WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.759 Welcome to the Deep Dive. We take a whole stack 00:00:02.759 --> 00:00:05.679 of sources and, well, pull out the essential 00:00:05.679 --> 00:00:07.519 stuff you need to know so you can sound informed. 00:00:07.759 --> 00:00:09.839 And maybe drop a really surprising fact or two. 00:00:09.939 --> 00:00:12.859 Exactly. Today, we're talking about an actor 00:00:12.859 --> 00:00:16.739 whose face, you know. Instantly. Whose voice, 00:00:16.859 --> 00:00:18.679 I mean, it's everywhere, especially in animation. 00:00:19.179 --> 00:00:22.260 But his actual professional range, his ubiquity, 00:00:22.300 --> 00:00:25.760 it's just wildly underappreciated. We're talking 00:00:25.760 --> 00:00:28.059 about Richard Bruce Kind. It's so true. And our 00:00:28.059 --> 00:00:30.640 mission today really is to give him his due. 00:00:30.960 --> 00:00:34.719 He is, you could argue, the quintessential modern 00:00:34.719 --> 00:00:37.200 character actor. Absolutely. I mean, think about 00:00:37.200 --> 00:00:39.359 it. This is a guy whose career goes from the 00:00:39.359 --> 00:00:42.939 sharp political satire of Spin City all the way 00:00:42.939 --> 00:00:45.539 to the emotional core of a Pixar classic. And 00:00:45.539 --> 00:00:47.979 then throws in a Tony -nominated dramatic performance 00:00:47.979 --> 00:00:50.619 on Broadway. Right. And a major role in a Coen 00:00:50.619 --> 00:00:53.439 Brothers film. It's a lot. It really is. When 00:00:53.439 --> 00:00:56.119 you just start listing the roles. Dr. Mark Devenow 00:00:56.119 --> 00:00:59.020 on Mad About You. Classic. The wonderfully paranoid 00:00:59.020 --> 00:01:00.799 Paul Assiter on Spin City. Oh, he's fantastic. 00:01:01.259 --> 00:01:04.239 And then, yeah, Bing Bong, Inside Out, just heartbreaking. 00:01:04.540 --> 00:01:08.239 The range alone is staggering. So our conversation 00:01:08.239 --> 00:01:10.659 today is designed to give you, the listener, 00:01:11.079 --> 00:01:13.519 A shortcut. A way to understand not just what 00:01:13.519 --> 00:01:15.719 he's done, but how it all connects. Yeah, the 00:01:15.719 --> 00:01:18.500 improv roots, the stage discipline, how that 00:01:18.500 --> 00:01:21.719 feeds into the film and TV work. It really defines 00:01:21.719 --> 00:01:25.359 this career of, honestly, almost unmatched professional 00:01:25.359 --> 00:01:28.040 stability. Okay, let's unpack this, starting 00:01:28.040 --> 00:01:30.540 right at the beginning, his foundations. Okay, 00:01:30.560 --> 00:01:35.840 so Richard Kind, born November 20, 1956, Trenton, 00:01:35.840 --> 00:01:38.909 New Jersey. Okay. Seems like a fairly typical 00:01:38.909 --> 00:01:40.930 upbringing, though they did move around a bit. 00:01:41.030 --> 00:01:43.109 He moved with his family. He has a younger sister, 00:01:43.329 --> 00:01:45.269 Joanne to Yardley, Pennsylvania. That was when 00:01:45.269 --> 00:01:47.530 he was in fourth grade. Right, Yardley. And we 00:01:47.530 --> 00:01:49.090 know a bit about his parents, too, which gives 00:01:49.090 --> 00:01:51.290 some context. Yeah, his mother, Alice, she was 00:01:51.290 --> 00:01:54.230 a homemaker. And his father, Samuel Kind, he 00:01:54.230 --> 00:01:56.549 was a jeweler. Actually owned a well -known store, 00:01:56.790 --> 00:01:59.489 LeVake's Jewelry, over in Princeton. A jeweler. 00:01:59.629 --> 00:02:01.989 That's interesting. Sort of a stable, grounded 00:02:01.989 --> 00:02:04.049 background, completely outside the acting world 00:02:04.049 --> 00:02:07.549 he'd eventually jump into. Exactly. That parental 00:02:07.549 --> 00:02:10.289 stability is sort of the backdrop. But then if 00:02:10.289 --> 00:02:12.569 you dig into his ancestry, you find this really 00:02:12.569 --> 00:02:15.169 fascinating kind of heavy historical detail. 00:02:15.270 --> 00:02:18.310 Yeah. The sources confirm his family is of Russian 00:02:18.310 --> 00:02:21.389 Jewish origin. His ancestors came from the pale 00:02:21.389 --> 00:02:24.030 of settlement. Wow. Which, you know, ties him 00:02:24.030 --> 00:02:26.530 into that whole long history of American performers 00:02:26.530 --> 00:02:29.750 whose families came seeking opportunity, often 00:02:29.750 --> 00:02:32.349 escaping restriction or persecution. That definitely 00:02:32.349 --> 00:02:34.090 adds some historical weight right away. Yeah. 00:02:34.110 --> 00:02:35.969 But you mentioned a specific detail. Something 00:02:35.969 --> 00:02:39.229 about an ancestor. Yes. His great -grandfather, 00:02:39.330 --> 00:02:43.110 Hyman Burson. The story is, well, it's quite 00:02:43.110 --> 00:02:45.770 something. Go on. He immigrated, like so many, 00:02:45.889 --> 00:02:47.990 to the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Started 00:02:47.990 --> 00:02:51.069 out doing tough work, a peddler. Okay, the classic 00:02:51.069 --> 00:02:53.360 immigrant. story start. Right, but he actually 00:02:53.360 --> 00:02:55.319 managed to build something. He ended up running 00:02:55.319 --> 00:02:58.780 a crayon factory. A crayon factory? Yeah, running 00:02:58.780 --> 00:03:02.580 a crayon factory in like 1920s or 30s Manhattan. 00:03:02.759 --> 00:03:05.879 It's such a specific, almost whimsical detail, 00:03:06.120 --> 00:03:08.319 isn't it? Especially when you consider how his 00:03:08.319 --> 00:03:10.319 life ended. Okay, that sounds ominous. You said 00:03:10.319 --> 00:03:12.979 it contrasts sharply. It does, because the sources 00:03:12.979 --> 00:03:16.139 state it very plainly. Hyman Burson was murdered 00:03:16.139 --> 00:03:21.000 in 1933. Whoa. Yeah. So the great grandfather 00:03:21.000 --> 00:03:24.439 of the guy who voiced Bing Bong murdered in Depression 00:03:24.439 --> 00:03:27.340 era New York. It's just a really visceral reminder 00:03:27.340 --> 00:03:31.379 of the complex and sometimes violent histories 00:03:31.379 --> 00:03:33.340 that sit behind the biographies of performers 00:03:33.340 --> 00:03:36.219 we often see as purely comedic or lighthearted. 