Billy Crystal

Comedian

1947-03-14

American comedian, actor, writer, and producer known for stand-up comedy, film roles, and multiple Academy Awards hosting appearances. He starred in and cowrote films including When Harry Met Sally... and City Slickers.

Books by Billy Crystal

700 Sundays
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I Already Know I Love You
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Still Foolin' 'Em
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Quotes by Billy Crystal

That's the thing about jazz: it's free flowing, it comes from your soul.
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That's the thing about jazz: it's free flowing, it comes from your soul.
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All that time, you go, 'God, am I slipping away here?' And then something great happens, you get a call, and work begets more work.
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I never felt I had my 15, 16, 17 kind of years the way I maybe should have. It's a huge dent in you that it's hard to knock out and make it all smooth again.
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The truth is, in this age of Instagram and Facebook and Snapchat, we know way too much about athletes - and it's their fault.
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You have to really respect what your kids are doing with their kids and how they're raising them. You can't push your way into areas where you shouldn't be saying anything. You have to always remember they're not your own kids. Play with them, love them, spoil them to death - then hand them back.
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In my standup work, I always do these characters, older people who are just off to the side. It's easier to write a story about the guy who made it to the top, but the middle is so much more interesting, so much more murky.
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What's so fascinating and frustrating and great about life is that you're constantly starting over, all the time, and I love that.
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I was a per diem floater in the same junior high school I went to. I sat in the office and made $42.50 a day, and whenever a teacher was absent, I'd substitute. I taught everything from English to auto shop.
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That's still the greatest high, that feeling of being in control of 2,000 people. It's me and them, and I like the odds. It's not even so much the funny. It's getting them quiet. In the quiet moments in '700 Sundays,' I just really love that they're getting moved.
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Doing my Broadway show '700 Sundays' reminded me how much I love working in front of an audience.
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Kids need a happy household. They need to be loved and supported in their dreams. And I don't think you can make your kids' dreams your own. They need you to support them in their dreams.
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Muhammad Ali struck us in the middle of America's darkest night, in the heart of its most threatening gathering storm. His power toppled the mightiest of foes, and his intense light shined on America, and we were able to see clearly injustice, inequality, poverty, pride, self realization, courage, laughter, love, joy and religious freedom for all.
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When I'm not thrilled, I get funny.
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What life throws at you - you just have to learn how to hit it, which is a baseball metaphor. The ball's outside, you hit to the right. You don't let them go by.
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Believe me, happiness is not ticking off Walter Cronkite.
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I pride myself in being able to survive just about any situation on stage now. I can handle pressure.
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There used to be that you only had four or five critics that you would look to for intelligent conversation, but now there are millions of people who can just press 'send,' and everyone's got an opinion even if no one cares what they say. It makes things a little bit tougher.
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I was a good baseball player. I still play a couple of times a week as part of my daily workout. Just throwing the ball, running around, fielding ground balls, you know. It's better to me than being on a treadmill or some sort of Zumba class.
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I went to my first game May 30, 1956, and Mantle was in the beginnings of his Triple Crown season. And he was drop-dead handsome.
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