Richard Kind is at the peak of his career, and he is thankful for every minute of it. In a recent interview with Variety, the veteran performer talked about his recent string of high-profile appearances, which included recurring roles in “Only Murders in the Building,” “Mid-Century Modern,” and “Night Court,” and as announcer on “Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney.”
Mulaney, Kind said, described him as being “both 1940 and 2025 at the same time.”
“I think that that’s what I do for him,” Kind explained. “He is so of today. He has musical taste and cultural references that I don’t know what the hell he’s talking about. But I would follow him anywhere. I trust him.”
He added that he is working “as much as [he] ever did,” he just happens to be doing more frequently in living rooms than on stage, so more people are noticing.
“Really the thing is, and this is a stupid thing to say because a producer might read this, but I like acting more than I like money,” Kind said. “I love acting in front of an audience, but I just like going to work and playing pretend. I’m the luckiest guy. It’s a happy life.”
Last year, Kind told Vulture he will accept 93 percent of job offers.
“Something’s got to be wrong if I turn it down,” he explained. “I might be a little unseemly or unsavory. But it may also be, ‘I’m sorry, it’s parents’ weekend at my daughter’s school.’ That’s the reason I won’t do it, but I’d like to.”
Kind said in the Variety interview that shows with live audiences are his favorite assignments.
“Set-up, punch, set-up, punch. The audience tells you it’s funny. And it’s outright funny. That’s old school,” he said. “I’ve been on the planet a long time, and it’s hard to change an old dog. But I’m doing it! I’m changing!”
Last year, Kind played himself in an episode of the Netflix comedy “Girls5Eva,” in which he self-described himself as a “medium time” actor — or a performer that is always working, but is never too high on the call sheet. Kind subscribes to the same career philosophy in real life, too.
“When you look at George Clooney or Brad Pitt, these are people whose careers are based on how successful their most recent box office is,” he told Vulture in 2024. “They have a monetary responsibility. It’s unheard of. Other than politicians, these people affect people’s lives. I affect nobody’s life. When I think of ‘the medium time,’ I think of a show called ‘The Garry Moore Show.’ It was very popular in its day. It made Carol Burnett a star. Garry Moore used to say — and this is back when there were 120 shows on the air and there were only three networks — ‘You should always want to be about number 25, because you know you’re going to get picked up, but you’re not important enough for the suits to come down and check on you.’ I understand the sentiment.”