00:03:36.400 --> 00:03:38.879 Definitely grounds his family story in a much 00:03:38.879 --> 00:03:42.219 deeper, darker historical reality. Wow. OK, so 00:03:42.219 --> 00:03:45.240 that's some heavy foundational stuff. Let's shift 00:03:45.240 --> 00:03:47.919 gears a bit. How did he get onto the path towards 00:03:47.919 --> 00:03:50.360 performance? His education seems pretty key. 00:03:50.520 --> 00:03:52.580 Absolutely. He graduated from Pensbury High School, 00:03:52.620 --> 00:03:55.919 that's in Fairless Hills, back in 1974. And interestingly, 00:03:56.159 --> 00:03:58.020 another actor you might know, Robert Curtis Brown, 00:03:58.219 --> 00:04:01.300 was actually a classmate. Huh. Small world. And, 00:04:01.379 --> 00:04:03.520 you know, recognition came later, too. In 2022, 00:04:03.879 --> 00:04:05.900 Pensbury High inducted him into their Hall of 00:04:05.900 --> 00:04:08.240 Fame. He was in the very first class. Nice. So... 00:04:08.639 --> 00:04:10.800 The local community recognized his success too. 00:04:10.900 --> 00:04:13.080 Yeah, exactly. After high school, he went to 00:04:13.080 --> 00:04:15.599 Northwestern University, graduated in 78 with 00:04:15.599 --> 00:04:17.839 a BA. He was in a fraternity there, Sigma Alpha 00:04:17.839 --> 00:04:21.540 Epsilon. Northwestern, solid school. But was 00:04:21.540 --> 00:04:24.899 that the main training? Or was there something 00:04:24.899 --> 00:04:26.939 else? Well, that academic background was important, 00:04:27.100 --> 00:04:29.740 I'm sure. But the real proving ground, the place 00:04:29.740 --> 00:04:32.019 that seems absolutely fundamental to his entire 00:04:32.019 --> 00:04:35.220 approach, the Second City in Chicago. Ah, okay. 00:04:35.319 --> 00:04:37.660 That makes a lot of sense. That Second City training, 00:04:37.779 --> 00:04:40.339 you can just see it ripple through everything 00:04:40.339 --> 00:04:42.819 he does. The quick thinking, the adaptability, 00:04:43.259 --> 00:04:47.240 the commitment to the ensemble, finding the character 00:04:47.240 --> 00:04:49.779 fast. It all starts there. Right. He's listed 00:04:49.779 --> 00:04:52.959 as an active alumnus from 1978, basically, to 00:04:52.959 --> 00:04:55.079 the present day. Which tells you something, right? 00:04:55.420 --> 00:04:57.579 Improv isn't just something he did. It's part 00:04:57.579 --> 00:04:59.819 of his core professional identity. It taught 00:04:59.819 --> 00:05:02.360 him how to pivot. Probably essential when you're 00:05:02.360 --> 00:05:04.600 juggling multiple big roles at once. Totally. 00:05:04.639 --> 00:05:07.279 And that skill set led pretty directly to his 00:05:07.279 --> 00:05:10.019 first big TV exposure. He was an ensemble member 00:05:10.019 --> 00:05:12.519 on Carol Burnett's variety show, Carol and Company. 00:05:12.740 --> 00:05:14.439 Oh, I remember that. Short -lived, though, wasn't 00:05:14.439 --> 00:05:17.560 it? Yeah, 1990 to 91. But it got him noticed, 00:05:17.660 --> 00:05:19.980 put him on the network map, really. Set him up 00:05:19.980 --> 00:05:22.199 perfectly for that incredible run he had in the 00:05:22.199 --> 00:05:24.819 90s and early 2000s. Okay, let's talk about that 00:05:24.819 --> 00:05:27.259 run. Because his presence on the small screen, 00:05:27.420 --> 00:05:30.259 particularly in sitcoms, was just foundational. 00:05:30.339 --> 00:05:33.060 He achieved something pretty remarkable. Yeah, 00:05:33.139 --> 00:05:35.519 we really need to spend some time here. Because 00:05:35.519 --> 00:05:37.839 he wasn't just on sitcoms, he was a mainstay. 00:05:38.240 --> 00:05:41.199 And the truly exceptional thing, he managed to 00:05:41.199 --> 00:05:44.800 hold down major roles on two hit sitcoms on different 00:05:44.800 --> 00:05:47.560 networks at the same time for several years. 00:05:47.740 --> 00:05:50.040 Which is practically unheard of, the scheduling 00:05:50.040 --> 00:05:53.000 alone. Must have been insane. But beyond logistics, 00:05:53.279 --> 00:05:56.120 it's the fact that he nailed two quite different 00:05:56.120 --> 00:05:58.959 comedic personas simultaneously. That's the real 00:05:58.959 --> 00:06:01.019 achievement. Let's break him down. First, Dr. 00:06:01.180 --> 00:06:03.519 Mark Davinow on Mad About You. That started in 00:06:03.519 --> 00:06:06.500 92, ran until 99. And he came back for the revival 00:06:06.500 --> 00:06:09.970 in 2019, too. Right, Devena was, well, he was 00:06:09.970 --> 00:06:13.009 the quintessential anxious but ultimately good 00:06:13.009 --> 00:06:15.329 -hearted friend, wasn't he? That specific kind 00:06:15.329 --> 00:06:17.649 of New York upper -middle -class neurotic energy. 00:06:17.850 --> 00:06:20.509 Exactly. Always slightly frazzled, but lovable. 00:06:20.750 --> 00:06:22.550 And then while that's still going strong, in 00:06:22.550 --> 00:06:25.449 1996 he starts as Paul Lasseter on Spin City, 00:06:25.629 --> 00:06:28.310 running all the way to 2002. And Lasseter was 00:06:28.310 --> 00:06:30.930 a completely different beast. Oh yeah, not just 00:06:30.930 --> 00:06:34.209 neurotic, but deeply cynical, paranoid, often 00:06:34.209 --> 00:06:36.350 kind of sleazy. Always looking out for himself. 