Billy Crystal is back on the small screen this month when his new limited series Before debuts on Apple TV Plus on Oct. 25.
The actor told Newsweek that he found shooting the psychological series both “thrilling” and “exhausting.” Though Crystal is often in the role of the funny guy, his turn as Eli, a psychiatrist who is coping with the death of his wife, proves he can more than hold his own in a dramatic series.
Crystal also told the outlet that getting into the mind of his character was a good experience. “After a while, I just didn’t want to let go of Eli, I just wanted to keep in his head because I was in a groove, I was in a good groove with him, and I just didn’t want it to stop.”
However, he was ultimately happy to let Eli go at the end of production. “Once we wrapped the shooting, once the shows were cut and you prove all the cuts and you give your notes on the editing and then Sarah and I worked side-by-side in post on the music and video effects and you know all that stuff.” he said, “So we just finished about a month ago and I’m good. I feel very complete; that we got what we wanted to achieve. We got it there and that’s very satisfying.”
Here is everything you need to know about how you can watch Before.
What is Before?
Before is described by Apple TV Plus as “an atmospheric, character-driven psychological thriller.” Crystal stars as Eli, a child psychiatrist who recently lost his wife. Eli meets a young boy who needs his help and discovers that the boy is somehow connected to his past.
Who stars in Before?
In addition to Crystal, the limited-run series stars Judith Light, Rosie Perez, and Jacobi Jupe. Crystal told Newsweek he enjoyed playing his character Eli.
“For me personally, I had an incredibly enlightened experience playing [Eli], very freeing, [I’ve] never had to play a character who was losing his mind in the way that Eli is, but while he’s losing his mind, he’s finding himself at the same time,” he said.
The series creators and writers also had a hand in making his experience even better. “And then all the inventions that Sarah and her other wonderful writers invented for me to do, for Eli to go through were—I don’t know, I just kept giggling sometimes,” Crystal added. “We would finish something horrific and they’d go, ‘Cut,’ and I’d go, ‘What a job! I loved it! Look what I get to do!’ I got this thing coming out of my neck or whatever it may be. It was actually thrilling, you know, exhausting. It’s a tough schedule, shooting two shows at once, so it’s hard to let go of it.”
Is Before on streaming?
Before debuts on Apple TV Plus on Oct. 25, 2024.
Is there a trailer for Before?
Yes, Apple TV+ released the trailer for Before in October.