William Edward Crystal, better known as Billy Crystal, was born March 14, 1958, He first became known to most Americans on the sitcom Soap, where he played Jodie Dallas, an openly gay man who fathers a child in a series of comedic events and on Saturday Night Live, beginning in 1975. His SNL impersonations included Fernando Lamas, Muhammad Ali, Sammy Davis, Jr., Howard Cosell, and Prince. He hosted the Academy Awards in 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 1997, 1998, 2000, and 2004 and turned down the opportunity in 2006. In 2008, on his 60th birthday, he signed a contract to play with the New York Yankees for just the one day.
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