Billy Crystal Biography: Comedian, actor, and nine-time Oscars host

Q: Why did Billy Crystal stop talking to God?

In a CBS Sunday Morning interview with Tracy Smith that aired October 11, 2026, Crystal said he has stopped talking to God -- "I don't trust Him" -- following two devastating losses: the January 2025 Pacific Palisades fire that destroyed his family's 46-year home, and the December 2025 murder of his longtime friend and collaborator Rob Reiner.

Q: How many times did Billy Crystal host the Oscars?

Nine times. Crystal hosted the Academy Awards in 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2004 and 2012, making him one of the most frequent hosts in the ceremony's history.

Q: Is Billy Crystal married? Who is his wife?

Yes. Crystal has been married to Janice Goldfinger since 1970, and the couple has two daughters, Jennifer Crystal and Lindsay Crystal.

Q: What is Billy Crystal's Broadway show 860 about?

860 is Crystal's new one-man Broadway show about losing his Pacific Palisades family home of 46 years in the January 2025 wildfire. It began previews on October 1, 2026 at the Imperial Theatre for a 14-week engagement; his late friend Rob Reiner helped him pick the title before his death.

October 14, 2026

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This Billy Crystal biography profiles the American comedian and actor who hosted the Academy Awards nine times and starred in When Harry Met Sally…, City Slickers and Monsters, Inc. Born William Edward Crystal on March 14, 1948 in Manhattan, he rose from stand-up clubs to Soap and SNL, won a Tony for 700 Sundays, and opened a new Broadway show, 860, in October 2026.

Quick facts: Billy Crystal

Full name: William Edward Crystal (Wikipedia; OnThisDay)
Born: March 14, 1948, Manhattan, New York City (age 78) (Wikipedia; IMDb)
Nationality: American (Jewish, ancestors from Austria, Russia, Lithuania) (Wikipedia; Jewish Journal)
Occupation: Actor, comedian, filmmaker, writer, producer, director, television host (Wikipedia)
Known for: Nine Oscar hostings; When Harry Met Sally…, City Slickers, Monsters, Inc. (voice of Mike Wazowski)
Spouse: Janice Goldfinger, married since 1970 (Simple Wikipedia; OnThisDay)
Children: Jennifer Crystal and Lindsay Crystal (Simple Wikipedia; Jewish Journal)

Early life and background

Crystal was the youngest of three sons of Helen (née Gabler) and Jack Crystal, who ran the Commodore Music Store and worked as a jazz promoter and executive at Commodore Records; jazz greats including Billie Holiday were regular guests in the family home (Wikipedia; Algemeiner). His father lost the business and died of a heart attack in 1963, when Billy was 15; his mother died in 2001 (Wikipedia; IMDb). The roughly 700 Sundays he had with his father inspired his show 700 Sundays (Algemeiner). Raised in the Bronx and Long Beach, Long Island, he earned a BFA in film and television direction from NYU under Martin Scorsese, began stand-up in high school, and played New York clubs including The Improv (TV Insider; Wikipedia).

Career: from stand-up to the Oscars stage

Crystal’s breakthrough came as Jodie Dallas on ABC’s Soap (1977–1981), one of the first openly gay regular characters on American network TV, followed by an SNL season (1984–85) that produced Fernando Lamas (“You look mahvelous!”) (Wikipedia; Celebrity Net Worth). His film-star run — The Princess Bride (1987), When Harry Met Sally… (1989, directed by Rob Reiner), City Slickers (1991, $179M box office) and Analyze This (1999, >$176M worldwide) — made him a defining comedy star of his era (Wikipedia; Derek Winnert; FilmDaily). In 2001 he began voicing Mike Wazowski in Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. ($577M global); his 2004 one-man Broadway show 700 Sundays won the Tony for Best Special Theatrical Event, and the 2022 musical Mr. Saturday Night, which he wrote and starred in, earned him two Tony nominations (FilmDaily; Wikipedia). He hosted the Grammys in 1987 and 1988 and starred in the 2024 Apple TV+ series Before (TV Insider; Wikipedia).

