition and Overview

Crystal on Hollywood Squares.

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.

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.

Selected filmography

• Rabbit Test - (1978) as "Lionel Carpenter"
• The Princess Bride - (1986) as "Miracle Max"
• Throw Momma from the Train - (1987) as "Larry Donner"
• 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) (voice only) as "Michael Wazowski"
• Analyze That (2002) as "Ben Sobel, M.D."

External link

• Billy Crystal (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000345/) at the Internet Movie Database