Name: Billy Crystal Age: 57 Nationality: American Claim to fame: The latest celebrity to write children’s book
It seems the newest fad these days in tinsel town is for stars to pick up the pen and write — not a screenplay but a children’s book.
First we had Julie Andrews. Then it was Jay Leno and Madonna writing storybooks for kids. And now the latest famous fellow to join this growing list of writers club is comedian Billy Crystal whose book I Already Know I Love You was launched last week.
He says he has penned it as a “love poem” to his first grandchild. His daughter has had a daughter, Ella, and being absolutely thrilled by this Billy says: “It’s profoundly moving when your baby has a baby.” The book, which Crystal says is aimed at parents and children as well as grandparents, is full of personal sentiments and the things he hopes to do with his grandchild.
A successful stand-up comic and talkshow host since his twenties, Crystal aspired to be a professional baseball player and even won a baseball scholarship to university. However, when the scholarship was cancelled, he studied film and television directing. The road to stardom has not been without bumps and turns, with Crystal doing stand-up comedy act at clubs where he was spotted and given guest spots at TV shows such as All in the Family. Then he got a chance to star as Jodie Dallas, TV’s first openly gay character, in the soap-opera satire Soap.
After five seasons, Joan Rivers used him in her 1978 film Rabbit Test, where Crystal played a man who discovers he is pregnant. This rather odd film didn’t immediately launch his movie career.
Billy advanced his small-screen career and in 1984 he was invited to join the cast of Saturday Night Live where he emerged as the most popular cast member and earned an Emmy. Billy is generally considered to be at his best when doing impersonations and took his time making a mark as a movie star. But stardom came his way with memorable roles in movies such as This is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Analyze This, Analyze That, Father’s Day and the comedy City Slickers.
While I Already Know I Love You may be Billy’s first book, this talented star has written many scripts, both of movies and functions, which he has hosted. A reasonably successful movie, Forget Paris, is interesting in the sense that Billy based the script on experiences of his own longstanding marriage. Although some of his recent movies have not made deep impressions in the box office, Crystal is still regarded as an extremely talented and funny individual, with his work leaving a great impression on our minds forever. He has won several performing and writing Emmy Awards and has hosted the Oscars several times.
Billy’s latest writing effort is not aimed at winning any awards but an expression of his desire to do something special for a special person in his life. The little one’s smile will be all the acclaim his is hoping for.
It seems the newest fad these days in tinsel town is for stars to pick up the pen and write — not a screenplay but a children’s book.
