BILLY CRYSTAL HONORED IN A FUNNY, TOUCHING HOLLYWOOD-HANDPRINT CEREMONY

Comic-actor Billy Crystal had the attention of hundreds of onlookers Friday (12 APRIL) in Hollywood.

But for a moment, the Emmy- and Tony-winning actor, writer, producer and stand-up comic was neither funny nor acting.

As the 71-year-old Crystal was being honored with a handprint ceremony in the forecourt of the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, he reflected on growing up with his mother, father and two brothers on Long Island, and a home filled with music and comedy.

"You try to make your parents laugh, and that laugh becomes this delicious drink that I was always thirsty for," Crystal recalled. "All these years later, I think of all the times that we performed and dreamed about something like this happening -- never would have imagined that it could happen for me."

Crystal wouldn't attain huge stardom until he was nearly 30, in the groundbreaking role of the gay son Jodie Dallas on the ABC sitcom "Soap." By the late '80s, Crystal emerged a big-screen superstar, with a string of hits including "The Princess Bride" and "Throw Momma from the Train" (1987), "When Harry Met Sally ..." (1989) and "City Slickers" (1991).

And into the new millennium, the hits keep coming, with Pixar's "Monsters, Inc." (2001) and its sequel "Monsters U" (2013)

In 1990, Crystal marked his first of nine times as host and co-writer of the Academy Awards, earning him two Emmys. Only Bob Hope has hosted more ceremonies (19).

"I am wearing the shoes that I wore the first time I hosted the Oscars," Crystal joked at the handprint ceremony, continuing, "and they hurt, because I'm now retaining water. I save everything."

Crystal also won the 2005 Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event for the autobiographical one-man show, "700 Sundays."

Crystal next will be heard in a "Monsters at Work" TV series for the new Disney+ streaming-video channel, and in the upcoming live-action feature "Standing Up, Falling Down," set to have its world premiere 25 April at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York.

We could talk upcoming projects later. The ceremony was over, but Crystal wanted to stay in the moment.

"You know, when I was a kid, they still had newsreels in the movie theatres: 'The News of the Week in Review!' And you'd see someone like Gregory Peck have his footprints and handprints here, or Jimmy Stewart. The history of these amazing stars being honored at what was then the Grauman's Chinese. To be part of that growing fraternity, sorority -- courtyard? -- is really moving to me, considering from where I started and where I'm still heading."

Los Angeles, 12 April 2019

1. Pan to handprint-ceremony setup in forecourt of TCL Chinese Theatre

2. Comic-actor Billy Crystal and director Rob Reiner pose for photographers

3. Tilt up of comic-actor Billy Crystal placing hands in cement

4. UPSOUND (English) Billy Crystal, comic-actor:

"You try to make your parents laugh, and that laugh becomes this delicious drink that I was always thirsty for. And, all these years later, I think of all the times that we performed and dreamed about something like this happening -- never would have imagined that it could happen for me."

5. Comic-actor Billy Crystal stands and holds up cement-covered hands for photographers

6. UPSOUND (English) Billy Crystal, comic-actor:

"One of my favorite characters, and, from what I've been told, is one of yours, too, is Mike Wazowski from 'Monsters, Inc.' and 'Monsters U.' So, the good people at Pixar sent me one of Mike's feet. So, I thought it only fitting that I'd put one of my feet and one of Mike's feet -- at the same time (in cement)"

7. Comic-actor Billy Crystal poses for photographers holding a replica of his "Monsters, Inc." character Mike Wazowski's foot

8. UPSOUND (English) Billy Crystal, comic-actor:

"I am wearing the shoes that I wore the first time I hosted the Oscars. And they hurt, because I'm now retaining water. I save everything. (Crowd laughs.) See? It still works."

9. Tilt up from comic-actor Billy Crystal's shoes in cement to Crystal displaying a wide range of emotions

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Billy Crystal, comic-actor, on being honored with a handprint ceremony at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood:

"You know, when I was a kid, they still had newsreels in the movie theatres: 'The News of the Week in Review!' And you'd see someone like Gregory Peck have his footprints and handprints here, or Jimmy Stewart. The history of these amazing stars being honored at what was then the Grauman's Chinese. To be part of that growing fraternity, sorority -- courtyard? -- is really moving to me, considering from where I started and where I'm still heading."

11. Comic-actor Billy Crystal and family pose for photographers

12. Pan of cement block with comic-actor Billy Crystal handprints and footprints. and Mike Wazowski 's footprint