NEWSBilly Crystal, 78, Says Writing Helped Him Survive a Painful Year of Grief After Speaking at 7 Memorials
Billy Crystal reflected on the year he spoke at seven memorials while navigating personal loss.
Oct. 5 2026, Updated 4:05 a.m. ET
Billy Crystal found comfort in writing during one of the most painful years of his life.
In 2025, the actor and comedian spoke at seven memorials while also grieving several close friends and his longtime Pacific Palisades home in the fires.
The fire destroyed 46 years of belongings and family memories.
Billy Crystal Spoke At Seven Memorials In 2025
Billy Crystal spoke about the losses he experienced throughout 2025.
Crystal, 78, reflected on the difficult year and how writing helped him process loss during an interview with Playbill, published Friday, October 2.
"Honestly, it always has been. I realized the other day when we were talking about this. In 2025, I spoke at seven memorials; two of them were public, at the Oscars for the Reiners," he said.
"Two of the others were for my manager of 45 years; I wrote his eulogy for the Hollywood Reporter. And then the same week, another great close friend. So, it just kept happening over and over and over," he added.
Billy Crystal discussed the role writing played in helping him process grief.
The When Harry Met Sally star traced his connection to writing back to one of his earliest experiences with loss.
"I realized the first time I experienced loss, I wrote a eulogy for my father. I was 15, and that was the first one I did," he said.
The experience also shaped how The Princess Bride actor approached grief later in life.
"I remember it helping me then, and it’s helped me now to put order to the chaos. It’s not something that I like to do. But when it happens, it’s how I can help myself get through things and help other people get through things," Crystal said.
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Billy Crystal Remembered Robin Williams and Muhammad Ali
Robin Williams and Muhammad Ali were remembered by Billy Crystal while discussing the people he honored after their deaths.
The City Slickers actor also remembered some of the people he honored after their deaths.
"Sometimes it’s been very public. When Robin [Williams] died, I eulogized for him on the Emmys. [Muhammad] Ali’s funeral, I was asked to be one of the eulogists for him," he recalled.
Not every farewell took place in front of an audience.
"So, sometimes it’s very public, but other times the eulogy happens inside you. You try to put an order to the sorrow," he said.
Billy Crystal shared how his Pacific Palisades home shaped his Broadway show '860.'
Crystal also brought his experience with loss into his Broadway show, which takes its name from the address of the Pacific Palisades home he shared with his wife, Janice.
He began filming the fire and its aftermath on his phone before seeing another possibility for the footage.
With that, he found a way to turn the painful experience into something personal.
"I started writing, and the writing took me out of the horror," Crystal said.