00:06:37.019 --> 00:06:39.779 As the mayoral press secretary. He was a source 00:06:39.779 --> 00:06:42.279 of so much comedic friction in that office. Yeah. 00:06:42.500 --> 00:06:44.759 Constantly undermining everyone. Physical comedy, 00:06:44.879 --> 00:06:47.879 too. Lots of it. And the genius, I think, is 00:06:47.879 --> 00:06:50.779 how distinct he kept them. Devan, you know, you 00:06:50.779 --> 00:06:53.560 related to his anxieties. Yeah. Lasseter. You 00:06:53.560 --> 00:06:55.720 laughed at his paranoia, but you probably wouldn't 00:06:55.720 --> 00:06:58.259 want him anywhere near your life. Right. He wasn't 00:06:58.259 --> 00:07:00.720 just playing Richard Kine. He created two fully 00:07:00.720 --> 00:07:03.540 formed different characters. Flipping that switch 00:07:03.540 --> 00:07:06.149 daily. That's where that Second City training 00:07:06.149 --> 00:07:09.209 really shows. Absolutely. And here's a key detail 00:07:09.209 --> 00:07:11.389 about Spin City that speaks volumes about him 00:07:11.389 --> 00:07:13.649 professionally. What's that? He and Michael Boatman, 00:07:13.769 --> 00:07:15.990 who played Carter. Great character, too. They 00:07:15.990 --> 00:07:18.050 were the only two actors who appeared in every 00:07:18.050 --> 00:07:20.730 single episode of the entire run. Wow. Every 00:07:20.730 --> 00:07:22.449 single one, even through the transition from 00:07:22.449 --> 00:07:24.709 Michael J. Fox to Charlie Sheen. Every single 00:07:24.709 --> 00:07:27.730 one. That's not just trivia, right? That tells 00:07:27.730 --> 00:07:30.889 you he was considered absolutely essential, indispensable 00:07:30.889 --> 00:07:33.670 to the show's core, no matter who the lead star 00:07:33.670 --> 00:07:37.110 was. That's incredible stability. Just rock solid. 00:07:37.329 --> 00:07:39.990 And beyond those two huge sitcoms, his connections 00:07:39.990 --> 00:07:43.449 to other top comedians continued. We have to 00:07:43.449 --> 00:07:45.709 talk about Larry David. Oh, yes. Cousin Andy 00:07:45.709 --> 00:07:48.149 on Curb Your Enthusiasm. A recurring role that 00:07:48.149 --> 00:07:51.180 spanned... What? Almost two decades. Eight episodes 00:07:51.180 --> 00:07:54.899 between 2002 and 2021, which is amazing longevity 00:07:54.899 --> 00:07:57.259 for Curb. And in that universe where everyone's 00:07:57.259 --> 00:07:59.920 basically awful in their own way. Kind's cousin 00:07:59.920 --> 00:08:02.920 Andy fits right in. Loud, invasive, demanding, 00:08:03.339 --> 00:08:05.930 often just... Completely tone deaf. He's the 00:08:05.930 --> 00:08:09.129 perfect foil for Leary's specific brand of simmering 00:08:09.129 --> 00:08:11.949 rage, isn't he? That awkward, annoying family 00:08:11.949 --> 00:08:14.649 energy cranked up to 11. He plays it perfectly. 00:08:14.790 --> 00:08:17.389 It's a very specific kind of aggressive, uncomfortable 00:08:17.389 --> 00:08:19.810 comedy. But it's not just the stable roles or 00:08:19.810 --> 00:08:22.129 the big comedy connections. His guest spots. 00:08:22.680 --> 00:08:24.480 I mean, the sheer variety is mind blowing. He 00:08:24.480 --> 00:08:26.480 pops up everywhere. He really is that actor casting 00:08:26.480 --> 00:08:28.379 directors call when they need someone to bring 00:08:28.379 --> 00:08:31.500 a specific, maybe unexpected layer, whether it's 00:08:31.500 --> 00:08:34.580 malice or pathos or just extreme quirkiness. 00:08:34.720 --> 00:08:37.080 Let's look at the drama first. Law and order. 00:08:37.419 --> 00:08:40.019 Criminal intent. Right, the episode Privilege. 00:08:40.240 --> 00:08:42.779 He played this wealthy philanthropist, seems 00:08:42.779 --> 00:08:45.399 like a pillar of the community. What? But he 00:08:45.399 --> 00:08:48.759 murders his sister -in -law and niece to prevent 00:08:48.759 --> 00:08:51.460 a scandal that would threaten his funding, his 00:08:51.460 --> 00:08:55.299 reputation, his good works. Wow. That's dark. 00:08:55.379 --> 00:08:58.899 Zero laughs there. None. Pure, dramatic commitment. 00:08:59.719 --> 00:09:02.480 playing deep, calculated villainy. It's a million 00:09:02.480 --> 00:09:04.639 miles away from Paul Lasseter. Even the Lasseter 00:09:04.639 --> 00:09:07.000 was cynical. This was cold. And he showed that 00:09:07.000 --> 00:09:09.059 kind of moral ambiguity elsewhere, too, right? 00:09:09.120 --> 00:09:11.279 In other procedurals. Yeah, he played a corrupt 00:09:11.279 --> 00:09:14.899 mayor in the season two finale of Leverage, two 00:09:14.899 --> 00:09:17.639 -parter, and then shifting genre slightly, the 00:09:17.639 --> 00:09:20.539 spy world, burn notice. He did three episodes 00:09:20.539 --> 00:09:23.240 in season four, played Marv, who was the former 00:09:23.240 --> 00:09:25.360 boss of Jesse, the spy who got burned. Oh, right. 00:09:25.460 --> 00:09:28.279 So again, that figure who's professionally competent, 00:09:28.519 --> 00:09:32.139 but... Morally flexible. Exactly. He excels at 00:09:32.139 --> 00:09:33.840 that. The guy who knows how the system works 00:09:33.840 --> 00:09:36.379 and maybe uses it to his advantage. He even brought 00:09:36.379 --> 00:09:39.620 his distinct flavor to sci -fi. You mentioned 00:09:39.620 --> 00:09:41.539 Stargate Atlantis. Yeah, Lucius will live in. 00:09:41.620 --> 00:09:44.360 Two episodes, Irresistible and Irresponsible. 00:09:44.460 --> 00:09:46.559 What was interesting about that? Well, he didn't 00:09:46.559 --> 00:09:49.750 suddenly become, you know. A stoic space hero, 00:09:49.850 --> 00:09:52.649 he used his trademark energy, his neurosis, but 00:09:52.649 --> 00:09:55.450 channeled it into being this comedic outsider. 