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Los Angeles Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
When Richard Kind isn't sidekicking on ‘Everybody's Live,' he's at these L.A. spots
Richard Kind is visibly uneasy. The 68-year-old actor and comedian has fashioned a career as an ubiquitous presence on-screen with nearly 300 roles under his belt, drawing just enough attention to his supporting turns to make them unforgettable — whether he's playing quirky press secretary Paul Lassiter in 'Spin City,' Larry's eccentric cousin Andy in 'Curb Your Enthusiasm,' an oddball neighbor with an eye problem in 'Only Murders in the Building' or, more recently, the Stephen Sondheim-loving husband of a mob boss in 'Poker Face.' These days, as John Mulaney settles into his talk show era on Netflix, Kind has also found new cachet as the comedian's sidekick and announcer — a more off-kilter Ed McMahon dedicated to nudging and guffawing to the antics of Mulaney and company. It began with last year's experiment, 'Everybody's in L.A.,' and continued this year with 'Everybody's Live with John Mulaney,' a limited-run, free-for-all celebrity talk show that revels in being low-key absurd — where else can you get a host conducting an entire show with a blindfold on? The show concluded its 12-week run on Wednesday and aimed to deliver the sort of zany and baffling gag you'd expect from Mulaney: He fought three 14-year-old boys. This is why Kind is experiencing a mild mid-morning spiral when we meet a couple of weeks before the brawl. 'He better be working out because I'm just horrified about that fight — just horrified,' Kind mutters while shaking his head and picking at a small plate of bananas and peanut butter. 'Truly. I'm so nervous about the fight. I am. I am.' The thought lingers: 'It's real because, remember, I grew up on Andy Kaufman doing the wrestling thing with the women,' he says, referring to the stunt carried out by the late comedian as part of his touring act and, later, on a 1979 episode of 'Saturday Night Live.' 'Puberty adds strength that prepubescence does not. And since the derivation of it was '100 men versus a gorilla' ... I mean, prepubescent strength versus John is one thing, but 14-year-olds? I don't know. I don't know. I'm not prepared for this. If they ask me to referee, I'm gonna die.' Nerves aside, its clear that Kind, who began his comedy career pushing for unconventional laughs as a member of Chicago's Second City, enjoys the unexpected comedic thrills 'Everybody's Live' provides. He was roped into a bit where, because of a (fictitious) traumatic brain injury, he believed he was KISS frontman Gene Simmons — he spent the show in a frizzy, jet-black wig and sunglasses, often raising the quintessential rock 'n' roll devil-horns sign. Another episode had him spoofing former NFL coach Bill Belichick's viral interview with CBS Sunday Morning — Kind sported a tattered pullover sweatshirt. There's little preparation, Kind says. To prove it, he eagerly whips out his phone to show the text he received this Tuesday morning that had a rundown of the next day's episode — his first insight into what was to come. 'My joke with John is I love doing this show, except for Wednesdays between 7 and 8 p.m., because that's when it becomes reality,' he says. The gig has him splitting his time between coasts — he's reprising his role for the upcoming season of 'Only Murders in the Building,' which shoots in New York and started filming in March. Kind admits he has a complicated love story with Los Angeles: 'Being a New Yorker, it's like the Lakers and the Knicks — you are programmed to not like it here. There are some things that I do love here, my friends and I love the work, but there's not much work here anymore.' Still, we wanted to learn about the quintessential L.A. spots the actor frequents when he's in town — and not holed up on the Sunset Gower Studios for 'Everybody's Live' — or finds special meaning in. But to sit with Kind, one must be prepared to let the conversation go where it may. He has stories to tell. Like his first visit to L.A. as a teen while on a cross-country camping expedition with friends — he asked a stranger if he could borrow their surfboard so he could say he surfed in Malibu — or the time when he was living in Hancock Park during 'Spin City's' run and he was held at gunpoint outside his home. 'I got out a car, a guy comes up and says, 'You have a cigarette?' I turn around like an idiot, laugh and go, 'No, I gave it up like a year ago,'' he says. 'Then he pulls out a gun. I put my head down, and I just held out everything and I said, 'It's yours. Take anything you want.' And he did.' He says the evolution of his L.A. existence can be traced back to two people — Norman Lear and George Clooney — and two unsuccessful TV pilots. While at Second City, Kind was flown out to L.A. for a Lear TV sitcom pilot, 1984's 'P.O.P.,' about a con artist (Charles Durning) who moves in with his estranged wife (Bea Arthur) and two adult sons. 'I sit down and I talk to Norman Lear for easily half an hour. We're talking about [radio personality] Don Imus and how far can we push the boundaries,' he recalls. 