The October 2026 trending moment: in a CBS Sunday Morning interview (Tracy Smith) that aired October 11, 2026, Crystal said he has stopped talking to God — “I don’t trust Him” — after the January 2025 Pacific Palisades fire destroyed his family’s 46-year home and the December 2025 murder of Rob Reiner (TheWrap; BroadwayWorld). The interview promotes his new one-man Broadway show 860 — about losing the house, with a title Reiner helped him pick — which began previews on October 1, 2026 at the Imperial Theatre for a 14-week engagement (Playbill; BroadwayWorld).

Major achievements in the Billy Crystal biography

Crystal hosted the Academy Awards nine times — 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2004 and 2012 (Wikipedia; Kemi Filani). Like fellow Oscars host Hugh Jackman, he bridges film and Broadway stages. His honors include six Primetime Emmys, a Tony, three Grammy and three Golden Globe nominations, a Hollywood Walk of Fame star (1991), the Mark Twain Prize (2007), the Critics’ Choice Lifetime Achievement Award (2022) and the Kennedy Center Honors (2023) (Wikipedia; AP via Watermark Out News). He wrote five books including the memoir Still Foolin’ ‘Em (2013) and co-hosted the Comic Relief benefit specials with Robin Williams and Whoopi Goldberg (Wikipedia; Getty Images editorial caption).

Personal life

Crystal has been married to Janice Goldfinger since 1970; they have two daughters, Jennifer and Lindsay Crystal (Simple Wikipedia; Jewish Journal). Their Pacific Palisades home of 46 years was destroyed in the January 2025 wildfire; no rebuild plans have been publicly disclosed (Realtor.com). His longtime friend and collaborator Rob Reiner and Reiner’s wife Michele Singer Reiner were found dead at their Brentwood home on December 14, 2025; their son Nick Reiner was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, pleaded not guilty, and prosecutors announced on September 15, 2026 that they would not seek the death penalty (Law Commentary; Martincid). Crystal has spoken of the loss only as grief (TheWrap).

Net worth snapshot

Billy Crystal’s net worth is estimated at $45 million to $60 million as of October 2026, with a consensus of roughly $50 million — Celebrity Net Worth lists $50 million (updated October 2026), CelebsMoney and The Richest put him at $45 million, and Wealth Rector at $60 million. No figure exists from Forbes, Bloomberg or Hurun. Read the full breakdown — films, voice work, Broadway and real estate — in Billy Crystal’s net worth analysis.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Billy Crystal?

Billy Crystal (born William Edward Crystal, March 14, 1948) is an American comedian, actor, filmmaker and writer — best known for hosting the Academy Awards nine times, starring in When Harry Met Sally…, City Slickers and Analyze This, voicing Mike Wazowski in Monsters, Inc., and his Tony-winning show 700 Sundays (Wikipedia; OnThisDay).

Why did Billy Crystal stop talking to God?

In a CBS Sunday Morning interview with Tracy Smith that aired October 11, 2026, he said he has stopped talking to God — “I don’t trust Him” — after the January 2025 fire that destroyed his family’s 46-year home and the December 2025 murder of his friend Rob Reiner (TheWrap; BroadwayWorld).

How many times did Billy Crystal host the Oscars?

Nine times: 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2004 and 2012 — one of the most frequent hosts in the ceremony’s history (Wikipedia; Kemi Filani).

Is Billy Crystal married? Who is his wife?

Yes — to Janice Goldfinger since 1970. The couple has two daughters, Jennifer Crystal and Lindsay Crystal (Simple Wikipedia; OnThisDay).

What is Billy Crystal’s Broadway show 860 about?

860 is his one-man show about losing the family’s 46-year Pacific Palisades home in the January 2025 wildfire. Previews began October 1, 2026 at the Imperial Theatre for a 14-week engagement; the late Rob Reiner helped him pick the title (Playbill; BroadwayWorld).