What Monkey Plays Driggs In Bad Monkey & Where You’ve Seen Her Before (Was She Really In POTC?) (2024)

Warning: Very minor spoilers ahead for Bad Monkey's double-episode premiere.

Bad Monkey's titular capuchin will be very familiar to TV and movie fans through the years, as she's appeared in a great many projects. A character in the show suggests Driggs was one of Johnny Depp's co-stars in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, but the monkey's new owner seems uncertain whether that is indeed the case. The smallest, furriest member of the Bad Monkey cast is incredibly experienced in the real world, so the in-show theory could realistically be true. Unfortunately, the claim isn't ratified in the show, but it can be settled in reality.

With its intriguing premise and dark sense of humor, Bad Monkey has the chance to become one of the best shows on Apple TV+. The quirky character interactions are bolstered perfectly by Driggs' presence. The monkey may not be in every scene, but he certainly captures the eye when he's in the shot. Well-trained and a consummate professional, the animal actor playing Driggs is an established Hollywood star.

Crystal The Monkey Has Been In Over 30 Movies & TV Shows Since 1997

George of the Jungle gave Crystal her acting debut

Despite Driggs being male, he is played by a female monkey named Crystal. The well-traveled primate started her acting career in 1997 with an uncredited appearance in Brendan Fraser's George of the Jungle. Since then, Crystal has gone on to star in other enormous movies such as 1999's American Pie, as well as being cast in the Hangover franchise and all three Night at the Museum movies. In terms of TV shows, Crystal has popped up in sitcoms like Malcolm in the Middle and Community.

Within the universe of Bad Monkey, it's implied that Crystal's character was left behind after one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, with his new home becoming the Bahamas. While it's true that parts of the POTC movies were shot on location in the Bahamas, Crystal's many credits don't include this particular franchise. So, while it's still possible that Driggs shared the screen with Captain Jack Sparrow within the world of Bad Monkey, Crystal did not.

Bad Monkey Is Only Crystal The Monkey's 6th TV Show

Crystal usually appears in movies instead

Most of Crystal's acting history has taken place on the big screen. Compared to the amount of movies she has appeared in, her TV credits are in incredibly short supply. In fact, Bad Monkey is just Crystal's sixth TV show in which she has starred. As well as the two mentioned earlier, Crystal's other three TV shows are The Big Bang Theory, Animal Practice, and I Know This Much is True. The latter on this list was Crystal's most recent TV role before Bad Monkey, appearing in two episodes back in 2020.

Before being cast as Driggs, Crystal hadn't been part of a TV cast since 2013, when she played the hilariously named "Annie's Boobs" in her seventh and final episode of Community. However, that doesn't mean she hasn't been busy. During that time, she appeared in 10 different projects, one of which was an MCU short called All Hail the King the year after her Community exit. Her career's immediate future beyond Bad Monkey is unclear, but with her set to appear in almost every episode of the Apple TV+ show, there's evidence she's still in demand.

Bad Monkey's Monkey Actor Is 30 Years Old

Crystal could still live at least another 10 years

At three decades old, Crystal is older than some of her human Bad Monkey co-stars. According to LA Zoo "A capuchin’s lifespan in the wild is 15 to 25 years." So, Crystal has already lived at least five years longer than some of her wild counterparts. Interestingly, LA Zoo also says that in human care, a capuchin monkey can live for 40 years or more. Crystal's status as a TV and movie actor firmly places her in the latter category, meaning she could only be roughly three-quarters of the way through her projected lifespan.

It's not often that a monkey becomes so famous for so long in show business, and her long life has contributed to her ongoing presence in the public eye through the decades. There's perhaps only the monkey from Friends who is more famous - and even Marcel was played by two separate capuchins. It's currently unknown if Bad Monkey will return for a second season. Despite being a limited series, it is possible, as several limited series have now become longer-running shows. If Bad Monkey season 2 does happen, Crystal's legend could grow even more.

Source: LA Zoo

8/10

Bad Monkey

TV-MA

Comedy

Crime

A former Miami detective turned health inspector, Andrew Yancy, discovers a severed arm while working in the Florida Keys. Determined to solve the mystery and reclaim his former position, he navigates through a web of quirky locals and corruption, all while dealing with a troublesome monkey.

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*Availability in US

Cast

Vince Vaughn , Natalie Martinez , Alex Moffat , Ronald Peet , John Ortiz , Tom Nowicki , David St. Louis , L. Scott Caldwell

Release Date

August 13, 2024

Seasons

1

Creator(s)

Bill Lawrence