A true “chameleon” in the film industry is an actor that can disappear into their work. However, a true monkey in the film industry is an actor that can disappear into their work and is also a huge cash cow. Or maybe that is just the modern industry legend, Crystal the Capuchin.
There is a lot of animal imagery going on here, but what you need to know is that Crystal is a certified movie star, and a rather lucrative one at that. Though you are likely to recognize Crystal from her decades-long,
illustrious film and TV career in hits like Night at the Museum
, here is the story behind the underrated celebrity, from her stage roots to her billions-making ongoing stint as a supporting lady on screen.
A Star Is Born
Crystal is a Tufted Capuchin monkey. Born on May 6, 1994, she is currently 30 years old. Her owner, now famed Hollywood animal trainer Tom Gunderson, originally bought her when she was just two on behalf of
Universal Studio’s Theme Park Animal Actors Stage Show
. Tom and Crystal then performed together in the show for the following eight years.
From the start, she was marked for greatness. Named after country star Crystal Gale, Crystal the monkey displayed a certain precocious and mature stage presence, and Gunderson knew she would make a perfect screen actress. To quote Benjamin Wallace of New York Magazine, “it was like she was born to perform.” Crystal was not averse to the distracting or triggering aspects of Animal Actors Stage Show that other animals were, like pyrotechnics or stuffed animals, making her extremely easy to work with.
It did not take long for Tom, her official owner and agent, to realize that Hollywood was calling. He answered the phone, and
Crystal’s film debut was in George of the Jungle
when she was still just a baby monkey. She was instantly a breakout star. Rave reviews hit the presses, with heavy hitters like USA Today calling her “Hollywood’s Hottest Monkey.”
Chimply the Best
Crystal has starred in more than 30 TV and film projects as of 2025, and she shows no signs of stopping. Yet, perhaps the most impressive factoid about Crystal’s career is that she holds a box office gross of over $2.5 billion for just five of those movies. Her range as an actress knows no bounds, from best-picture nominated films such as Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans as “Bennie the Monkey” to a supporting role on beloved sitcom Community as “Annie’s Boobs.”
The Hangover Part II, in which she plays a drug-dealing monkey, had the largest grossing weekend in comedy history at $178 million. She has worked with comedy’s best, from Kevin James in The Zookeeper to Ben Stiller in what may be her most recognizable work, the Night at the Museum Franchise as Dexter. Crystal has also been a part of other cultural staples, like Doctor Dolittle, American Pie, and We Bought a Zoo, in which she actually got to play a capuchin named Crystal!
As far as the small screen goes, you may have
seen her in the likes of The Big Bang Theory
, Malcolm in the Middle, or Animal Practice (where Crystal is finally a doctor, in a more serious turn). Due to her number of recognizable credits, Crystal has even made appearances at events like San Diego Comic Con. Joe Flint of the Los Angeles called Crystal “a veteran of movies and TV with an enviable IMDb credit list” and Wallace of New York Magazine, once more, said “her IMDb page is more hit-studded than most actors three times her age.”
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Don’t Forget the Critical Acclaim…
Crystal is also an award-winning actress. She was nominated for a Teen Choice Award nominee for “Female Scene Stealer” in The Hangover Part II.
She ultimately lost out to Ashley Greene
in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, but it is, of course, an honor to be nominated, and with no lines, no less! She won a lifetime achievement award at the Pawscars, the Oscars for animals, where she was officially dubbed “the Angelina Jolie of Animal Stars.”
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Still, all the accolades would count for little if it seemed like Crystal was a diva or somehow disagreeable to work with. The good news is it sounds like Crystal also has a heart of gold. She lives with Tom and a band of other animal friends in California, sleeping with Tom and his wife every night. While there have been some controversies, such as the late-great Robin Williams complaining about being peed on by Crystal, it seems that, generally, people have had positive experiences working with her.
Fellow actor Ken Jeong, who has collaborated
with Crystal on myriad projects, including Community, The Hangover Part II, and The Zookeeper, continues to enthusiastically sing Crystal’s praises, raving, “She’s amazing. She’s not a monkey, she’s an actor. And quite possibly the best actor I’ve worked with.”
