TheOnly Murdersguest star loves saying yes to roles.
What else am I going to do on a Tuesday?
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I cant believe that you thought I killed your friend, he offers afterward.
I cant even kill this moderate-to-severe case of bacterial conjunctivitis.
I have a huge ego with no confidence, he explains.
I know where I stand in the business.
Ill never go out and venture to play Brick inCat on a Hot Tin Roof.Its not in my makeup.
Kind considers himself to be a blank slate when it comes to fielding casting offers, though.
Hes even learned how to keep up with the demand.
Did you ever take an art-history course?
Thats what a script is like for me.
You study and you know it so well, then you go home that night and its gone.
I still cant believe it.
All I remember is saying to myself,You are the straight man.
Things are happening to you.
I had to work hard not to make a run at invade their funniness.
But yes, the punch was a blast in fact, the stunt man was quite taken.
Ive taken boxing, but I had to have a short jab.
More than being funny, I wanted to be masculine.
All that while suffering from antibiotic-resistantpink eye.Ill tell you something else about that scene.
Steve did a movie calledThe Man With Two Brains.
He played a character named Dr. Hfuhruhurr.
His pronunciation is so specific.
Hes making it up, 40 years later, and hes pulling up 1980 Steve Martin.
He was the old Steve Martin again.
He doesnt playThe Jerk, he doesnt playThe Man With Two Brainsanymore.
Hes silly, but hes not silly stupid.
And this one was silly stupid.
How many spit takes did you have to endure?Oh my God, those things take five hours.
We had to get it exactly right.
Steve and Eugene are very specific about all that stuff.
Steve calls John Hoffman, the executive producer, every night to talk.
Steve can sometimes get down on himself.
Hes an insecure performer whos brilliant and works very hard to be great.
My hands look exactly like when he used to go, Well, excuse me.
But the words that came out were, Im shy too.
The hands and the extended vowels were all from the library of Steve Martin.
Show people are the best.
They want to have a good time.
Its great to be around them.
When I was doingEverybodys in L.A., I never thought I was any good.
I go, Did I do okay?
Now, Vulture loves me.You all said,Every show needs Richard Kind.Ill always remember that.
I never thought I was any good.
Why did you think that?The thing I did best on that show was keep my mouth shut.
There were so many times when I wanted to say something but thought,This is Johns show.
I wanted to ask five more and I didnt.
Why did I think I didnt do well?
We used to come in at 2:30 p.m. to get made up and do a run-through of the episode.
They want me to come in late because they really have nothing for me.I was wrong.
I had more to do that day than I did any other day.
But my insecurity is such that I thought I was cut.
I want to shine.
You get in this business because you want to hear the applause and you want compliments.
On this I thought,This is Johns show and Im here to support.I didnt care about shining.
I wanted to do well for John.
What more could I have done?How could I have made this show better?
Thats why I never knew if I did a good job, because I wasnt doing it for me.
Not, Was I any good?Did I do the right job for you?
In Johns monologue and he never used this again he said, Were only doing six shows and out.
Even if we get moon-landing ratings, this is six shows and out.
I thought,Great, okay.It was wonderful, chaotic, interesting, and fantastic.
And then he said, Well, we might be doing it again.
And I go, John, what?
And he goes, Yeah?
I wont be insulted, I promise.
And he goes, Why wouldnt you be insulted?
Id be very insulted.
Of course youre coming.
Id love to do Chicago.
Id love to do San Francisco.
Id love to do New York.
Let it be a triptych.
I dont know where it is.
I didnt press him and I didnt ask him, so dont ask me.
But wouldnt that be wonderful?
Whats your standard for accepting roles at this point in your career?
Has it changed over the years?The most important thing is they have to ask me.
I recently did such a low-budget movie there were five people on the crew.
The director was the one doing the clapboard.
Why do I do it?
I really love acting.
What else am I going to do on a Tuesday and a Wednesday?
I could go play golf, but Ive already got a lot of golf.
This film had a sweet part and I helped out a guy who probably spent his last dime.
He said he edits car commercials, but he wants to write and direct and act.
So I said, Yeah, okay, Ill do it.
It took me two days out of my life.
I got to act.
So thats one reason.
The big reason is I have three children in college.
I will whore myself because I have to pay for their college.
You have to understand, Im a character actor.
Im friends with a lot of people whose shoulders carry tentpole films.
The obvious oneis George Clooney.
Theres a lot of pressure on that guy.
Me, Ive got no pressure.
People say, Why do you take that?
Didnt you know it was terrible?
I took it because its not on my shoulders.
Im an actor for hire.
Thats what I do.
Ill pretty much take 93 percent of jobs.
How do you determine the 7 percent?Somethings got to be wrong if I turn it down.
I might be a little unseemly or unsavory.
But it may also be, Im sorry, its parents weekend at my daughters school.
Thats the reason I wont do it, but Id like to.
They have a monetary responsibility.
Other than politicians, these people affect peoples lives.
I affect nobodys life.
When I think of the medium time, I think of a show calledThe Garry Moore Show.
It was very popular in its day.
It made Carol Burnett a star.
I understand the sentiment.
Is that saying I want mediocrity?
I dont think so.
I have a modicum of fame for the stage.
People will say, Oh, I recognize him.
Ill go see him.
I cant bring millions to a movie theater, but I can bring tens of hundreds to a theater.
Movies and TV are big gambles.
Did you see a show calledEast New York?
It was canceled after a year on CBS.I can tell you why it was canceled.
So, do you go to HBO Max or Paramount+ when you stream it?
We were caught in between, they couldnt come to terms, and they got selfish.
But CBS took a chance on me someone known for comedy and gave me a very nice dramatic role.
I wasnt there for laughs.
It wasnt heavy, although some of my scenes were.
Thats why I was so upset.
I was given a chance to stretch.
I usually take something that allows me to stretch.
Eugene serves as the actor counterpart for Steves character and Zach Galifianakis has the same duty for Martin Short.
I can see the doppelgang-ing.My daughter went to school in the Upper West Side.
He sees me look at him and nods to me, so he obviously recognized me.
And he goes, Why?
And I go, Because I wanted to be the most famous father in the class.
