Jodie Dallas (1977-81): His recurring part on "Soap" was one of the first openly gay characters on TV. Jodie came out to his brother, Danny (Ted Wass), a big sports fan who idolizes Joe Namath, by telling him that his lover was another quarterback.
Some memorable Billy Crystal roles
Fernando (1982): "The Billy Crystal Comedy Hour" was a flop on NBC, but it introduced a character inspired by actor Fernando Lamas, which Crystal developed into a staple on "Saturday Night Live" along with impressions of Muhammad Ali and Sammy Davis Jr.
Harry Burns (1989): The cocksure male title character in "When Harry Met Sally." In the film's most famous scene, Crystal plays it cool while co-star Meg Ryan fakes an orgasm at Katz's Delicatessen.
Academy Awards host: Crystal emceed the telecast nine times since 1990, most recently in 2012.
Mike Wazowski (2001-13): Crystal voiced the one-eyed aspiring monster in the Pixar franchise "Monsters Inc." Like Crystal himself, the character has major league dreams.
Rohan Preston
about the writer
Critics’ picks for entertainment in the week ahead.