'Because I was at Second City, and I had my finger on the pulse of the audience every night with what we could do and things like that. And he's taking me in and wanting my opinion.' The pilot floundered, but Kind maintained a relationship with Lear and his family in the years that followed. A few years after that pilot cycle, he starred in an NBC pilot, 'The Bennett Brothers,' about two odd couple-like siblings living together. The young actor who Kind was originally set to co-star with was fired, Kind says, and replaced with Clooney. 'We became fast friends in much the way that I think the couples should not date while they're making a film,' Kind says. 'You are working together and that bonds you. And we don't know whether or not that bond is really love or compatibility — it's 'we want to make a good product.'' The pair had only five days to do the pilot, but their bond formed and has since remained. 'We kept in contact and he kept saying, 'You got to come out. You got to meet my friends,' which I did,' he says. 'I became close to him because of that experience. 'George was my tour guide to L.A.,' Kind continues. 'George was instrumental to everything I did in L.A. We went to the farmers market [on 3rd Street] all the time. We would go out to bars all the time. All my friends who I'm still in touch with today, here they are ...' — he grabs his phone to pull up the group text they share. 'Oh my God, I got 19 [guys] on this thing,' he says as he scrolls through the contact list of the chat, which includes Clooney. In time, he digs into the spots that play a role in his L.A. story. The private club in Burbank is the site of our interview. Kind joined during his time on 'Spin City,' which ran from 1996 to 2002. 'I took up golf when I was in Second City. If you're an actor, what are you going to do with your days? You can waste your life playing golf or waiting for the phone to ring — I decided to waste my life playing golf,' Kind says. Ted Wass, a 'Spin City' director, was a member of the club, but Kind didn't want to join because he was about to have a child. He changed his mind, however: 'I said, 'I'm going join a club so everything can be regimented.' I can tell you how long it will take to get from my place to the club, how long to play a round the golf, how long until I'll be home for the child.'' 'This place is addictive,' he adds. 'I would just sit and jabber like this. We would tell stories, tell jokes. I'd have one glass of wine. I'm a lousy drinker, and I'd get home and I'd have been out in the sun, and I would fall asleep on my kids. I said, I can't trust myself to rip myself away to go home to the kids. So rather than rip myself away from this club, I ripped myself away from the state. I moved to New York. Now, all three kids are in college, so I can come here and just play golf and have fun and wait to do John schtick.' He's part of a group of showbiz types who hang out at the so-called Mazursky table, named after the late filmmaker Paul Mazursky, who often convened a small gathering of regulars, including actor Ronnie Schell and artist Charles Bragg. A semblance of the group still gathers to this day. 'I would go to the farmers market for coffee, not necessarily to eat — although I would at Charlie's,' he says. 'There was a sandwich that was named Richard Kind, it was tuna fish on toasted whole wheat with a thick slab of onion.' 'You have a favorite sandwich in L.A.?' he asks. I tell him I am no sandwich expert, but knowing this neighborhood is on his list, I relay that I am a fan of the offerings at Larchmont Village Wine, Spirits & Cheese. 'It's unbelievable!' he says, eyes wide. 'It's the best sandwich in the nation. That salami sandwich — I think It's No. 3 or No. 4 [It's No. 3, for the record] — oh my God. I've brought some home to New York for my kids. They're the best.' 'I remember being there because it was sort of a famous night — when Drew Carey was on Carson. We were all at the Improv, and they turned on the TV and everybody watched Drew kill,' he says. 'I didn't know him, but you could say five minutes before it was pre-Drew Carey, five minutes after Drew Carey became Drew Carey. It was dynamite. It was a nice Hollywood moment that you saw a star being born.' About a dozen or so of America's best known character actors — which include Kind, Titus Welliver, Spencer Garrett, Laurence Fishburne, Alfred Molina, Michael McKean, Eric McCormack, Noah Wyle and Jason Alexander, to name a few — often gather for what's been dubbed the Character Actors Dining Society (CADS, for short). Craig's, owned by CADS member Craig Susser, is often the site for their dinners, but they mix it up every so often. 'I think pre-COVID, Spencer, Titus, Laurence and maybe Alfred went to dinner at Musso & Frank's and they said we should do this more often. I think each one invited a person, and we now have these monthly or bi-monthly, whenever we're in town, CADS meals, usually at Craig's because Craig is a dear friend. It's a wonderful group of guys. In fact, let me ask them,' he says, pausing to pick up his phone and text the group to see if he can mention the next part on the record. The group OKs the mention, but details are still in discussion: 'We're going to try and put together a book of stories, and then proceeds will be donated to charities. We're picking four different charities.'