00:09:55.789 --> 00:09:58.970 This sort of disruptive, slightly annoying character 00:09:58.970 --> 00:10:01.850 dropped into this very structured sci -fi world. 00:10:01.990 --> 00:10:05.330 It was a really smart use of his specific comedic 00:10:05.330 --> 00:10:07.769 skills within that genre. And more recently, 00:10:07.950 --> 00:10:10.149 he proved he could still anchor a network drama. 00:10:11.110 --> 00:10:14.399 East New York on CBS. Played police captain Stan 00:10:14.399 --> 00:10:17.360 Yanko. Solid role. The show itself only lasted 00:10:17.360 --> 00:10:20.340 one season. Got canceled in 2022. Okay. But it 00:10:20.340 --> 00:10:22.600 showed he's still absolutely seen as a dependable 00:10:22.600 --> 00:10:25.179 choice for serious ensemble work. Yeah. He can 00:10:25.179 --> 00:10:29.240 carry that weight. Okay, so drama. sci -fi procedurals. 00:10:29.240 --> 00:10:31.820 But let's swing back to pure comedy and quirk 00:10:31.820 --> 00:10:33.679 because that's often where he just shines. Oh, 00:10:33.700 --> 00:10:35.639 absolutely. You have to mention Harvey Korman 00:10:35.639 --> 00:10:38.320 in Scrubs. The hypochondriac. Yes. Constantly 00:10:38.320 --> 00:10:40.379 showing up at the hospital. And that great meta 00:10:40.379 --> 00:10:42.399 joke he delivered about sharing the name with 00:10:42.399 --> 00:10:44.480 Harvey Korman, the legendary comedian. What was 00:10:44.480 --> 00:10:46.639 it again? Something like, it doesn't get me as 00:10:46.639 --> 00:10:49.860 much action as you might think. Huh. Perfect. 00:10:50.259 --> 00:10:52.840 That kind of self -aware humor only works if 00:10:52.840 --> 00:10:54.919 you've got the comedic chops he has. Totally. 00:10:55.139 --> 00:10:58.519 Then there was Psych. He played Hugo, an astronomer 00:10:58.519 --> 00:11:00.440 who turns out to be a murderer. And the episode 00:11:00.440 --> 00:11:03.460 title was perfect. From the Earth to the Starbucks. 00:11:03.820 --> 00:11:05.639 Psych always had the best titles. And he fit 00:11:05.639 --> 00:11:08.080 right into super modern high concept stuff, too. 00:11:08.179 --> 00:11:10.779 Yeah. Like playing the GED instructor on Unbreakable 00:11:10.779 --> 00:11:12.679 Kimmy Schmidt. Right. He just slots in anywhere. 00:11:12.759 --> 00:11:15.259 The sheer number of these guest spots across 00:11:15.259 --> 00:11:18.200 every conceivable genre, it just shows he's not 00:11:18.200 --> 00:11:20.620 playing one type. He plays the essential character 00:11:20.620 --> 00:11:24.279 needed for that. specific story, whatever gets 00:11:24.279 --> 00:11:27.200 the plot moving or provides the right comedic 00:11:27.200 --> 00:11:29.820 or dramatic beat. And that consistency hasn't 00:11:29.820 --> 00:11:31.980 stopped. Look at his current work. Only Murders 00:11:31.980 --> 00:11:34.080 in the Building. Huge hit for Hulu. He plays 00:11:34.080 --> 00:11:36.139 Vince Fesh. Right. And he's really integrated 00:11:36.139 --> 00:11:38.980 into that core ensemble now. So much so that 00:11:38.980 --> 00:11:41.360 he was part of the cast that won the Screen Actors 00:11:41.360 --> 00:11:43.519 Guild Award for Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy 00:11:43.519 --> 00:11:46.700 Series just this year, 2025. That's fantastic. 00:11:47.120 --> 00:11:50.039 An Ensemble SAG Award is... Like the ultimate 00:11:50.039 --> 00:11:52.820 validation for a character actor, isn't it? Recognizing 00:11:52.820 --> 00:11:54.960 that contribution to the whole machine. Absolutely. 00:11:55.000 --> 00:11:57.120 And just to show he hasn't forgotten his comedy 00:11:57.120 --> 00:12:01.059 roots, last year, 2023, he popped up in Mel Brooks' 00:12:01.220 --> 00:12:03.840 History of the World Part 2. Playing who? St. 00:12:03.940 --> 00:12:06.960 Peter. Of course. Perfect casting. The man's 00:12:06.960 --> 00:12:10.970 TV resume is just, it's endless. Truly. OK, so 00:12:10.970 --> 00:12:13.450 if he's a titan of the small screen, his voice 00:12:13.450 --> 00:12:15.110 work. I mean, you could argue he's the voice 00:12:15.110 --> 00:12:17.029 of a whole generation of animated movies. We 00:12:17.029 --> 00:12:18.990 need to talk about Disney Pixar. Oh, definitely. 00:12:19.110 --> 00:12:21.129 For a lot of people, especially younger audiences, 00:12:21.370 --> 00:12:23.649 his voice is probably the most recognizable part 00:12:23.649 --> 00:12:26.070 of his career. And it shows that same incredible 00:12:26.070 --> 00:12:28.929 range. His Pixar connection goes way, way back. 00:12:29.070 --> 00:12:31.669 The Bug's Life, right? 1998. Yep. He was Malt, 00:12:31.809 --> 00:12:35.230 the nervous, kind of easily flustered grasshopper 00:12:35.230 --> 00:12:37.149 in the circus troupe. Perfect voice for that. 00:12:37.480 --> 00:12:39.240 And he carried that kind of energy over to the 00:12:39.240 --> 00:12:41.940 Cars movies, too. Voiced Van, the minivan who's 00:12:41.940 --> 00:12:44.159 always getting lost or stressed out. In the first 00:12:44.159 --> 00:12:48.039 two films, 2006 and 2011. And a smaller role, 00:12:48.259 --> 00:12:52.360 but memorable, Bookworm in Toy Story 3. Right. 00:12:52.399 --> 00:12:55.039 Those are great examples of him using that natural, 00:12:55.080 --> 00:12:57.779 high energy, slightly anxious delivery for reliable 00:12:57.779 --> 00:13:00.159 comic relief. Classic Richard Kind territory. 