I heard Richard Kind laugh in person - and I'll never forget it.
You might think his laugh is infectious and unique when you hear him on screen, but when it's in person it's just hard to describe. His laughter makes you laugh involuntarily, and it puts you in a good mood. He's got different kinds (pun intended) of laughs - it's just not one standard laugh. And some are knee-slapping- literally. Here's one of them:
I was at the roast/toast for the event Richard Kind: Everywhere All At Once, part of the 2025 NY Comedy Festival and a fundraiser for The Creative Coalition, a much-needed and worthy non-profit based in NYC that advocates for the arts.
I had met Richard at several events before and he was also cast in a podcast I worked on (shoutout to Brad Forenza's Around the Sun.) So I was excited to see him again in person and ready for a night of laughs at Circa, 1604 in the heart of Times Square.
Richard is uber-talented and in so, so many things. As one presenter noted he probably held the record for the longest IMDB profile of anyone and everyone at my table agreed that was probably a correct statement. I loved him in Spin City and Red Oaks. He's the kind of WORKING actor that some people may not know by name but as soon as you see him - or even better hear his voice you know who he is.
The presenters were people that knew him, some better than others so the roasts and toasts were all quite different. Comedian Jeffrey Ross was the main host and he had the crowd (and Richard) cracking up. The other presenters included Tim Daly, Robin Bronk, Caroline Hirsch, Jeff Garlin, Teddy Coluca, Adam Friedland, Sharon Lawrence, Dean Norris and Scott Reid.
Some had funny stories, like Jeff Garlin - who talked about how nerve -wracking not having a script is on Curb but ALL of them shared stories about working with him or knowing him. I could tell Richard was touched and amused by it all. Every so often Richard would comment back towards the presenter, or even funnier, correct them or tell the story from HIS perspective. He was kind of roasting himself. What a good sport.
I got lucky to be seated right near the stage so I saw everything. One of the presenters, Dean Norris was at my table and he had lots of cool stories to share. I also met a lot of interesting people and got to chat with some of the actors, like Chris Noth Steven Webber and Teddy Coluca.
The event was a fundraiser for The Creative Coalition. The Creative Coalition is the premier nonprofit, nonpartisan social and public education organization of the arts and entertainment industry. Founded in 1989 by prominent figures in the creative community, TCC educates leaders in the arts community on issues of public importance, specifically in the areas of First Amendment rights, arts advocacy and public education.
Now more than ever they need support. For more information or to donate visit: https://thecreativecoalition.org/
Photos from Richard Kind: Everywhere All at Once