New York Post
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Jussie Smollett posts bizarre Instagram screed proclaiming innocence and insisting he suffered hate crime attack
Hate crime hoaxer Jussie Smollett went on a bizarre Instagram rant in which he repeated his widely-debunked claim that he was the victim of a bias attack in the wake of his cushy settlement in his civil suit with the city of Chicago. 'Over six years ago, after it was reported I had been jumped, City Officials in Chicago set out to convince the public that I willfully set an assault against myself. This false narrative has left a stain on my character that will not soon disappear,' Smollett wrote on Instagram Saturday. 'These officials wanted my money and wanted my confession for something I did not do. Today, it should be clear…They have received neither.' Advertisement 3 Hate crime hoaxer Jussie Smollett went on a bizarre Instagram rant on Saturday. FilmMagic Smollett was convicted in 2021 for staging a phony hate crime against himself in Chicago in 2019, and was later sued by the Second City for $130,000 for the cost of the investigation into the bogus claims. The 'Mighty Ducks' actor and the Windy City have now settled their suit — with Smollett agreeing to donate $60,000 to two Chicago-based charitable organizations in lieu of paying the city. Advertisement The 42-year-old will donate $50,000 to nonprofit Building Brighter Futures Center for the Arts and 'an additional' $10,000 to the Chicago Torture Justice Center, according to the Instagram post. With this legal win on top of the shock overturning of his five felony charges by the Illinois Supreme Court— the 'Empire' actor is now celebrating what he called his 'innocence.' 'However, despite arduous and expensive attempts to punish me, I am innocent in the eyes of God and our criminal justice system,' Smollett wrote in the post. 'I will continue creating my art, fighting passionately for causes I hold dear and defending my integrity and family name with the truth,' he continued. Advertisement 3 Jussie Smollett was sentenced to five months behind bars after being convicted of staging a hate crime against himself. via REUTERS 3 A still image from surveillance video on January 2019 showed two men who Smollett allegedly staged the phony hate crime with. REUTERS 'To everyone who has supported me, thank you. Your prayers and belief in me mean more than words can properly express,' he wrote, concluding, 'With Love & Respect, Jussie Smollett.' Despite Smollett's crowing over his legal success in the Illinois State Supreme Court, state officials claim that the overturning of the conviction did not mean the 'Alien: Covenant' actor was telling the truth. Advertisement 'Make no mistake: Today's ruling has nothing to do with Mr. Smollett's innocence,' special prosecutor Dan Webb said in a statement at the time. 'The Illinois Supreme Court did not find any error with the overwhelming evidence presented at trial… or the jury's unanimous verdict that Mr. Smollett was guilty of five counts of felony disorderly conduct,' Webb stated. The charges were overturned on Fifth Amendment rights violation, as Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx decided to drop the charges against Smollett after he was initially hit with 16 felony counts stemming from the bogus hate crime police report.
CBC
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Norm! Cheers star George Wendt dead at 76
George Wendt, the actor known for his portrayal of beer-loving Norm Peterson on the hit NBC sitcom Cheers, has died at the age of 76. Wendt's family confirmed the news of his death, saying he died peacefully in his sleep at home early Tuesday morning. "George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him. He will be missed forever," read a statement to CBC News from a family representative, which noted that his loved ones have requested privacy. The statement did not provide a cause of death. Wendt was nominated for six consecutive supporting actor Emmys for his performance as Norm Peterson — who famously elicited a cry of "Norm!" every time the character walked into the fictitious Boston pub. Cheers was one of NBC's most popular shows during its run between 1982 to 1993. Where everybody knew his name The series, centred on lovable losers who work and patronize a Boston bar, starred Ted Danson, Shelley Long, Rhea Perlman, Kelsey Grammer, John Ratzenberger, Kirstie Alley and Woody Harrelson. Wendt, who spent six years in Chicago's renowned Second City improv troupe before sitting on a barstool at the place where everybody knew his name, didn't have high hopes when he auditioned for Cheers. "My agent said, 'It's a small role, honey. It's one line. Actually, it's one word.' The word was 'beer.' I was having a hard time believing I was