00:13:00.480 --> 00:13:03.059 But then there's the one role that just exists 00:13:03.059 --> 00:13:05.529 on a completely different plane. emotionally, 00:13:05.669 --> 00:13:08.230 culturally. Bing Bong. Bing Bong. Inside Out. 00:13:08.470 --> 00:13:11.970 2015. Riley's imaginary friend. Yeah, this one, 00:13:12.009 --> 00:13:14.929 it needs its own discussion because it's not 00:13:14.929 --> 00:13:16.950 just a voice performance. It's the heart of that 00:13:16.950 --> 00:13:19.269 movie. He is the embodiment of childhood innocence, 00:13:19.470 --> 00:13:22.309 of fading memories, of letting go. Exactly. The 00:13:22.309 --> 00:13:25.169 sources really hammer this home. Bing Bong was 00:13:25.169 --> 00:13:28.039 the emotional core. And the reason it hit so 00:13:28.039 --> 00:13:30.259 hard, why it resonated so deeply with audiences, 00:13:30.340 --> 00:13:33.659 is because Kind managed to infuse this fluffy 00:13:33.659 --> 00:13:36.759 pink whatever he was. Part cat, part elephant, 00:13:36.860 --> 00:13:38.879 part dolphin. Made of cotton candy. Right. He 00:13:38.879 --> 00:13:41.539 infused that creature with just immense selfless 00:13:41.539 --> 00:13:43.860 pathos. You hear the joy in his voice, the hope, 00:13:43.879 --> 00:13:46.899 the nostalgia, and then ultimately the heartbreak. 00:13:47.100 --> 00:13:49.259 He had to completely suppress his usual manic 00:13:49.259 --> 00:13:51.899 energy for that role. Find this incredibly sweet, 00:13:51.940 --> 00:13:54.679 almost tragic innocence. And that final scene. 00:13:55.080 --> 00:13:58.259 Take her to the moon for me. It's one of the 00:13:58.259 --> 00:14:00.679 most famous, most devastating moments in modern 00:14:00.679 --> 00:14:04.139 animation. Maybe cinema. Period. It's just unbelievable 00:14:04.139 --> 00:14:07.159 that the same actor who played the cynical, scheming 00:14:07.159 --> 00:14:09.960 Paul Lasseter could deliver that voice performance, 00:14:10.159 --> 00:14:13.340 making millions weep over an imaginary friend. 00:14:13.539 --> 00:14:16.799 That vocal shift alone is just, it's a masterclass. 00:14:17.000 --> 00:14:19.299 It really is. And moving beyond Pixar, he's got 00:14:19.299 --> 00:14:21.860 incredible staying power in animated TV too, 00:14:22.000 --> 00:14:24.779 often voicing characters that blend that cynicism 00:14:24.779 --> 00:14:27.460 with absurdity. Like Gone American Dad. He's 00:14:27.460 --> 00:14:29.879 been voicing Al Tuttle since 2005. Still going. 00:14:30.039 --> 00:14:33.000 Tuttle, the neighbor. That sort of dry, middle 00:14:33.000 --> 00:14:35.460 -aged, suburban weirdness. And then for a totally 00:14:35.460 --> 00:14:38.340 different vibe, the adult animation world. Yeah. 00:14:38.399 --> 00:14:40.759 Big mouth on Netflix. Marty Globerman, Andrew's 00:14:40.759 --> 00:14:43.480 dad. Scheduled to run through 2025. And Globerman 00:14:43.480 --> 00:14:46.320 is, well, he's a lot. Rich, often completely 00:14:46.320 --> 00:14:48.799 oblivious. A whole other layer of comedic neurosis. 00:14:49.240 --> 00:14:51.460 Very different from Tuttle. He's even done villains 00:14:51.460 --> 00:14:54.159 effectively. Frugal Luker and Kim Possible. Oh, 00:14:54.179 --> 00:14:57.320 yeah. The greedy fast food mogul. See? He can 00:14:57.320 --> 00:14:59.259 use that voice for avarice just as easily as 00:14:59.259 --> 00:15:01.879 for heartwarming sacrifice. It's remarkably flexible. 00:15:02.179 --> 00:15:05.120 And animals. He seems to voice a lot of animals. 00:15:05.240 --> 00:15:07.299 He really does. Pongo and Oswald, that was a 00:15:07.299 --> 00:15:09.500 kid's show back in the early 2000s. Roger the 00:15:09.500 --> 00:15:11.700 Alligator and the Penguins of Madagascar. He 00:15:11.700 --> 00:15:13.460 was in quite a few of those. With amazing episode 00:15:13.460 --> 00:15:16.919 titles like Haunted Habitat and April Fool. Can't 00:15:16.919 --> 00:15:19.379 forget Larry the Anaconda in the Wild. And way 00:15:19.379 --> 00:15:22.460 back, he was Tom in Tom and Jerry, the movie. 00:15:22.970 --> 00:15:25.289 Even recent, more niche stuff keeps him in the 00:15:25.289 --> 00:15:28.289 game, like voicing a dupler on Star Trek. Lower 00:15:28.289 --> 00:15:31.610 Decks. His voice is just everywhere. And not 00:15:31.610 --> 00:15:34.190 just in character roles, it's a commodity. Right. 00:15:34.289 --> 00:15:37.289 He narrated Disney's Go Baby. And commercials. 00:15:37.370 --> 00:15:39.830 He was the spokesman for Encore Frozen Foods 00:15:39.830 --> 00:15:41.889 for a while. Lending that friendly, familiar 00:15:41.889 --> 00:15:44.919 voice to... You know, frozen lasagna. And more 00:15:44.919 --> 00:15:47.960 recently, in 2021, he narrated commercials for 00:15:47.960 --> 00:15:50.340 Freestyle Libre, the glucose monitoring device. 00:15:50.620 --> 00:15:53.360 So his voice carries this inherent sense of familiarity, 00:15:53.820 --> 00:15:56.879 maybe even trust. It's instantly recognizable. 00:15:57.259 --> 00:15:59.299 Absolutely ubiquitous. OK, but we can't just 00:15:59.299 --> 00:16:02.039 talk TV and voice. We have to shift to the medium 00:16:02.039 --> 00:16:04.600 that arguably showcases his depth and discipline 00:16:04.600 --> 00:16:08.509 most. The stage. Yes. Because it's easy to just 00:16:08.509 --> 00:16:10.470 think of him as the sitcom guy or the voice guy, 00:16:10.590 --> 00:16:14.789 but his Broadway credentials are real and significant. 