Janice Crystal: Billy Crystal's Wife Has Been with the Actor for over 50 Years

Janice Crystal is "Saturday Night Live" legend Billy Crystal's wife, and they have been together for so long that they were not even adults when they began dating.

Hollywood star Billy Crystal and his wife of over five decades, Janice Crystal, have proven that marriages in showbiz can last forever. They didn't have money or fame when they began dating but worked hard to become who they are now.

Janice is also into the entertainment industry and raised two daughters with her famous husband. Here's everything you need to know about their love story, including their unusual marriage proposal in their early 20s.

WHO IS JANICE CRYSTAL?

Born Janice Louise Goldfinger in New York City on March 16, 1949, Billy Crystal's wife attended Nassau Community College and worked as an actress in different plays and summer productions.

One of the first times Janice and Billy worked together was in the 1960s, when they were both students at Nassau. He portrayed Og, and she got the role of Susan in the 1940s musical "Finian's Rainbow."

That would not be the last time Billy and Janice joined forces. In 1981, when they were a married couple already, she had a part in the musical "Cabaret," held in Dayton and Akron, Ohio. Billy was the Master of Ceremonies.

Janice's Hollywood career has not been that prolific, though. She had a small role in the 2015 TV series "The Comedians" and also appeared in the 2021 film "Here Today." Before Billy made it big in showbiz, Janice was an assistant to the dean of theater at a college.

Her work as a producer has attracted the most attention. She served as executive producer of the documentary "My Uncle Berns" and the TV special "Billy Crystal: 700 Sundays." For the latter, she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy and won a Tony Award.

Janice and Billy currently live in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, which they called "a wonderful place" for families. They moved there in 1979, when their daughters, Jennifer and Lindsay, were seven and two.

JANICE CRYSTAL BECAME BILLY CRYSTAL'S WIFE MORE THAN 50 YEARS AGO

Billy and Janice Crystal's careers in the entertainment industry have been outstanding, but their long love story is one of a kind. He saw Janice for the first time at a day camp at Malibu Beach Club in New York in 1966 when he was 17.

As soon as she walked by, he said, "I'm going to marry her." Being with Janice was difficult because she studied at Nassau (New York), and he did at Marshall University in West Virginia.

Their secret is laughing a lot and listening to each other.

Billy was so in love that he got transferred from Marshall to Nassau to be closer to her. And that's where he discovered acting and stuck to it.

Three years into their relationship, their unusual marriage proposal came. Billy was 21, and she was 20, and they were inside her car in her family's home driveway. Out of the blue, she said, "We should get married."

Billy revealed he had been contemplating getting down on one knee and making a romantic proposal, but Janice asked him first because when she "wants to do something, she does it."

His answer? "Of course, we should. I love you." They married on June 4, 1970 (only four years after their first meeting) and celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary by having a private dinner at an amphitheater their daughters renovated.

The most beautiful aspect of their special night was that their grandchildren were the waiters and waitresses of the little outdoor restaurant Billy and Janice's daughters created for the occasion.

Janice and Billy got together when they had nothing and have stayed married for so long. They know it is not common (especially in Hollywood), so their secret is laughing a lot and listening to each other.

JANICE CRYSTAL'S ELDEST DAUGHTER CAME UNEXPECTEDLY

Speaking of Billy and Janice Crystal's daughters, they have also been involved in the entertainment industry. Their eldest is Jennifer, born on January 26, 1973. It is essential to point out that the couple was unprepared to have a kid.

Billy has a beautiful relationship with Michael.

Billy confessed they were not financially stable. Janice had a good job, but he made about $45 a day as a substitute teacher. Fortunately, things improved over time.

Jennifer studied at Northwestern University in Chicago and appeared in a few films and TV series in the 1990s and 2000s, including "Beverly Hills, 90210," "A Midsummer Night's Rave," and "House."

Billy and Jennifer have worked together a few times, and she revealed they always have a professional relationship on set and communicate "comfortably."

In September 2000, she married her college sweetheart Michael Foley and welcomed daughters Ella and Dylan in 2003 and 2006. Billy has a beautiful relationship with Michael, and Ella's birth inspired him to write a children's book, "I Already Know I Love You."

JANICE CRYSTAL'S YOUNGEST DAUGHTER PREFERS TO STAY BEHIND THE CAMERAS

Billy and Janice Crystal's youngest child is Lindsay, born on October 21, 1977. Although she worked as an actress in her dad's "City Slickers" and a few other projects, she became more interested in directing, producing, and writing.

She has worked for HBO, NBC, and Comedy Central and had a long and successful run as a producer of "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," taking home four Emmy Awards.

JANICE CRYSTAL'S HUSBAND ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A STAND-UP COMEDIAN

While Billy Crystal's acting career is outstanding, he always wanted to be a stand-up comedian. He spent most of his childhood in Long Beach, New York, and would perform for his parents (who also had a great sense of humor) and two brothers.

In 1969, he formed a comedy trio with two Nassau students and began performing in New York comedy clubs. In 1975, a "Saturday Night Live" producer spotted him; the rest is history.

Janice Crystal's husband has hosted the Academy Awards nine times, won Emmys and Tony Awards, and worked in highly-acclaimed TV series and films. What a talented family!