right for the role of 'the guy who looked like he wanted a beer.' So I went in, and they said, 'It's too small a role. Why don't you read this other one?' And it was a guy who never left the bar," Wendt told GQ in an oral history of Cheers published in 2012. Cheers premiered on Sept. 30, 1982. Though its first season garnered low ratings, NBC president Brandon Tartikoff championed the show, and it was then nominated for an Emmy for best comedy series. Some 80 million people would tune in to watch the show's series finale 11 years later. Wendt became a fan favourite in and outside the bar and his wisecracks always landed. When bartender Coach asked, "How's a beer sound, Norm?" he would respond "I dunno. I usually finish them before they get a word in." While the beer the cast drank on set was nonalcoholic, Wendt and other Cheers actors admitted they were tipsy on May 20, 1993, when they watched the show's final episode then appeared together on The Tonight Show in a live broadcast from the Bull and Finch Pub in Boston, the bar that inspired the series. ″We had been drinking heavily for two hours but nobody thought to feed us," Wendt told the Beaver County Times of Pennsylvania in 2009. "We were nowhere near as cute as we thought we were." After Cheers, Wendt starred in his own short-lived sitcom The George Wendt Show and had guest spots on TV shows like Ghost Whisperer, Harry's Law and Portlandia. He was also part of a brotherhood of Chicago everymen who gathered over sausage and beers and adored "Da Bears" on Saturday Night Live. From barstool to stage Wendt also found steady work on stage, slipping on Edna Turnblad's housecoat in Broadway's Hairspray, based on the 1988 John Waters movie of the same name, beginning in 2007. He reprised the role in a production of Hairspray at the Charlottetown Festival in Prince Edward Island in 2010. "If I'm told to sing. I will do so. And if I'm told to move in a way that somewhat resembles dancing, I will also do so," CBC News reported him saying at a news conference in Charlottetown at the time. "I'm really, really thrilled to be a part of this wonderful piece again and get back in the dress and high heels," he said. "I really look forward to coming here and feeling like an islander rather than just a tourist coming in for a couple of days. I get to live here and be here for a couple of months. I sort of sense the anxiety in the local shellfish population." WATCH | George Wendt brings his Hairspray performance to P.E.I.: Wendt on Charlottetown stage 15 years ago Duration 4:42 He was in the Tony Award-winning play Art in New York and London, starred in the national tour of 12 Angry Men and appeared in a production of David Mamet's Lakeboat. He also starred in regional productions of The Odd Couple, Never Too Late, Funnyman and played Willy Loman in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. He would reprise that role at St. Jacobs Country Playhouse, in Waterloo, Ont., in 2017. "I can relate to so many of Willy's problems, and everyone can. That's why these plays — the really great plays — endure, because they're so relatable," he told CBC Kitchener-Waterloo's Morning Edition that year. Wendt once said working in theatre was a better fit for him than television. "A, it's by far the most fun, but B, I seem to have been kicked out of television," Wendt said describing his move into theatre to the Kansas City Star of in 2011. "I overstayed my welcome. But theater suits me." Wendt had an affinity for playing Santa Claus, donning the famous red outfit in the stage musical version of Elf on Broadway in 2017, the TV movie Santa Baby with Jenny McCarthy in 2006 and in the doggie Disney video Santa Buddies in 2009. He also played the role for TV specials by Larry the Cable Guy and Stephen Colbert. "I think it just proves that if you stay fat enough and get old enough, the offers start rolling in," the actor joked to The Associated Press in his Broadway dressing room. Born in Chicago, Wendt attended Campion High School, a Catholic boarding school in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, then Notre Dame, where he rarely went to class and was eventually kicked out. He transferred to Rockhurst University in Kansas City and graduated, majoring in economics. He found a home at Second City in both the improv troupe's touring company and the main stage. "I think comedy is my long suit, for sure. My approach to comedy is usually not full-bore clownish," he told The Associated Press. "If you're trying to showboat or step outside, it doesn't always work. There are certain performers who almost specialize in doing that, and they do it really well. But that's not my approach."
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Editorial: Norm on ‘Cheers'? George Wendt meant far more to Chicagoans.
