Billy Crystalis coming back to television. Since his breakout appearance on the soap opera parody sitcomSoap, Crystal has been relatively limited in his on-screen appearances on the small screen, only briefly appearing in FX’sThe Comediansand reprising his role as Mike Wazowski in theMonsters at Workseries in recent memory. Now, he’s set to lead a new limited series from Apple inBeforewhich also has acclaimed directorBarry Levinsonat the helm.
Crystal will star as a child psychiatrist in the midst of a terrible period of his life. After losing his wife, he encounters a troubled young boy in need of help. Although details are sparse about the series, the role sounds like a bit of a departure from his usual comedic shtick.Sarah Thorp(The Bounty Hunter,Hawthorne) wrote the series withDunescreenwriterEric Rothalso on board as a writer. All four of Crystal, Thorp, Levinson, and Roth will executive produce the series. Paramount Television Studios is producing the series for Apple.
Beforewill reunite Crystal and Levinson for the first time since the latter executive produced the sequel filmAnalyze Thatwith Crystal reprising his role as the psychiatrist toRobert De Niro’s mafia don Paul Vitti from the 1999 filmAnalyze This. While Crystal will be playing an oddly similar role this time around, the situation appears to be quite different and Levinson will now be fully in charge of the direction.
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Ever since announcing his presence to the world withSoap, Crystal has forged a career as an acclaimed movie star and comedian with six Emmys to his name. Throughout the 80s and 90s, he appeared in a slew of popular films, includingThis is Spinal Tap,The Princess Bride,Throw Momma From the Train,Mr. Saturday Night, andCity Slickers. One of his biggest breaks, however, came in 1989 withWhen Harry Met Sallywhich launched his career into the stratosphere. He’s also been unafraid to do voice work in films, appearing inThe Critic,Monsters Inc.,and the English dub of the Studio Ghibli classicHowl’s Moving Castle. Outside of film, he’s also known for his hosting duties at the Academy Awards and onSaturday Night Live.
Levinson has also proven himself one of Hollywood’s great creatives, perhaps best known for his Best Director-winning filmRain Man. Among his other directorial efforts areWag the Dog,Paterno,The Natural, andThe Wizard of Lies. Like so many creatives, he’s recently turned to streaming for work, most recently executive producing the Hulu seriesDopesickand Showtime’sCity on a Hill. He has a few upcoming projects which he’ll helm includingOne Giant Leap,Francis and the Godfather, andThe Jury Room.
Additional details forBeforeare still in flux at Apple as they attempt to nail down the number of episodes for the series among other things. Be sure to visit Collider for updates onBefore.
