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01
As a child, Billy Crystal was babysat by jazz musician Billie Holiday.
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02
Billy Crystal has stated that his wife Janice was his first and only date.
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03
He was offered the role of Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story 1995 but turned it down, later calling it the biggest mistake of his career.
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04
For his 60th birthday, he signed a one-day minor league contract with the New York Yankees and played a game on March 13, 2008, striking out in his only at-bat while wearing number 60.
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05
He is a huge fan of Scrubs and donated a clip from When Harry Met Sally for an episode.
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06
Billy Crystal was Jay Leno’s first guest on The Tonight Show in 1992.
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07
He attended Marshall University on a baseball scholarship, but the program was canceled, leading him to transfer to community college.
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08
He guest-starred on All in the Family as Rob Reiner’s best friend, and they became close friends in real life.
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09
He appeared with Robin Williams in four films including Hamlet and Deconstructing Harry.
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10
In 2013, Billy Crystal said Mike Wazowski from Monsters, Inc. was his favorite character because he relates to the character’s optimism and underdog status.
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He once worked as a substitute teacher teaching math, wood shop, and girls gym at Long Beach High School.
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12
Early in his career, he was the opening act for Sammy Davis Jr.
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13
He was close friends with Whoopi Goldberg and Robin Williams, co-founding Comic Relief with them.
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14
He auditioned for Jack Tripper on Three’s Company but later played Jodie Dallas, the first openly gay character on prime-time TV, on Soap.
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15
He received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2007.
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He wrote the children’s book I Already Know I Love You, dedicated to his granddaughter.
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He wrote the screenplay for America’s Sweethearts years before production, originally intending to play the lead, but later took a smaller role.
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His father Jack Crystal was a concert promoter and ran a record store on 42nd Street.
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His grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Russia, Austria, and Lithuania.
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He is a partial owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks and a lifelong Yankees fan.
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He collected autographed baseballs and baseball cards.
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22
He holds a BFA in television direction from New York University.
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He became a grandfather at age 55 when his daughter Jennifer gave birth to Ella Ryan Foley in 2003.
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24
He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on June 4, 1991.
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25
He performed a blackface routine on SNL using prosthetics, which was rare for a non-Black performer.
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He graduated from Long Beach High School in 1965 and was voted Most Popular by his class.
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27
He directed David Paymer to an Oscar nomination for Mr. Saturday Night.
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28
His uncle Milton Gabler founded Commodore Records and produced Bill Haley’s Rock Around the Clock.
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29
His song You Look Mahvelous reached #58 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984.
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30
He was considered for the role of Wilbur Turnblad in Hairspray, which went to Christopher Walken.
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31
He won a Tony Award for his one-man show 700 Sundays in 2005.
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32
He appeared in the music video for Voices That Care.
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He has hosted the Academy Awards nine times and also hosted the Emmys.
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34
He appeared with David Paymer in four films including City Slickers and Mr. Saturday Night.
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He has two daughters, Jennifer born 1973 and Lindsay born 1977, with his wife Janice.
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He was introduced to his wife by close friend Steve Kohut.
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Three of his films—This Is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride, and When Harry Met Sally—are in the National Film Registry.
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He is good friends with NBA player Vlade Divac.
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He studied drama at HB Studio in Greenwich Village.
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40
His younger daughter Lindsay is a filmmaker.
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He has two older brothers, Joel and Richard.
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42
His early style was similar to a character on Starsky and Hutch.
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43
He lost his Pacific Palisades home of 46 years in a wildfire.
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44
His biography is featured in Who’s Who in Comedy.
