Latest Billy Crystal Quotes from Interviews

Quotes about:

• Those are all real things that I experienced, not with [my daughters] growing up but with the, you know - I'm trying not to step into something and get a call, "Dad why'd you say that?"! But we'd go to games [where score wasn't kept], and I'd get it, but I wouldn't get it, because I think there's a real value in winners and losers, in not everybody getting a trophy - it makes you work hard, you appreciate what it takes, to say, "Why didn't we win?" You shouldn't be condemned for losing.

  Billy Crystal

  Daughter, Growing Up, Dad

  Source: www.scene-stealers.com

• Since I was a kid, every Thanksgiving growing up in New York, we always watched 'The March of the Wooden Soldiers' by Laurel and Hardy. Never miss it.

  Billy Crystal

  New York, Growing Up, Kids

  Source: www.scene-stealers.com

• I always came away thinking "I'd like to see her more," you know? And then when [Parental Guidance] was ready to be cast, we thought - Bette [Midler]. So we called her.

  Billy Crystal

  Thinking, Guidance, Now And Then

  Source: www.scene-stealers.com

• When we had the girls, my daughter Jenny gave us like a Bible from my daughter of, "Don't feed them this; don't feed them that, if she says this, don't say that," It was crazy!

  Billy Crystal

  Girl, Daughter, Crazy

  Source: www.scene-stealers.com

• This time I particularly loved because it came from a real experience with my grandchildren. Having them alone alone for the first time for six or seven days and going "Wow, this is exhausting," because when you're not around little ones for a long time, you forget about how much work that is. So I came in and started writing the story that became this movie ['PARENTAL GUIDANCE'].

  Billy Crystal

  Real, Writing, Grandchildren

  Source: www.scene-stealers.com

• I was introducing [director and producer] Hal Roach - Mr. Roach was 100 years old, he was one of the fathers of early days in films, he put Laurel with Hardy, he created the Our Gang kids, and all these silent movies he did - he was a giant.

  Billy Crystal

  Father, Kids, Years

  "Billy Crystal Finds Fun In Growing Old (But Still Can't Find His Keys)". "Fresh Air" with Terry Gross, www.npr.org. November 29, 2013.

• We were in front of a live audience and I would be acting with the man who was playing my lover, and we used those words, and the audience would titter and laugh, and make me uncomfortable doing the scenes. ... I wanted to sort of stop and yell at them, "What's so funny? What's the matter with you people? Grow up!" It made me very self-conscious at times.

  Billy Crystal

  Growing Up, Men, Self

  "Billy Crystal Finds Fun In Growing Old (But Still Can't Find His Keys)". "Fresh Air" with Terry Gross, www.npr.org. November 29, 2013.

• I love doing it [hosting the Oscars] because I love the danger of it and you have to come through and think on your feet. That's why that show, no matter who hosts it, it really should be a fast-thinking comedian who is really quick on their feet that can handle situations that happen, or somebody with that kind of mentality that can capitalize on something.

  Billy Crystal

  Thinking, Feet, Comedian

  Source: www.wbur.org

• Every time I was with Sammy [Davis Jr.] it was like going to the show business museum because the stories were so extraordinary, and I didn't care if they were true or not after a while. ... I don't know if he really got high with Humphrey Bogart or not. It didn't matter because he was painting these fantastic pictures.

  Billy Crystal

  Museums, Stories, Care

  "Billy Crystal Finds Fun In Growing Old (But Still Can't Find His Keys)". "Fresh Air" with Terry Gross, www.npr.org. November 29, 2013.

• I never stopped believing in us and I never felt like I was wanting for anything, except for my father, and that was not going to be. I describe in the book [that] I don't think I ever felt young again in that way. 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.

  Billy Crystal

  Father, Believe, Book

  "Billy Crystal Finds Fun In Growing Old (But Still Can't Find His Keys)". "Fresh Air" with Terry Gross, www.npr.org. November 29, 2013.

• I have 40-something intros [that Davis Jr. did]; all are different, none of them happened. And it was hilarious.

  Billy Crystal

  Different, Happened

  "Billy Crystal Finds Fun In Growing Old (But Still Can't Find His Keys)". "Fresh Air" with Terry Gross, www.npr.org. November 29, 2013.

• [I did impressions] of relatives because I heard so many different sounds. My dad was in the music business and of course my uncle was a giant [music producer], but my dad in particular had the house filled with these Dixieland jazz stars.

  Billy Crystal

  Stars, Uncles, Dad

  "Billy Crystal Finds Fun In Growing Old (But Still Can't Find His Keys)". "Fresh Air", www.npr.org. October 17, 2013.

• [My mother] is the greatest hero I'll ever know because she kept us all together, she made sure we all graduated college. She always believed in us no matter what we do. My older brother Joel became an art teacher; my brother Rip ultimately became a television producer and singer and actor himself.

  Billy Crystal

  Mother, Teacher, Art

  "Billy Crystal Finds Fun In Growing Old (But Still Can't Find His Keys)". "Fresh Air" with Terry Gross, www.npr.org. November 29, 2013.

• The house as I say ... smelled of brisket and bourbon, so you could hear that. I started imitating them. Phrases came out of that, "Can't you dig that?" "I knew that you would." We were at [Passover] Seders and they were confused with the bitter herbs, "Do we smoke these or do we do we dip them in salt water?" "We dip them in salt water, well that's gonna kill the vibrancy of the weed, you know." So that's what I was around. So I would imitate them. That's where it all started.

  Billy Crystal

  Weed, Confused, Water

  "Billy Crystal Finds Fun In Growing Old (But Still Can't Find His Keys)". "Fresh Air", www.npr.org. October 17, 2013.

• I was always drawn to performing, but I never thought I could. I have no idea what I wanted to do outside of the old cowboy-or-fireman. When I was in college, I got serious about acting. I started examining history and then everything related to the theater. History, art, all the other studies, if I could link them into the theater, then it became alive for me. It just opened up my eyes.

  Billy Crystal

  Art, Eye, College

  Source: www.buzzfeed.com

• I quit drinking. That was a big problem for a lot of years. Then after that, I just started feeling grateful again.

  Billy Crystal

  Grateful, Drinking, Years

  Source: www.buzzfeed.com

• There's only, I think, in life, three things that I do pretty well: Performing, I still can field ground balls, and I make nice kids.

  Billy Crystal

  Nice, Kids, Thinking

  "Billy Crystal And John Goodman: How We Got Here". Interview with Adam B. Vary, www.buzzfeed.com. June 14, 2013.

• I always was a performer, from the time I was little. It was always a natural place for me to be.

  Billy Crystal

  Littles, Natural, Performers

  "Billy Crystal And John Goodman: How We Got Here". Interview with Adam B. Vary, www.buzzfeed.com. June 14, 2013.