For over fifty years, Billy Crystal and his spouse, Janice Crystal, have been joined in marriage.
Long before Billy had his big break in When Harry Met Sally, the couple got married on June 4, 1970, after meeting in New York in the summer of 1966. Billy has credited Janice for his professional accomplishments, pointing out that she encouraged him to hone his comedic abilities soon after the birth of their first child, Jennifer, in 1973.
On February 2020, Billy addressed PEOPLE about his wife, saying, “She’s smart, funny, and kind.” “It keeps becoming better and better.”
Billy and Janice celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary in 2023. They currently have two daughters and four grandchildren between them.
Here’s all you need to know about Billy Crystal’s wife Janice and their relationship, from their teenage courtship to their more than fifty years of marriage.
They’re teenage sweethearts
Billy and Janice were Long Beach, New York, teens when they first got together.
Following his 1965 graduation from Long Beach High School, where he was named “Most Popular,” Billy went to play baseball at Marshall University in West Virginia.
Billy met Janice while working at a summer camp the summer before his senior year.
“As this girl passed by, I declared that I would marry her. He recalled seeing Janice for the first time on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast. “And I did, four years later,” he said.
Billy’s decision to remain in New York was impacted by his meeting with Janice. He said, “I fell in love with her right away.” “You know, long-distance relationships don’t work out; I’m not sure if you’ve ever been in one.”
Billy enrolled in an acting class at Nassau Community College on Long Island as a transfer student to begin his sophomore year, and it immediately felt like “home.” After a while, he moved to NYU, where he graduated with a bachelor of fine arts in film.
They got married in 1970
On June 4, 1970, Billy and Janice got married. In an appearance with The Kelly Clarkson Show in May 2021, Billy shared his tips for a long and fulfilling marriage.
“We joke, we laugh, and we still learn from each other,” he said to Kelly Clarkson, the presenter. “We still enjoy spending time together. We just continuously learning new things about each other and having so much fun. The most crucial thing, in my opinion, is to continue to be inquisitive and learn more about one another.”
Billy has said that he tried to emulate his parents’ relationship.
He said, “My parents always looked like they loved being together,” in an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald from 2016. That’s what I learned from them, and my spouse and I operate in the same way. We still seem like a couple to me.”
They say laughter is also a key to their lasting marriage
Billy and Janice are a well-known couple in Hollywood, and as such, many people admire their bond and frequently approach them for advice on how to make a marriage last.
“How can a 50-year marriage succeed? In a humorous exchange with PEOPLE and his co-star Ben Schwartz from Standing Up, Falling Down, Billy said, “We see other people.”
“On a regular basis?” Ben laughed and questioned.
“On a regular basis. Billy answered, “I’m ravenous.
Ben continued, praising Billy for the role model he provided in his relationship with Janice, stating: “In our field, it can be difficult to maintain a hot streak. The phrase “nobody’s gonna tell you to say no” alludes to taking on more than one is capable of handling.
“Yet he has managed to ensure that family comes first, to spend time with his children, his grandchildren, and his wife, and that is something that is crucial, that is something I’ve learned from Billy,” Ben went on.
And that’s how it operates, Billy grinned and continued.
They share two children
On January 26, 1973, Janice welcomed Jennifer Crystal Foley, her first child with Billy.
Billy discussed how important it was for their relationship to spend so much time at home with Jennifer when she was a baby during his 2021 interview on The Kelly Clarkson Show.
He made fun of the fact that, once Janice left for work, he took up the role of primary caregiver for Jennifer throughout the day, saying, “I was Mr. Mom way before it was popular.”
He went on, “I see it as a true turning point in my life—not only as a father, but as a person as well. It helped me understand our purpose and my responsibilities, as well as what it means to love someone so totally and to look out for their health, happiness, and education, even in their early years. It linked us for all time.
On October 21, 1977, the couple welcomed Lindsay Crystal as their second daughter.
