Bio
Richard Kind is an American actor best known for his sitcom roles as Dr. Mark Devanow in Mad About You (1992-1999) and as Paul Lassiter in Spin City, from 1996-2002.
Born in Trenton, New Jersey, and raised in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Kind was the oldest of two children in "a nice, middle-class household."
As a child he portrayed numerous roles in school plays. At Northwestern University he was a pre-law major and, upon graduation, was expected to go to law school.
However his dad's best friend urged him to give acting a try for a year, saying, "You'll kick yourself if you don't." This advice changed Kind's life.
He went to New York, where he struggled to make a living doing commercials, showcases, and waiting tables. After four years he moved to Chicago, where he worked with the Practical Theatre Company, founded by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Brad Hall, and Gary Kroeger.
He was hired by Second City, where he honed his comedic talents for four years in productions such as How Green Were My Values; John, Paul, Sartre and Ringo; and True Midwest; then relocated to Los Angeles, where he performed for Second City's L.A. troupe.
Over eight years in Los Angeles, Kind has performed in countless television shows, including stints as a series regular in Mad About You, Carol and Company, the ABC series Blue Skies, and A Whole New Ballgame, as well as UNSUB.
He has guest-starred on numerous television shows including Nowhere Man, The Commish, The Nanny, Anything But Love, Still Standing, Just Shoot Me!, Girlfriends, Scrubs, Curb Your Enthusiasm, E-Ring, Reba, Stargate Atlantis, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, All of Us, Kim Possible and Two and a Half Men.
Kind provided the voice of the character Molt in Disney's computer-animated film A Bug's Life, and appeared in the films Hacks, johns, Stargate, Mr. Saturday Night, and many others.
He also did the only voice ever attributed to Tom in the animated feature film, Tom and Jerry.
In recent years, Kind has returned to the stage, performing in The Big Knife and Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead at Williamstown Festival Theatre, Power Failure at Actor's Studio Free Theatre, and Once Upon A Lifetime at the Guthrie Theatre.
In 2012 he had a starring role in the HBO horse racing series Luck.
Kind is a passionate golfer. He resides in Los Angeles with his wife, Dana. Kind is good friends with George Clooney, who was the best man at his wedding. He is a cousin of Barbra Streisand.