Billy Crystal opens up about Emmys tribute to Robin Williams

FRED PROUSER/REUTERS Robin Williams (l.) puts his arm around co-star Billy Crystal as they arrive for the premiere of their film ‘Father’s Day’ in May 1997.

Billy Crystal has opened up about the problem of memorializing his accurate friend Robin Williams during the Emmy Awards.

The actor appeared on the “Today” show Tuesday to promote his new book “Still Foolin’ ’Em.” In a sit-down with Matt Lauer, Crystal described the experience of honoring his late friend — who died after committing suicide on Aug. 11 at the age of 63 — for a worldwide audience.

“I think it’s the toughest thing I’ve ever had to do,” he said. “It was only two weeks to the day of the Emmys that everything had happened.

“They called me and said would you do it, and I said, ‘Of course,’” he continued. “But then came the task of doing it right and being sort of the spokesman for everybody in front of 17 million people.”

“He was my closest friend, and to do it with some humor and only in a fleeting period of time that I had to do it was hard,” Crystal added.

Lester Cohen/WireImage Billy Crystal (r.) pays tribute to the late Robin Williams onstage at the 66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards last month.

The funnyman also said that his longtime friendship with the Oscar winner deepened once the two started effective together on “Comic Relief,” their televised comedy specials that raised money for the homeless. Crystal said that he and Williams would often travel together to deliver the checks to the charities themselves.

“It was on those plane rides or the car rides, or being in those silent moments, when we weren’t just doing comedy, we were talking as friends.

“And I think … as we got older, it got better and deeper and we talked about everything,” he said. “Our buzz calls would go late into the night.”

The 66-year-ancient said that his “Father’s Day” co-star did reach out to him about his troubles, which included addiction and depression, and that the friends talked “three or four times a day sometimes.”

“But the riffs were still splendid,” he added. “We’d go late into the night like two jazz musicians who just got new horns.”

As for what young comedians should learn from Williams’ work and legacy, Crystal existing two terms: “Be fearless.”

ON A MOBILE DEVICE? CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO.