Billy Crystal has found humor in the darkest of times

If Billy Crystal is one of the kings of comedy, his family home in LA’s Pacific Palisades neighborhood was definitely his castle. “Sunday Morning” was invited there several times for interviews, and I usually got school on the basketball court in his backyard.

It was, he admitted, a magical place: “Yes, it kept me young, that place,” he said.

It was his family’s home forever, but things don’t always last forever. In January 2025, a large, wind-driven inferno tore through the Crystals’ Pacific Palisades neighborhood, consuming more than 5,000 homes, including the Crystals’. The fire took everything, but in the smoldering ruins of their family home, Billy Crystal and his wife Janice found inspiration.

Crystal brings the story of his home, and his life, to Broadway, in his new one-man show, “860,” talking about what he lost, and what he learned.

“Oh God, it was morning. Helicopters woke us up and sirens to the news that there was a big brush fire in the Highlands.”

He tells about the accident from time to time, and it is a harrowing story. But he’s still Billy Crystal.

“Janice is the more practical of the two of us. She thinks about medications and prescriptions. I think about the half veal parmesan sandwich in the fridge.”

“860” is now in previews, and opens October 21. Crystal wanted the audience to feel that they are really inside his house, so the “860” set is an exact replica of his home office, with everything exactly as it was. “Yes, we are lucky to have this and we have that, but that doesn’t take away the hurt. That doesn’t take away the loss,” he said.

According to Crystal, nothing survived.

But there are some things that no fire could touch. All the memories are intact, and funny as ever.

The name of the show, “860,” is the street address of the house he lost. The truth is that Christ wasn’t sure what to call it, until his dear friend Rob Reiner weighed in.” He said, “What do you call it?” I had these other titles, and the third one was ‘860.’ He went, ‘That’s the one. I love that. I like that.'”

And then, in a year that was already difficult beyond belief, the unthinkable happened, In December 2025, Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle were killed in their home. For Crystal, it’s still too hard to process: “No, it’s too big,” he said. “It’s so stupid, because we were together the night before. We said goodbye, like, late at night, 10:30 or something, at the party we were together for the holidays, and then … what?!?”

But Crystal has found a way to handle his grief, and maybe us too, sharing stories and laughter.

When asked how he finds humor in the darkest of times, Crystal laughed, “That’s what I do! You gotta, man. You gotta, you gotta … He’s a healer. He’s always been that way. You know, we say when life gets tough, all you can do is laugh.”

Twenty-two years ago, Crystal did another one-man show: “700 Sundays,” named for the approximately 700 Sundays he had with his father before he died. It was a huge success, and a ticket to the Tony Award. And for Christ, it was a cathartic experience, which he said healed him. When asked if he thinks “860” will do as well, Crystal replied, “It already is, it’s because I’m doing it, and I’ve been doing it. If I didn’t even get to play it, I’m okay. I’ve accepted the biggest pains that people couldn’t go through, the loss of their home, their best friends. And I’m okay.”

However, he says the 2025 body shots have changed his outlook a bit.

In “700 Sundays,” he tells about conversations with God. Asked if he has been talking to God in recent years, he said, “No, because I don’t trust Him. Too many bad things have happened. The Earth is in bad shape. It’s a strange, scary time. So no, not anymore.”

“860” is a one-man show, but Crystal relied on some Broadway heavyweights to bring it all to life: director Scott Ellis, and acclaimed writer Marc Shaiman, who commented on Crystal’s ability to draw humor from dark memories. “He can’t help but find the humor,” Shaiman said. “That’s just who Billy is, and that’s why he is.”

“But it’s family,” Ellis said. “That’s the thing at the heart of the matter, how do you move on? You move on with friends and you move on with family. And that’s what you want and you need it, and it’s lucky to have it. There aren’t many people.”

The show is in a limited run in New York only until January. Afterwards, Crystal says he hopes to take it to the city where it happened, Los Angeles.

The house may be gone, but the heart that built it is still there, as strong as ever. “I’m 78 now, and I feel really good,” he said, “and I’m hopeful for what life is going to bring. And if we’ve gotten through this the way we’ve gotten through it, we’re doing okay.”

WEB EXTRA: Watch extended interview with Billy Crystal (Video)

WEB EXCLUSIVE: Best of Billy Crystal on “Sunday Morning” (YouTube Video)

Story produced by John D’Amelio. Editor: Steven Tyler.

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For more information:

• “860” by Billy Crystal, at the Imperial Theatre, New York City (through January 3) | Ticket information

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