00:16:15.230 --> 00:16:17.870 This feels like where that rigorous training, 00:16:18.009 --> 00:16:19.750 maybe even going back to Second City, really 00:16:19.750 --> 00:16:22.389 pays off. It's crucial for you, the listener, 00:16:22.570 --> 00:16:24.929 to know he's not just a screen actor. The stage 00:16:24.929 --> 00:16:27.269 seems fundamental to him. He has major Broadway 00:16:27.269 --> 00:16:29.860 credits. Let's list some. Okay. The Tale of the 00:16:29.860 --> 00:16:32.500 Allergist's Wife in 2000, then The Producers 00:16:32.500 --> 00:16:37.440 in 2002, and Sly Fox in 2004. All big, high -profile 00:16:37.440 --> 00:16:39.860 shows demanding roles that need serious stage 00:16:39.860 --> 00:16:42.500 presence and stamina. And his connection to The 00:16:42.500 --> 00:16:45.419 Producers is deep. He was in that 2002 Broadway 00:16:45.419 --> 00:16:48.100 run. But then later he actually played the lead 00:16:48.100 --> 00:16:50.980 role, Max Bilstock, right? Yeah. In a big Hollywood 00:16:50.980 --> 00:16:54.240 Bowl production in 2012, Max Bilstock is a monster 00:16:54.240 --> 00:16:56.799 role. Requires huge energy, physical comedy, 00:16:56.980 --> 00:16:59.059 singing. And he was also in the movie adaptation. 00:16:59.379 --> 00:17:01.679 Played the jury foreman in the 2005 film. So 00:17:01.679 --> 00:17:03.320 he's been involved with that property across 00:17:03.320 --> 00:17:06.059 stage and screen and different capacities. Speaks 00:17:06.059 --> 00:17:08.279 to his versatility even within one world. He 00:17:08.279 --> 00:17:10.019 also has a connection to Stephen Sondheim, which 00:17:10.019 --> 00:17:12.819 is serious musical theater cred. A significant 00:17:12.819 --> 00:17:15.720 one. He actually created the role of Addison 00:17:15.720 --> 00:17:20.140 Mizner in Sondheim's show Bounce. Wow. Originating 00:17:20.140 --> 00:17:22.819 a Sondheim role. And he also tackled Pseudolus 00:17:22.819 --> 00:17:25.400 in a force. A funny thing happened on the way 00:17:25.400 --> 00:17:27.839 to the forum. Another iconic, difficult role. 00:17:28.079 --> 00:17:30.420 These aren't simple parts. They demand real craft. 00:17:31.079 --> 00:17:33.259 And all this stage work, this commitment, it 00:17:33.259 --> 00:17:35.400 led to major recognition, didn't it? Specifically 00:17:35.400 --> 00:17:39.400 for a play in 2013. Yes. This is arguably the 00:17:39.400 --> 00:17:42.240 peak of his dramatic stage career so far. His 00:17:42.240 --> 00:17:44.599 performance as Marcus Hoff in the revival of 00:17:44.599 --> 00:17:47.160 Clifford Odette's classic play, The Big Knife. 00:17:47.259 --> 00:17:49.420 Marcus Hoff. Who is he in the play? He's the 00:17:49.420 --> 00:17:52.799 manipulative, utterly ruthless studio executive. 00:17:52.839 --> 00:17:55.440 A really dark, powerful character. And that role 00:17:55.440 --> 00:17:58.160 got him nominated for a Tony Award. Nominated 00:17:58.160 --> 00:18:00.960 for Best Featured Actor in a Play. which is huge. 00:18:01.180 --> 00:18:03.279 But here's the key detail for you, the learner. 00:18:03.480 --> 00:18:06.000 While he was nominated for the Tony, he won the 00:18:06.000 --> 00:18:08.599 Drama Desk Award for the same role. Oh, okay. 00:18:08.720 --> 00:18:10.700 And the Drama Desk Awards are highly respected, 00:18:10.940 --> 00:18:13.400 often seen as more focused purely on the performance 00:18:13.400 --> 00:18:16.609 itself, right? Exactly. Winning that for playing 00:18:16.609 --> 00:18:20.029 such a morally corrupt, intense character, again, 00:18:20.130 --> 00:18:22.549 a universe away from Dr. Davina or even Paul 00:18:22.549 --> 00:18:25.890 Lasseter, it just solidified his status as an 00:18:25.890 --> 00:18:29.269 actor capable of profound dramatic depth on stage. 00:18:29.569 --> 00:18:32.009 Okay, let's carry that dramatic weight over to 00:18:32.009 --> 00:18:34.930 his film work. Because while comedy might be 00:18:34.930 --> 00:18:37.269 his calling card for many, he's been in some 00:18:37.269 --> 00:18:40.660 serious, prestigious films. Definitely. often 00:18:40.660 --> 00:18:42.900 tackling heavy themes, even within comedies. 00:18:42.920 --> 00:18:46.140 Way back, he had a small but, like, functionally 00:18:46.140 --> 00:18:48.279 important role in the original Stargate movie 00:18:48.279 --> 00:18:51.400 in 1994. Right, Gary Myers, the archaeologist 00:18:51.400 --> 00:18:53.440 who does the initial translation of the symbols. 00:18:53.559 --> 00:18:55.980 He's basically the exposition guy before Daniel 00:18:55.980 --> 00:18:58.400 Jackson takes over. A quick role, but shows he 00:18:58.400 --> 00:19:00.319 was in the mix for big -budget sci -fi early 00:19:00.319 --> 00:19:02.390 on. But if you want to see his real dramatic 00:19:02.390 --> 00:19:04.950 chops on film, you have to talk about the Coen 00:19:04.950 --> 00:19:07.569 brothers, a serious man from 2009. Oh, absolutely. 00:19:07.730 --> 00:19:10.750 His role is Arthur Gopnik. Arthur, Larry Gopnik's 00:19:10.750 --> 00:19:13.490 brother, living on his couch, deeply troubled, 00:19:13.710 --> 00:19:16.230 physically unwell. With that, that cyst on his 00:19:16.230 --> 00:19:18.109 neck, he keeps draining. It's such a visceral, 00:19:18.130 --> 00:19:20.789 uncomfortable detail. It really is. And Arthur 00:19:20.789 --> 00:19:23.430 is just this bundle of misery and bad decisions, 00:19:23.670 --> 00:19:26.670 stealing money, writing his nonsensical probability 00:19:26.670 --> 00:19:30.009 map, the mentaculous. Kind had to embody this 00:19:30.009 --> 00:19:33.049 profound vulnerability, this sadness, this physical 00:19:33.049 --> 00:19:36.309 and moral decay. It's such a stark contrast to 00:19:36.309 --> 00:19:39.109 his usual energetic persona. And it fit perfectly 00:19:39.109 --> 00:19:42.289 into that Coen Brothers landscape of existential 00:19:42.289 --> 00:19:45.109 dread and dark humor. It's an incredible performance. 