From the first time I saw Sid Caesar be funny I knew that's what I had to do. Billy Crystal More Quotes by Billy Crystal More Quotes From Billy Crystal I think when I feel I'm at my best is when I'm on stage, and it's my version of jazz because it's just riffing or something. Billy Crystal jazzcomedythinking You really have to have some muscle to be on the stage in front of the world. Billy Crystal musclesstageworld 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 eyecollegeart You give up your dream, you give up. Billy Crystal visiongiving-updream 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-upselfmen I don't like heights. This is why I stopped growing at fifth grade. Billy Crystal fifth-gradeheightgrowing 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 grandchildrenrealwriting I'm going to be your grandpa! / I have the biggest smile. / I've been waiting to meet you for such a long, long while. Billy Crystal grandpawaitinglong I'm comfortable being old... being black... being Jewish. Billy Crystal being-oldcomedyblack As a director and an actor, I encourage improvisation but in character and in the moment of what it is. Billy Crystal actorscharacterdirectors 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. Billy Crystal playkidshands Don't give up your power. Billy Crystal dont-give-upgiving-uppower My granddaughter's birth has made me want to create things she will love. Billy Crystal granddaughtercomedywant I used to limp around my neighborhood imitating him. I did my Bar Mitzvah with an Oklahoma drawl. Billy Crystal mitzvahoklahomabaseball I always was a performer, from the time I was little. It was always a natural place for me to be. Billy Crystal performersnaturallittles 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 nicekidsthinking If you do something for the first time, you will always remember it. If your Dad has something to do with it, you write about it. Billy Crystal respectdadfather When comedy is good, it's jazz. The beats of it, the looseness, the improvisational part, the music-the way you hit the inflection, the high notes of a joke. It's all melody to me. Billy Crystal comedywayart Two thousand years ago Jesus is crucified, three days later he walks out of a cave and they celebrate with chocolate bunnies and marshmallow Peeps and beautifully decorated eggs. I guess these were things Jesus loved as a child. Billy Crystal easterchildrenjesus I was a film-directing major at NYU. I'm still not sure why I became a directing major, when I was really an actor and a comedian, but there was something that drew me to doing that. Billy Crystal film-directingnyucomedian
