Billy Crystal on Writing 860 to Process Loss

Billy Crystal was honored by PaleyFest NY 2026 on Monday night. 'Extra's' Mona Kosar Abdi spoke with Crystal, who reflected on his five-decade career. Asked what he's most proud of, Crystal shared, 'That I'm still doing it and still loving it.'

He spoke about his new autobiographical one-man Broadway play '860' about losing his family home in the Palisades Fire.

Billy said, 'People are loving it and I can't wait to get out there every night. That's what keeps bringing me back. There's so much more work to do and so many more things I want to get accomplished. So it's just a very proud feeling and it's amazing how fast this 50-something years has flown.'

While '860' was born out of devastating loss, Crystal was able to find laughter and joy.

He shared, 'Writing is something I've always done since I was young. To be able to take all of that horribleness and turn it into something beautiful for me and that it means something to people and if it helps them through whatever kind of loss they're having. My heart went out the other day to the hurricane victims in Florida, watching those homes destroyed, and the flood victims this year and other fire victims this year.

'This show is about all those people who lost, you know, their past, they've lost their present, they've lost, you know, everything that they value,' Crystal emphasized. 'We went through that. But if I can turn that into something maybe helpful for them, if they get a chance to see it, because it is sure helpful for me and our family that I get to do it.'

Billy said, 'There's so much joy in the theater, as well as the pain of it. But that's what life is about.' He added, 'The theater is really one of the saving graces of my career.'

Crystal has also been open about his struggles to process his dear friends Rob Reiner and Michelle Singer Reiner's deaths. Mona asked how writing has helped.

Billy answered, 'There's no trick to it. You just be honest about it. And in that way, it becomes about people that they [the audience] lost as well.'