00:19:45.490 --> 00:19:47.210 And the ensemble work in that film was widely 00:19:47.210 --> 00:19:50.009 recognized. Yeah. the cast got nominations for 00:19:50.009 --> 00:19:52.170 best ensemble from the Gotham Awards and the 00:19:52.170 --> 00:19:54.529 Boston Society of Film Critics, and they won 00:19:54.529 --> 00:19:56.710 the Independent Spirit Robert Altman Award in 00:19:56.710 --> 00:19:59.880 2010, which specifically honors a director and 00:19:59.880 --> 00:20:02.500 the ensemble cast. So again, recognition for 00:20:02.500 --> 00:20:05.019 fitting seamlessly into a high art, serious, 00:20:05.140 --> 00:20:07.319 dramatic piece. Yeah. Just like he fits into 00:20:07.319 --> 00:20:09.380 a sitcom. He followed that up with more solid 00:20:09.380 --> 00:20:11.920 film roles. He played Max Klein, the screenwriter 00:20:11.920 --> 00:20:14.799 character, in Argo in 2012. Right, the Ben Affleck 00:20:14.799 --> 00:20:17.099 film. And more recently, showing he can work 00:20:17.099 --> 00:20:19.819 with today's most distinct voices, he had a strong 00:20:19.819 --> 00:20:22.759 supporting role in Ari Aster's Bo is Afraid in 00:20:22.759 --> 00:20:26.700 2023. Which was certainly a unique film. This 00:20:26.700 --> 00:20:28.619 is his ability to handle the quirky and the intense. 00:20:28.920 --> 00:20:31.779 And this filmography, especially roles like Argo, 00:20:31.940 --> 00:20:34.779 brings us to maybe his most famous collaborator, 00:20:34.859 --> 00:20:37.640 both professionally and personally. George Clooney. 00:20:37.700 --> 00:20:41.059 George Clooney. Their connection runs deep. Professionally, 00:20:41.059 --> 00:20:44.059 Kind was in Clooney's directorial debut, Confessions 00:20:44.059 --> 00:20:46.819 of a Dangerous Mind, played a casting director. 00:20:47.180 --> 00:20:50.420 And remember that HBO series, Unscripted, kind 00:20:50.420 --> 00:20:53.339 of blurring reality and fiction about actors' 00:20:53.460 --> 00:20:56.490 lives? Vaguely, yeah. Executive produced and 00:20:56.490 --> 00:20:59.190 directed that with Grant Heslov, and Kind played 00:20:59.190 --> 00:21:01.690 himself in it. Ah, interesting. And the Argo 00:21:01.690 --> 00:21:04.069 connection, too. Argo was produced by Clooney 00:21:04.069 --> 00:21:07.470 and Heslov, which likely helped secure Kind that 00:21:07.470 --> 00:21:09.769 role as Max Klein. There's clearly a professional 00:21:09.769 --> 00:21:12.009 shorthand, a loyalty there. Which makes perfect 00:21:12.009 --> 00:21:14.769 sense, given their shared history. And that history. 00:21:15.049 --> 00:21:17.369 Well, it inevitably leads us to the stories everyone 00:21:17.369 --> 00:21:20.750 wants to hear. The pranks. Second five. Personal 00:21:20.750 --> 00:21:23.029 life and the legendary Clooney anecdotes. Right. 00:21:23.230 --> 00:21:25.569 Gotta cover the basics first, though. Personal 00:21:25.569 --> 00:21:28.549 life. Kind was married to Dana Stanley from 1999 00:21:28.549 --> 00:21:32.210 to 2018. They have three kids, a son, Max, and 00:21:32.210 --> 00:21:35.410 two daughters, Samantha and Skylar. And he currently 00:21:35.410 --> 00:21:38.329 lives on the Upper West Side in Manhattan. Keeps 00:21:38.329 --> 00:21:40.329 that New York theater connection strong. Got 00:21:40.329 --> 00:21:44.769 it. Okay. Now, the fun stuff. George Clooney 00:21:44.769 --> 00:21:48.269 was best man at Kind's wedding in 99. Which tells 00:21:48.269 --> 00:21:50.109 you how close they really were and presumably 00:21:50.109 --> 00:21:53.019 still are. But the legendary stories. the ones 00:21:53.019 --> 00:21:55.480 that get repeated, mostly come from that period 00:21:55.480 --> 00:21:58.339 before Clooney hit it big with ER, when he was 00:21:58.339 --> 00:22:01.119 crashing at Kind's place in L .A. Yes, this seems 00:22:01.119 --> 00:22:03.940 to be the crucible where Clooney forged his lifelong 00:22:03.940 --> 00:22:07.380 dedication to elaborate practical jokes, often 00:22:07.380 --> 00:22:09.859 targeted squarely at Richard Kind. And these 00:22:09.859 --> 00:22:11.680 weren't just simple gags, were they? They were 00:22:11.680 --> 00:22:14.559 campaigns. Oh, absolutely. Sustained psychological 00:22:14.559 --> 00:22:17.140 operations disguised as friendship. One of the 00:22:17.140 --> 00:22:18.940 big ones was Clooney trying to convince Kine 00:22:18.940 --> 00:22:21.319 he was secretly a Jeopardy genius. How did he 00:22:21.319 --> 00:22:23.619 even do that? He'd stage it, have someone call 00:22:23.619 --> 00:22:26.259 with obscure trivia, or just happen to know incredibly 00:22:26.259 --> 00:22:28.500 specific answers when the show was on, just to 00:22:28.500 --> 00:22:30.599 mess with Kine's head, make him think his buddy 00:22:30.599 --> 00:22:33.259 had this hidden Gernsbackian level of knowledge. 00:22:33.539 --> 00:22:36.579 The sheer effort involved. And that wasn't the 00:22:36.579 --> 00:22:38.859 only one. Nope. He also pretended to be an aspiring 00:22:38.859 --> 00:22:42.119 painter. Seriously. Yeah. Created these bizarre 00:22:42.119 --> 00:22:44.339 abstract paintings, left them around the apartment, 00:22:44.539 --> 00:22:47.460 talked earnestly about his process, forced kind 00:22:47.460 --> 00:22:49.519 into the awkward position of having to comment 00:22:49.519 --> 00:22:52.720 on and sort of validate this completely fabricated 00:22:52.720 --> 00:22:55.180 artistic talent. It's less like pranking and 00:22:55.180 --> 00:22:59.079 more like. performance art aimed at maximum confusion 00:22:59.079 --> 00:23:01.660 for an audience of one. Exactly. Which is why 00:23:01.660 --> 00:23:03.579 the stories are so funny. It's not really about 00:23:03.579 --> 00:23:05.900 cruelty. It's about the absolute commitment to 00:23:05.900 --> 00:23:08.720 the bit. The dedication to the chaos. But there's 00:23:08.720 --> 00:23:11.920 one anecdote that always comes up. The piece 00:23:11.920 --> 00:23:14.019 de resistance of the pranks. The most infamous 00:23:14.019 --> 00:23:16.640 one. Yes. The litter box incident. Tell the people. 