Billy Crystal is an American actor, comedian, producer, writer, and director whose extensive career includes significant voice work in animation. While he is widely known for his live-action roles and his record nine times hosting the Academy Awards, his voice acting portfolio includes a notable performance in anime.

Crystal's most prominent anime voice role is Calcifer in the English-language dub of Studio Ghiblis 2004 film Howls Moving Castle, directed by Hayao Miyazaki. In this adaptation, he provides the voice for the witty and temperamental fire demon bound to the wizard Howl. The casting placed him alongside other acclaimed actors in the English dub, such as Christian Bale and Jean Simmons. Crystal has discussed the unique challenges of this role, noting that the production process for Howls Moving Castle differed from his previous experiences with American animation. While Pixar productions often involved actors improvising in a recording booth before animation was completed, the dub for Howls Moving Castle required him to match pre-existing Japanese animation. He described finding a voice that fit the small ball of flame as a specific challenge.

Crystals career in voice acting is otherwise defined by his long-standing collaboration with Pixar, beginning with the role of Mike Wazowski in Monsters, Inc. in 2001. He reprised this character in the prequel Monsters University, the Disney+ streaming series Monsters at Work, and several short films. This body of work demonstrates his ability to bring high-energy comedic performances to animated characters, a skill he adapted for his performance in the anime medium.