Universal Studios In 1996, Birds & Animals Unlimited, the largest furnisher of animals to Hollywood, sent one of its trainers to purchase a
capuchin monkey in Florida. Birds & Animals prefers to begin training younger monkeys, optimally those close to one year old. Audacious two-and-half-year-old Crystal, whose canine teeth had begun showing, was offered. The trainer ultimately decided to buy Crystal and two younger capuchin monkeys as well. Three employees received the three monkeys. Crystal was given to
Tom Gunderson, an employee who had only been with the company for a few years and had been primarily working at
Universal Studios Florida's
Animal Actors stage show. Gunderson had let the other two employees select their monkeys first and was left with the oldest, Crystal. He named her Crystal, a namesake to a country music singer
Crystal Gayle.
New York magazine's Benjamin Wallace wrote, "It was like she was born to perform." Wallace of
New York magazine said her
Internet Movie Database page is "more hit-studded than most actors three times her age", During filming, Crystal in an "unscripted moment" relieved herself on
Robin Williams, who was playing Teddy Roosevelt. Williams said, "It combines the worst aspects of working with children and animals when you have an animal that looks like a child ... Plus, what human can [defecate] on you in the middle of a scene and people would be like 'Awww, great'". She portrayed a drug dealing monkey in the 2011 film
The Hangover Part II. Director
Todd Phillips raised concerns after he joked that Crystal had become addicted to cigarettes after learning to smoke them for the film. Philips later explained that Crystal never actually held a lit cigarette on the film's set, the smoke was added digitally in post-production, and the cigarette was ceramic. Crystal also played Crystal the Capuchin in the
Cameron Crowe-directed film
We Bought a Zoo. After gymnast
Gabby Douglas' gold medal-winning performance at
2012 Summer Olympics individual all-around, NBC aired a commercial of Crystal swinging on gymnastic rings. Wallace of the magazine
New York called it a "cringe-worthy juxtaposition" that sparked much debate about
racism on
Twitter. Crystal netted her owner $12,000 per episode; the earnings from nine episodes meant that for the year she made more than twice as much as the average Hollywood actor.
New Yorks Wallace observed the filming of a scene in which Crystal gives Coleman a shoulder massage. Gunderson used gestures to coax Crystal to perform the desired action and let her lick yogurt from his fingers upon finishing. After each scene, Gunderson rewards her with a treat. Wallace noted that her favorite treats included "chocolate,
Nutella, grapes, pistachios, peanuts, the odd crafts-services banana, a weekly egg for protein, and, off-set, spiders and flies". In 2022, she appeared in
Steven Spielberg's semi-autobiographical film
The Fabelmans as Bennie, the pet monkey of the titular family. ==Personal life==