00:23:16.819 --> 00:23:18.920 According to the stories, the culmination of 00:23:18.920 --> 00:23:21.799 this prank war involved George Clooney. Well. 00:23:22.220 --> 00:23:24.700 defecating in Richard Kind's cat's litter box. 00:23:24.839 --> 00:23:26.720 He really did that. Apparently so. The image 00:23:26.720 --> 00:23:30.019 is just its peak absurdity. A future Oscar winner, 00:23:30.259 --> 00:23:33.180 international superstar, engaging in biological 00:23:33.180 --> 00:23:36.380 warfare against his friend's cat's toilet. It 00:23:36.380 --> 00:23:39.579 perfectly encapsulates the boundary pushing, 00:23:39.839 --> 00:23:42.859 juvenile, yet somehow affectionate nature of 00:23:42.859 --> 00:23:45.319 their friendship, right? Totally. And the amazing 00:23:45.319 --> 00:23:47.640 thing, when you step back, is that Kind clearly 00:23:47.640 --> 00:23:50.220 endured all this. Their friendship survived, 00:23:50.599 --> 00:23:52.960 even thrived, while both their careers exploded. 00:23:52.980 --> 00:23:55.400 It speaks volumes about Kind's patience, his 00:23:55.400 --> 00:23:58.480 resilience, maybe his ability to eventually laugh 00:23:58.480 --> 00:24:00.680 it off. Or maybe get his own back in ways we 00:24:00.680 --> 00:24:02.880 don't know about. Perhaps. But it definitely 00:24:02.880 --> 00:24:05.809 points to a very specific, very strong... bond 00:24:05.809 --> 00:24:08.609 forged in those early competitive years. Okay. 00:24:08.789 --> 00:24:10.990 So we've covered the background, the massive 00:24:10.990 --> 00:24:14.130 TV career, the iconic voice work, the serious 00:24:14.130 --> 00:24:16.769 stage and film roles, and the legendary pranks. 00:24:17.069 --> 00:24:19.410 Let's try to synthesize this. What's the big 00:24:19.410 --> 00:24:21.009 takeaway for the listener here about Richard 00:24:21.009 --> 00:24:23.450 Kind? I think the core takeaway is that his career 00:24:23.450 --> 00:24:26.630 is ultimately defined by two things. Sheer ubiquity, 00:24:26.650 --> 00:24:29.009 just being everywhere, and an absolute mastery 00:24:29.009 --> 00:24:31.069 of the essential supporting role. He's the ultimate 00:24:31.069 --> 00:24:33.630 character actor chameleon. Exactly. He's the 00:24:33.630 --> 00:24:35.930 guy who connects Spin the City's cynical political 00:24:35.930 --> 00:24:39.289 world to the absolute emotional devastation of 00:24:39.289 --> 00:24:43.009 Bing Bong, to a Tony nominated turn as a ruthless 00:24:43.009 --> 00:24:45.990 executive on Broadway, and then to an award winning 00:24:45.990 --> 00:24:48.450 part in a Coen Brothers film about existential 00:24:48.450 --> 00:24:50.990 dread. It's an incredible thread to follow. And 00:24:50.990 --> 00:24:53.529 that recent SAG award for Only Murders just proves 00:24:53.529 --> 00:24:56.289 he's still doing it at the highest level. Still 00:24:56.289 --> 00:24:59.349 a crucial piece of a top tier ensemble. Absolutely. 00:24:59.410 --> 00:25:02.609 So for you, the listener. The lesson from Richard 00:25:02.609 --> 00:25:06.309 Kind's career is maybe this. Long -term success 00:25:06.309 --> 00:25:08.730 in this crazy industry often isn't just about 00:25:08.730 --> 00:25:11.250 chasing the spotlight or the leading role. It's 00:25:11.250 --> 00:25:13.509 about cultivating versatility, being incredibly 00:25:13.509 --> 00:25:16.170 consistent, and proving yourself utterly dependable 00:25:16.170 --> 00:25:18.930 across different platforms. TV, film, stage, 00:25:19.210 --> 00:25:22.279 voice. He moves between them seamlessly. His 00:25:22.279 --> 00:25:24.660 ability to go from, yeah, heavy stage drama one 00:25:24.660 --> 00:25:27.059 month to voicing like a cartoon alligator the 00:25:27.059 --> 00:25:29.559 next and be excellent in both. That's the superpower. 00:25:29.740 --> 00:25:31.900 It really is a remarkable body of work. OK, that 00:25:31.900 --> 00:25:33.859 brings us to our final provocative thought. Something 00:25:33.859 --> 00:25:36.059 for you to chew on after this deep dive. Given 00:25:36.059 --> 00:25:39.200 those deep roots in Second City improv and the 00:25:39.200 --> 00:25:41.160 incredible discipline we know is required for 00:25:41.160 --> 00:25:43.420 Broadway performing perfectly night after night. 00:25:43.599 --> 00:25:47.000 How much has that theatrical rigor, that focus, 00:25:47.259 --> 00:25:51.160 actually enabled his long and varied career in 00:25:51.160 --> 00:25:54.119 the much more chaotic, often one -take worlds 00:25:54.119 --> 00:25:57.759 of film and TV? Is that stage foundation the 00:25:57.759 --> 00:26:00.420 real secret sauce? That's one angle. Or maybe 00:26:00.420 --> 00:26:03.400 sticking with the animation. Which of his iconic 00:26:03.400 --> 00:26:05.740 voice roles will ultimately be seen as his most 00:26:05.740 --> 00:26:08.319 enduring legacy? Is it the heartbreak of Bing 00:26:08.319 --> 00:26:12.059 Bong? The nervous energy of Moult? Or maybe the 00:26:12.059 --> 00:26:14.420 long -running paternal absurdity of Marty Globerman 00:26:14.420 --> 00:26:16.440 on Big Mouth? The answer might genuinely depend 00:26:16.440 --> 00:26:18.519 on which generation you ask, which voice first 00:26:18.519 --> 00:26:20.920 lodged itself in their memory. Something to definitely 00:26:20.920 --> 00:26:23.259 ponder next time you inevitably see his face 00:26:23.259 --> 00:26:25.920 or hear that unmistakable voice, which will probably 00:26:25.920 --> 00:26:28.339 be very soon. No doubt about it. Thanks for diving 00:26:28.339 --> 00:26:28.920 in with us today.