After Dinner Speakers: Billy Crystal, Whitney Houston, Micky Dolenz

Actor, comedian, director, writer, producer. Born March 14, 1947 in Long Beach, New York. The son of a jazz promoter, Crystal decided early on that he wanted to be a performer. After attending Nassau Community College and studying film under Martin Scorsese at New York University, he began performing in Manhattan comedy clubs, eventually becoming the opening act for such musicians as Barry Manilow. In 1977, he made his television debut as the first major homosexual sitcom character, Jodie Dallas, on Soap. He earned positive reviews for the role, which led to regular stints on Saturday Night Live, numerous television guest appearances and a boost to his stand-up career. Crystal also enjoyed a successful run in blockbuster films throughout the 1980s, including This is Spinal Tap (1984), The Princess Bride (1987), Throw Momma From the Train (1987) and the seminal romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally (1989) costarring Meg Ryan. In 1991, he starred in his most successful film to date, the hit comedy City Slickers, which returned with a sequel in 1994. In 1991 and 1992, Crystal won Emmys for his role as host and writer for the annual Academy Award ceremonies. Unfortunately, he followed these wins with a couple of ambitious though ill-received films, including the semi-autobiographical Mr. Saturday Night and the romantic comedy Forget Paris. He made a comeback in 1999 as executive producer and costar of Analyze This with Robert De Niro. A comedy about a mob boss who seeks therapy from his terrified psychiatrist, the film received critical and commercial success, and a sequel, Analyze That, was released in 2002. In addition to acting, Crystal has written pieces for Playboy and The New York Times. He has been married to his wife, Janice, since 1970. They have two daughters, Jennifer and Lindsay.