The Adam Friedland Show Podcast

Episode: RICHARD KIND Talks Coen Brothers, Death, And George Clooney

Date: October 15, 2025
Guest: Richard Kind
Host: Adam Friedland

Episode Overview

In this lively and freewheeling episode, Adam Friedland sits down with beloved character actor Richard Kind for a conversation that swings from showbiz war stories and Second City improv insights to the realities of aging, the weirdness of being typecast, acting philosophy, and the deep bonds of friendship. With plenty of Jewish jokes, self-deprecating banter, and openhearted talk about life, death, and show business, it’s a candid exploration of what it means to live as an artist—and a mensch—in strange and changing times.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening Banter: Jewish Roles and Typecasting

• Richard Kind recounts how after “A Serious Man,” every “Jewish” role comes his way.

  "Since I did Serious Man, I get offered every Jewish role." – Richard Kind (00:02)

• Adam jokes about Hollywood’s habit of typecasting and pitches “the first Jew who died in the Holocaust.”
• Light-hearted back-and-forth on the absurdity and perils of industry stereotypes.

  "Isn't that just so offensive?" – Adam Friedland (00:05)
  "It's not that offensive. I don't blame them." – Richard Kind (00:09)

2. From Outsider to Establishment: Backgrounds Collide

• Adam offers a comedic, meta introduction, comparing his media outsider status to Kind’s long success in Hollywood and their perceived “divide.”
• Jokes about Kind’s Hollywood connections:

  "His best friend is George Clooney. And his second best friend is George Clooney's wife." – Adam Friedland (02:36)

• Both share Jewish roots and outsider feelings, setting up their rapport.

3. Dog Stories and Clooney Tales (05:15–12:10)

• Richard and Adam trade wild dog anecdotes, shifting to the infamous story of Clooney pranking Kind by blaming him for a dog poop incident (which they both decline to rehash in detail).
• Richard shares challenges of being a “friend of George Clooney” and how the press twists innocuous remarks:

  "My joke is that under special skills on my resume, I have 'friend of George Clooney.' People. More people ask about George than they ask about me." – Richard Kind (10:43) "Just recently, I was misquoted in New Yorker magazine...it was printed incorrectly." – Richard Kind (11:22)

• Playful escalation with Adam joking about wild political quotes attributed to Clooney.

4. Paths Not Taken: Law, Acting, and Making a Living (12:29–14:40)

• Both nearly pursued law before leaping into comedy/acting.
• Kind discusses the difficulty and serendipity in making acting pay:

  "...when you're 40, you're going to resent your wife and kids for having left your dream behind. So I tried it, and I actually wasn't any good, but I got away with it and I enjoyed it." – Richard Kind (13:04)

5. Jewish Camps, Early Romances, and Rom-Com Tropes

• Nostalgia for summer camps, tennis adventures, early kisses, and how TV shaped unrealistic expectations about relationships.

  "I would watch Seinfeld growing up, and I would see George with these elevens...It's a lie. It's on TV." – Adam Friedland (15:44)

6. Roots and Family: South African Jews and the Grandmas Who Stay

• Adam reveals his family’s South African Jewish background; Kind is planning a trip to Botswana and jokes about visiting Adam’s grandma.

  "All the grandmas stayed. All my parents. Generation of Jews left during apartheid. And then the grandmas are like, I'm not going anywhere." – Adam Friedland (17:17)

7. Mortality: The Will to Live Forever (18:29–20:46)

• Deep, moving story from Kind about helping an elderly neighbor, sparking reflections on aging and mortality:

  "So I want to live forever. I want to see my kids grow up...I love living. I am truly the guy who says I will sleep when I'm dead." – Richard Kind (19:12)

8. Acting and the Coen Brothers (21:32–25:22)

• Adam reminisces about “A Serious Man”:

  "One of my favorite roles of yours...you almost steal the entire movie...It's a serious man." – Adam Friedland (21:32)

• Kind shares process stories about working with the Coens:

  "I call myself the Smuckers of acting. With a face like this, I better be good. But I wasn't good for a long time. I pulled one over, and then I got good." – Richard Kind (22:25)

• Insights on how the Coens collaborate:

  "They write it together and they edit together...Joel does the directing for the actors...Ethan was a philosophy major." – Richard Kind (23:02)

9. Improv, Second City, and John Mulaney (26:04–28:23)

• Adam seeks acting wisdom; Kind downplays his improv chops:

  “Let me tell you something about my improvisation. I'm not as good as everybody thinks. I was never as good as anybody thinks.” – Richard Kind (26:22)

• Describes dynamic on talk shows—knowing when to jump in and let stars shine.

