Billy Crystal Found Off-Screen Fairytale Love with Alluring Wife — He Touched on Key to 52-Year Marriage

• Billy Crystal was cemented as a Hollywood great after "When Harry Met Sally...," where viewers couldn't help but notice the chemistry between him and his co-star Meg Ryan.
• Little did people know, Crystal had already met the love of his life – his wife Janice. They met when they were teenagers, and their enduring love continues to last.
• Crystal opened up about the key to his five-decade-long marriage to Janice, and how they raised their grown-up daughters together.

Billy Crystal had humble beginnings like many stars in Hollywood. He was born to Helen Gabler and Jack Crystal on March 14, 1948, in Manhattan, New York.

His dad, Jack, was a famous concert promoter and the co-founder of Commodore Records. Crystal was no stranger to the spotlight, as music greats Billie Holiday, Eddie Condor, and Pee Wee Russell often visited their home.

In fact, Billie Holiday would even babysit Crystal as a child. Thanks to his dad's artists, he was always in the presence of greatness.

When Crystal was only 15, his dad died of a heart attack at 54. This changed Crystal's perspective on parenting, appreciating what his dad did throughout his years and what his mom did to ensure their household kept running.

Despite what happened, Crystal kept his charming, upbeat personality. He began his stand-up comedy career at 16, but a part of him wanted to become a professional baseball player like his idol, Yankees' Mickey Mantle.

Crystal played second base during high school and was the captain of his softball team during his senior year. He earned a baseball scholarship at Marshall University, West Virginia, where he enrolled.

Unfortunately, he never got to play a game in the baseball program, as it was suspended in his first year. He left the university and headed back to New York.

He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from New York University in 1970. After graduating, he worked as a substitute teacher while waiting to book gigs as a stand-up comedian.

Crystal went on to open shows for musicians like Barry Manilow before moving to Hollywood, hoping to make it to television. It wasn't until a year later that he got his big break on "Soap."

Five years later, he was given his own variety show titled "The Billy Crystal Comedy Hour," but it didn't last. Instead, he became a regular on "Saturday Night Live," where he became famous for the catchphrase "You look mahvellous."

His "SNL" stint landed him feature film roles in "Running Scared" and "Throw Momma from the Train." He also started Comic Relief, a stand-up comedy show alongside Whoopi Goldberg and Robin Williams, whom he considers his dear friends.

In 1989, Crystal's career peaked with "When Harry Met Sally..." and "City Slickers." At the time one of Hollywood's biggest stars, he was invited to host the Oscars in 1990 before doing it eight more times in the coming years.

Through it all, "When Harry Met Sally..." introduced Crystal to fans worldwide. He had an undeniable chemistry with his co-star Meg Ryan, which occurred even behind the scenes.

Crystal was cast before his love interest. After meeting several actresses, Ryan suddenly showed up, and everyone knew then and there it was her that was fit for the role.

The actor recalled not even reading a scene with Ryan anymore because they just knew that she was perfect for it. "It's like a love at first sight," Crystal shared.

Filming "When Harry Met Sally..." was a breeze for Crystal and Ryan because of the chemistry between them. Even the most uncomfortable scenes became easy for them because they felt at ease with one another.

Anyone who watched the film would have instantly believed that their love continued on off-air. Little did people know Crystal had been married to another woman for years – his wife, Janice.

While they were on a date in Janice's second-hand car, she suddenly brought up the concept of marriage to him. "So we should get married," she told him.

It was an unconventional way to get engaged, and it wasn't romantic like people would see in the movies. However, it was an idea already in Crystal's head, and they went on with it.

By June 1970, Crystal wed the love of his life. They had a large wedding with their family and friends in attendance before leaving for a five-day honeymoon in Puerto Rico.

Unfortunately for Crystal, it wasn't the honeymoon he expected. He even called it a "disaster." It was a disaster because his wife had gotten sunburned to the point that she didn't want to be touched.

By 1973, the Crystals welcomed their first child, a daughter named Jennifer. At the time, the actor was shocked because it all happened so fast. "We weren't set up financially for a child," he admitted.

Billy Crystal's Own Happily-Ever-After

Despite many people hoping that he'd end up with Ryan after such a marvelous job on "When Harry Met Sally," their connection was purely platonic. He had his own off-screen fairytale, with his wife whom he's been with for over five decades now.

Crystal was never a controversial actor-comedian. His stand-up skits were almost always wholesome and included anecdotes about his daughters.

He even took his eldest child to work on many days, because Janice was working at a college as the assistant to the dean of theater. This meant that he needed to take on baby duties even when he worked.

