As a fan who has grown up watching Billy Crystal‘s hilarious performances in movies like “When Harry Met Sally” and “Analyze This,” I must admit that his dramatic turn in Apple TV+’s “Before” was a delightful surprise. It’s not every day we get to see such a veteran performer step into the world of television, especially when it comes to a role as profound as Eli.
The Apple TV+ series titled “Before” featuring Billy Crystal is not just a change of pace from his comedic roles, but it represents a scarce television acting opportunity for the esteemed performer, who is widely recognized for films such as “When Harry Met Sally” and “Analyze This“.
As an avid fan, I’ve been thrilled to follow Crystal, who not only stars in but also executive produces the show, on her journey with screenwriter Eric Roth, delving into the concept of a pediatric psychiatrist tackling a challenging case: a child whose trauma remains inexplicable. Crystal herself has shared these exciting details.
Initially, Crystal hadn’t considered playing the psychiatrist character Eli, but it was after Roth hired writer Sarah Thorp, who later became the showrunner and an executive producer along with Roth and others, for the series, that Crystal came up with the idea of portraying Eli.
During the New York premiere of ‘Before’, Crystal expressed to The Hollywood Reporter that upon hearing Sarah’s description of Eli and his world, as well as the rules Eli would break in search of truth, she immediately responded, ‘I’ll do this, I want to portray him.’ This was a role she hadn’t considered until then because it presented an opportunity to inhabit a world she hadn’t experienced before.
Crystal explained that the TV series format was more suitable for Before than a movie because, “It seemed like we could effectively create suspense with multiple episodes instead of just one. We aimed to keep viewers engaged and eagerly anticipating each episode. Rather than resolving everything in an hour and a half, it’s more impactful to gradually build tension across several episodes.
The ensuing sequence focuses on Crystal’s character, Eli, as he navigates through the aftermath of his wife Lynn’s passing, portrayed by Judith Light, and offers aid to a youthful boy, Jacobi Jupe, who appears to have ties to Eli’s history.
Initially, Rosie Perez wasn’t offered the role of Jupe’s foster mother Noah. However, due to her personal experience with the foster care system, she expressed a strong desire to ensure the right actor took on the role. After discussions with Crystal, they both concluded that Perez was the ideal choice for the part.
Speaking about the aspects she wanted the series to accurately depict, Perez emphasized, “When caring for a child, particularly one who has been in the child welfare or foster care system, it’s essential to approach them with genuine love and complete selflessness. These children have experienced so much adversity, trauma, and pain, which I can personally relate to. I aimed to portray this sensitivity in a way that was uplifting yet realistic. At the same time, I wanted to highlight the challenges and difficulties involved, so I gave Denise a sense of apprehension, making it clear that she didn’t claim to know all the answers or have the perfect solution. Instead, my message is simple: care for them with love and selflessness – that’s the key.
Perez called the role a “difficult gift to accept.”
She mentioned that she initially hesitated, but ended up going to specific locations she hadn’t wanted to visit. Now, she’s grateful for this decision. She gave credit to Crystal and the encouragement they received from the production team, referring to them as ‘the executive staff’.
Perez mentioned that the level of backing they received was unusual, especially considering the sensitive and weighty topic at hand. She’s encountered similar situations in her career, but this one stood out. Perez also commented on her role personally, expressing that if she hadn’t focused on her mental health years ago, she might not have been capable of delivering such a performance. She emphasized that the support from the executive team, directors, and cast made her job significantly easier.
Like Perez, Light was drawn to Before both because of Crystal and Thorp’s writing.
To grasp the nature of Light’s and Crystal’s relationship, which largely transpired prior to the start of the series, he reminisces about a lengthy discussion he had with Crystal and Thorp at her residence.
Light explained to THR that we delved deeply into these topics, the story’s progression, Lynn’s role in his personal growth, and how she pushes him towards self-discovery and transformation. He was repeatedly reminded by Lynn about the world beyond science and facts, which he initially struggled to grasp. However, his wife attempted to show him this other realm, and eventually, he did come to see it, quite dramatically.
All 10 episodes of the first season of Before are now streaming on Apple TV+.
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2024-12-22 07:24