For Emmy Award and Tony Award-winning actor Billy Crystal filming Apple TV+'s upcoming series Before was both “exciting” and “exhausting”.

Crystal – known for his comedic roles – flexes his dramatic muscles as Eli, a child psychiatrist struggling with the recent loss of his wife Lynn, played by Judith Light. His world takes a frightening turn when he meets Noah (Jacobi Jupe), a troubled boy who seems eerily connected to Eli's past.

As Eli tries to come to terms with his wife's recent death, the mysterious bond between him and Noah deepens, uncovering haunting memories and disturbing secrets. The plot explores themes of grief, love and the supernatural, blurring the lines between what is real and what is psychological. The ensemble cast also includes Rosie Perez, Maria Dizzia and Ava Lalezarzadeh.

During a conversation with NewsweekCrystal spoke about how much he enjoyed starring in and executive producing the psychological thriller.

“Oh, I loved it. I loved every second of it because once we were allowed to do it, being part of the whole creative process, after consulting with (show creator) Sarah (Thorp), you were able to play it, “write scripts, work on the sets and all that Things to do. Then you have to play it, and it's time,” said the Hollywood star. “And when we were fully occupied and young Mr. Jacobi came into our lives, it was like kismet, that's how it should be.”

As the character-driven series unfolds, viewers gradually discover the source of Eli's insidious personal demons and witness his struggle to face his deepest fears. At the heart of his emotional journey is the memory of Lynn, whose enduring presence profoundly shapes the way he deals with his grief. The presence of Eli's late wife is crucial to his emotional development, even after her death.

“For me personally, playing (Eli) was an incredibly eye-opening experience, very liberating, (I) have never had to play a character who's lost his mind like Eli, but while he's losing his mind, he is.” “finding yourself at the same time,” Crystal explained.

The actor added: “And then all the inventions that Sarah and her other wonderful writers made for me to put Eli through – I don't know, I just kept giggling sometimes. We finished something terrible and they” I would say “cut” and “what a job!” I loved it! I got this thing out of my head or whatever it is. It was really exciting, you know, it's a tough schedule filming two shows at the same time so it's hard to let it go.

Despite what some might expect, Crystal, 76, shows no signs of slowing down and continues to juggle multiple projects. He previously reprized his iconic role as the voice of Mike Wazowski in Monsters at workan animated sitcom that serves as a direct sequel to the film Monsters, Inc.in which he also played the lead role. The show premiered on July 7, 2021 on Disney+ and its second season premiered on April 5, 2024 on Disney Channel.

Also his film Witch Which one?in which he stars and writes, is currently in development.

“After a while I just didn't want to let go of Eli, I just wanted to stay in his head because I was in a good mood with him and I just didn't want to stop,” Crystal added.

When asked if any part of Eli is still in him, Crystal responded Newsweek that he was ready to leave Eli behind after the show ended.

“After we finished filming, after the shows were edited and you reviewed all the cuts and made your editing notes, and then Sarah and I worked side by side in post on the music and video effects, and you know that “You all stuff,” he said. “So we just finished about a month ago and I'm fine. I feel like we achieved what we wanted to achieve. We did it and that’s very satisfying.”

Crystal also praised Just, who plays young Noah. Viewers first meet Noah as he scratches symbols into Eli's front door with bloody hands. His character's presence adds an element of supernatural tension to the series.

Justus excels in such a scary and disturbing role, and Crystal says he can't wait to see what his career has in store.

“He’s 35, eight years old. I mean, he's an extraordinary young talent, he's very smart, he's well educated, he has great parents, his mother is a great actress and his brother is a very good actor,” he said. “If you're coming up with a show and your co-star is going to be a young actor – Jacobi is 11, he played 8, he's that good and he's incredibly smart.”

Crystal continued, “Noah doesn't speak much, and he has trauma, and he has episodes of anxiety, and only he sees what scares him. I can only interpret as his psychiatrist, and I let him draw whatever he wants.” I can't say it, and there are symbols in it, there are pictures in it that I have to put together to solve the mystery of what is tormenting him . And he has amazing eyes that are very wise and that tell me everything I can. I can't wait for audiences to see him on this show and I personally can't wait to see what he does next and where his career takes him because I think it's going to be pretty extraordinary .”

The atmospheric and character-driven 10-episode psychological thriller was created by Thorp, who also served as showrunner, writer and executive producer. Crystal served as executive producer along with Eric Roth, pilot director Adam Bernstein and production director Wilkinson.

The 10-episode limited series will make its global debut with the first two episodes on Friday, October 25th, with a new episode every Friday until December 20th.