In 2013, Billy said to The Guardian, “I think my wife and I were good parents because we didn’t want to be our kids’ friends.” “We were aware that we had to raise them. I don’t think it works when parents try to be friends with their children, as many do these days.”
He went on, “We just always maintained the proper amount of authority. We also listened to them and were patient.” We seemed to have had a lot of fun and allowed them to express themselves. We simply cherished becoming parents.”
They’re grandparents to four grandchildren
Ella Ryan Foley, Janice and Billy’s first grandchild, was born to Jennifer, their daughter.
Billy said in an interview with The Guardian, “Being my firstborn daughter, Jenny’s pregnancy with our first grandchild, Ella, was very profound for me.”
He went on to talk about the children’s book he wrote in 2004 and said, “One night, I wrote down all the things I was waiting to do with my little granddaughter, and it became a book, I Already Know I Love You.”
Since Lindsay has two sons and Jennifer welcomed Dylan Frances Foley, her second daughter, in 2006, Billy and Janice are now grandparents to four grandkids.
Billy also shared a humorous anecdote about what transpired when his grandchildren became old enough to discover that he provided the voices for some of their favorite film characters.
“I had to speak like Mike Wazowski for six months when they realized I was the character from Monsters, Inc. He told The Guardian, “It drove me insane. “After they saw The Princess Bride, I had to spend six months pretending to be Miracle Max.”
More somberly, Billy revealed that he started crying when his grandchildren saw him perform as Buddy on Broadway in Mr. Saturday Night in 2022.
He stated, “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,” when he appeared on The View in May 2022. “That was the greatest thrill of all.”
Billy continued, saying, “I kept crying because I kept thinking about where I started and how these kids who have never seen me perform live on stage before have never seen me perform — especially this character, that embraces my age now, this is who I am.”
They celebrated their 50th anniversary in a unique way
2020 marked Billy and Janice’s 50th wedding anniversary, albeit it was difficult to celebrate with COVID-19 pandemic measures in place. Thankfully, their children and grandchildren knew how to make sure they could still commemorate the occasion.
In a remote interview with Jimmy Kimmel, Billy disclosed that he and Janice were surprised with an anniversary dinner by their children and grandchildren.
“They built a small outdoor dining area for my grandchildren and me. They looked after us; they were the waiters and waitresses. And it was just the two of us for this really beautiful meal,” he revealed on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
Billy responded, “No,” when asked if he left tips for his waiters.
“To be honest, the service was slow,” he joked.
She’s worked in film and theater
Billy’s love of comedy and theater before his big break as an actor, and Janice shared this passion as well. Janice worked as the dean of theater’s assistant at a junior college on Long Island while she was in her early 20s and they were still residents in Long Beach, New York.
Janice produced Billy Crystal: 700 Sundays, a film special that was nominated for an Emmy in 2014 for Outstanding Variety Special. It was based on Billy’s autobiographical book of the same name and the one-man Broadway production that followed the book’s publication and received a Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event in 2005.
Janice isn’t always in the background, though. Billy co-wrote, directed, and starred in the 2021 movie Here Today, in which she played a supporting role. In addition, Janice played on stage with Billy in an Akron, Ohio, production of Cabaret in 1981.
She was the earliest supporter of Billy’s comedy career
While awaiting his big break, Billy was filling in as a substitute teacher at his former high school.
Speaking with Clarkson, Billy disclosed that early in his career, his wife’s backing allowed him to quit teaching and focus entirely on comedy.
“It was always my dream, and it was what I was working hard at, and I was already a young father—my daughter was six months old,” he said, adding that his employment suffered as a result of the time he had to spend driving to and from comedy clubs in the city.
In order to give Billy more time to devote his evenings to comedy, Janice made the decision to go back to work and have Billy stay at home with their daughter Jennifer.
Billy recalled saying to Kelly, “Go into the city and become the comedian I know that you can be,” Janice had encouraged him. “Her trust in me, as a young mother with a 6-month-old, was the greatest gift of her selflessness.”