The Crystals did everything they could to make their relationship work. Despite his fame, Janice has managed to keep a low profile while occasionally walking the red carpet with Crystal on several premieres and award shows.

Like Crystal, Janice is a film producer, working on the likes of "My Uncle Berns," and "700 Sundays" by Billy Crystal. Janice ultimately received a Tony Award for co-producing "700 Sundays."

Although she often chooses to keep a low profile, she once starred on-screen in Crystal's 2021 film "Here Today," which also starred Penn Badgley, Tiffany Haddish, and Laura Benanti.

After five decades together, they remain happily in love. Crystal claims his wife Janice was his first and only date, and he makes sure to keep the fire burning.

As for his secret to a lasting marriage, he said that he's learned a lot from his own parents. He said:

"My parents always looked like they loved being together. That's what I took from them, and that's how my wife and I are. I still feel like we're dating."

After going through most of their lives together, Crystal considers himself lucky for having married his wife when he was only 18. Despite all the challenges they endured, he's ultimately glad he got through them all with Janice by his side.

The couple lives in the expensive neighborhood of Pacific Palisades. They raised their children there, and are happy to be able to bring their grandchildren there, too.

Crystal never lost sight of what was important, and that was his family. After years of being a certified family man, he stunned the world once more when on the first day of being a grandfather, he wrote a book.

When his daughter Jennifer gave birth to her daughter Ella, he wrote a book called "I Already Know I Love You," and even Oprah Winfrey said that it "says more about Billy Crystal than any work he's done."

Aside from Jennifer, who is an actress like him, he has a younger daughter named Lindsay, who pursued a career in acting and filmmaking. They are both married to Michael Foley and Howie Miller, respectively.

When Jennifer and Lindsay were younger, Crystal would play their hairdresser named Mr. Phyllis. He'd shampoo their hair, comb it, and style it the way they wanted. They even had other make-believe characters and made their own languages.

It took Crystal years to accept that his children no longer needed him the way they used to when they were younger. He has no complaints, however, as he's glad that his children are fulfilled in the lives they are living.

Their eldest daughter Jennifer Crystal Foley was born on January 26, 1973. She appeared on her dad's hit movies "City Slickers," and "City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold."

In the 1990s and 2000s, Jennifer made a name for herself by guest-starring on several hit shows like "Beverly Hills, 90210," "NYPD Blue," and "Touched by an Angel." She also had bigger roles in "House" and "Once and Again."

After marrying her college boyfriend, Michael Foley, they welcomed two children into the family named Ella Ryan and Dylan Frances.

Their second-born Lindsay was born on October 21, 1977. Like her sister, she made her acting debut in her dad's hit movies "City Slickers" and "City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold" before appearing in other projects.

In later years, she quit acting to pursue filmmaking, this time following in her mom's footsteps. She is a director, producer, and writer, producing for firms like HBO, NBC, and Comedy Central.

Lindsay also has two children, a girl, and a boy. In 2022, Crystal couldn't help but gush about the precious moments his grandchildren got to see him on stage for his Tony-nominated musical "Mr. Saturday Night."

The thought of having his grandchildren there brought Crystal to tears because it took him back to how he started his career, and how they had never seen him live on stage, or even perform.

Crystal's grandchildren only know of his work on "Monsters, Inc." and "Monsters University" as the voice of Mike Wazowski. They never saw his greatness in his decades-long career, because they weren't born yet at the time.

To have his four grandchildren in the audience during his opening night was a big deal for him. "I'm very proud of the fact that at the age of 74, I made my musical comedy debut in front of my grandchildren opening night," he gushed to his good friend Whoopi Goldberg.

The thought of having his grandchildren there brought Crystal to tears because it took him back to how he started his career, and how they had never seen him live on stage, or even perform. The show taught him to accept his age, and who he is at 74.

Before going back on stage, Crystal had a highly-anticipated reunion with his "When Harry Met Sally..." friends. He met up with Meg Ryan and Rob Reiner to look back at the pop culture masterpiece they had made.

Reiner admitted that when he made the movie, he had no idea it would remain relevant three decades later. He attributes the film's success to its relatability that people from around the world can relate to.

Ultimately, Reiner let fans in on a secret regarding the film, revealing that Harry and Sally almost did not end up together. He ended up changing the script when he met the love of his life, the woman he had been married to for three decades.

As for Crystal's enduring marriage with Janice, he has one piece of advice for those who are looking to make their relationships last a lifetime: "Just keep listening to each other," he said.