10. Acting Philosophy (29:12–30:33)

• Adam and Kind riff about observational skills and the essence of acting:

  “What is the most important thing in any scene?”
  “The other person.” – Richard Kind (30:30)
  “Exactly what I expected you to be.” – Adam Friedland (29:35)

11. Improv Skit: The Audacity of Hope (33:06–39:07)

• The duo read a tongue-in-cheek script for a fictional Barack Obama biopic, featuring ghosts, magic surfboards, and George Washington's apology for slavery.
• Hilarious, absurdist faux-audition features Kind’s comic timing; Hulu producers supposedly watch from the wings.
• Sample:

  “Listen, Obama, sometimes. Sometimes you gotta have hope. The audacity of hope.” – Richard Kind as George Washington (37:46)

12. Character Actor Life and the Paris, Texas Question (39:13–42:07)

• Adam asks if Kind dreams of a leading-man “character actor showcase.”
• Kind explains economic realities—he’s starred in indies and theater, but big movies need marquee stars:

  “When George Clooney says yes to a movie, an industry opens...When I do the lead in a movie, it's $500,000 movie...and nobody sees it.” (40:17–41:34)

13. Pixar, Comedy Institutions, and the Joys of Showbiz Friends (43:14–45:00)

• Kind waxes about his admiration for Pixar (now under Disney), his friendship with Pete Docter and family, and the National Comedy Institute—a must-visit for comedy aficionados.
• Riffs on memorabilia (Caroline’s desk, George Carlin’s archives).

14. Origin of Caroline’s Comedy Club (46:05–49:00)

• Kind tells of his days as a singing waiter, how Caroline Hirsch launched the legendary club, and how it transformed from musical to strictly comedy.

15. On Stand-Up and “Anything for a Gig” (49:00–51:35)

• Kind admits he’s never done stand-up, reveals a couple self-deprecating jokes:

  "My wife was raised Episcopalian. And then she married me and converted to antisemitism." (50:21) "My grandmother once told my family that she would rather die than go into an old age home...and today we shot her." (50:44)

16. Serious Man, Jewish Roles, and Stereotypes Redux (51:47–53:06)

• Kind reflects on turning down “overtly Jewish” roles post–A Serious Man, while accepting subtler characterizations.

  "If the role wears its Judaism on its sleeve, like playing a rabbi or speaking Yiddish...I will turn it down." – Richard Kind (52:06)

17. Two Jews in Afghanistan and the Comedy of Hate (53:36–56:20)

• Adam tells the story of the only two Jews left in Afghanistan, whose mutual hatred got them released from Taliban prison—Kind nominates it as a movie idea, tying it to the creative force of antagonism in partnerships like Chandler and Wilder.

18. Closing: Ancestry, the Passing of Time, and Grandma Jokes (56:30–58:30)

• The episode closes with Adam and Kind riffing about family, Kind’s offer to “hook up” with Adam’s grandmother, absurd accolades for “Esther,” and bittersweet jokes about mortality and aging.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On being typecast:

  "Since I did Serious Man, I get offered every Jewish role." – Richard Kind (00:02)

• On George Clooney and public scrutiny:

  "My joke is that under special skills...I have friend of George Clooney." – Richard Kind (10:43)

• On acting and opportunity:

  "With a face like this, I better be good. But I wasn't good for a long time. I pulled one over, and then I got good." – Richard Kind (22:25)

• On mortality:

  "I want to live forever. I want to see my kids grow up. I want to see every good movie that's coming out...I love living." – Richard Kind (19:12)

• On acting philosophy:

  "The most important thing in any scene...the other person." – Richard Kind (30:30)

• On stand-up comedy:

  "My wife was raised Episcopalian. And then she married me and converted to antisemitism." – Richard Kind (50:21)

• On Hollywood economics:

  "When George Clooney says yes to a movie, an industry opens...When I do the lead in a movie...nobody sees it." – Richard Kind (40:17)

Key Timestamps

• 00:02: Opening jest on being typecast
• 05:15: Dog stories, late arrivals, and Clooney anecdotes
• 12:29: Paths not taken—law vs. showbiz
• 15:44: TV vs. reality in romance and dating
• 18:29: Mortality and the will to live
• 21:32: “A Serious Man” and Coen Brothers process
• 26:04: Improv realities and John Mulaney show
• 29:12–30:33: Acting philosophy: the importance of the other
• 33:06–39:07: Silly script reading—“The Audacity of Hope”
• 39:13–42:07: Being a character actor & dreams of leading roles
• 43:14–45:00: Pixar, Pete Docter, and the National Comedy Institute
• 46:05–49:00: Origin of Caroline’s comedy club
• 49:00–51:35: Stand-up jokes and gig economy honesty
• 53:36–56:20: Two Jews in Afghanistan—creative hate and movies
• 56:30–58:30: Ancestry, old age, and joking about mortality

Tone & Atmosphere

Fast, funny, and somewhat chaotic, the conversation cycles between absurdity, heartfelt reminiscence, and industry insight. Kind’s warmth and willingness to poke fun at himself balances Adam’s irreverent, sometimes edgy sense of humor. The two find surprising depth in their mutual outsider-turned-insider status.

Conclusion

This episode is a testament to the power of conversation across generational, cultural, and stylistic divides. Richard Kind brings both gravitas and comic energy, revealing an actor’s insecurity and drive, and the fine line between humor and heartache in an unpredictable world. Whether talking Coen Brothers or grandma’s new hip, Kind and Friedland offer listeners an intimate, rollicking visit with two artists at wildly different but unexpectedly similar points on the journey.