Anyone who craved a life of sitcom fame had not spent time with George Wendt, a man who could not walk into a restaurant or take a stroll in the fresh air without cacophonous cries of 'Norm!' coming at him from all directions from the mouths of people who seemed to think they were the only people ever to be so witty. Being a gentle and kind spirit, Wendt would smile wryly, like a man with an eternal cross to bear. He'd typically say afterward that he at least made people smile just by his existence. But for those who work or care about Chicago theater, the barfly Norm from 'Cheers' was not what first came to mind when the actor died Tuesday at the age of 76. Rather, the city's creative community lost not just one of its most important comedic actors and spokespeople, but one of its most enthusiastic supporters. Long after 'Cheers' was gone from our screens, Wendt was willing to leverage his fame and his regular-guy authenticity, being such a stereotypical Chicagoan, in service of the city that nurtured him (Wendt grew up in Beverly). He showed up for most every Second City reunion. He always talked happily to this newspaper. Playing a gruff, arts-loving Chicago cop, he even made a commercial (at no charge) for the League of Chicago Theatres with the tagline, 'Now That's What I Call Theatre.' He appeared in two shows for the Northlight Theatre: Richard Dresser's 'Rounding Third' in 2002 and Bruce Graham's 'Funnyman' in 2015. In the latter show about an old school comic, Wendt actually confronted what it meant to be known everywhere as a lovable comedian. 'People stop me on the street all the time,' his character said. ''Say something funny!'' We all have a Wowza! — the one thing that people think we do and that we're sick of doing.' For anyone who saw Wendt do that show, it was clear that Wendt's 'Wowza!' was Norm from 'Cheers,' even though he was always careful to say that he was appreciative of the fame and fortune from the beloved sitcom. Wendt long had faced health problems, but that didn't make his death any less of a jolt. Over the years, Chicago has had some entertainment figures indelibly associated with the city. The late John and the living Jim Belushi, both complex figures, certainly come to mind. So does Joe Mantegna. And Chris Farley. But while we're praising what you might call the Mike Ditka school of Chicago comedy (Da Bears), let's agree that Wendt was the gentle leader of that particular Chicago Rat Pack. So long, George. We appreciate all you did for us in this town. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@
Axios
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
From Chicago to "Cheers": Remembering George Wendt's lasting legacy
George Wendt, star of stage and screen, passed away early Tuesday at the age of 76. The big picture: The star of television shows like " Cheers" and "Saturday Night Live" grew up in Beverly and carved out a successful career in Hollywood by playing into his Chicago roots. What they're saying:"He brought a uniquely Chicago sensibility to a national stage," Second City producer Kelly Leonard tells Axios. "Sure, it was a Boston bar, but that was a Chicago guy." " Generations of people understand how funny our city is because of people like George." Comedian and filmmaker Scott Goldstein agrees. "I loved George. He left Chicago over 40 years ago, but it never left him." Flashback: Wendt started his career improvising and performing in Second City revues in the 1970s. After he left town in 1980, he bounced around Los Angeles before he was hired to play the character Norm Peterson on a new NBC sitcom called "Cheers." The show was almost canceled after one season because of low ratings, but the network gave it another chance, and Wendt starred in 275 episodes. "Cheers" helped Wendt go from a working stage actor to a household name, landing him commercial gigs, movie roles and even a recurring guest stint on "SNL." He guest-starred in the famed "Superfans" sketch in 1991 alongside greats like Mike Myers, Robert Smigel and Chris Farley. Zoom out: Wendt fondly remembered his Chicago years, telling the Tribune in 1990 about the freedom of growing up in Beverly. "We could just jump on the Western Avenue bus and eventually be at Riverview — at Western and Belmont — without even having to ask our parents if we could go." "Or we could take a bus to 35th, and we'd be at Sox Park. We could hop on the Rock Island and go downtown and cavort around horrible tattoo parlors and try and peek into the burlesque houses." Wendt and his wife, actress Bernadette Birkett, met in Chicago in 1976 and were married in 1978. They have lived together in the same L.A. house since 1985. He is survived by Birkett and their three children. Wendt is also the uncle of another former Chicago improviser, Jason Sudeikis. The intrigue: Wendt's death Tuesday coincided with the anniversary of the series finale of "Cheers," 32 years ago. The bottom line: Wendt may be most known as a Boston barfly, but he'll forever be a Chicago legend. Here are some reflections from Chicagoans on the passing of Wendt: Kelly Leonard, vice president of creative strategy, Second City: "George was brilliant and funny, but also like the best dude ever. I started Second City in 1988 as a dishwasher and George was the same way then as when I was running the place. He was such a generous person who always gave back every time we had an event. He was lovable and he also knew his stuff. He was deep. I'm just gonna miss all of that." BJ Jones, artistic director, Northlight Theatre:"It's a loss for all of us and an indelible memory in television history. But what most people don't realize is that he was a remarkable stage actor. Maybe the most underrated I've ever worked with and I did four shows with him, two world premieres. He even did Willy Loman in "Death of a Salesman" in Toronto. Most of all, I'm going to miss the monthly phone calls when we'd catch up on what's happening in the theater. A dedicated husband, father, artist and friend, he was a gift to us all." Susan Messing, Chicago actor:"Grounded, humble, hysterical and very kind. He treated everyone so well. He was very good to Michael and he extended that kindness to me. A mensch to the core." Marj Halperin, former head of the League of Chicago Theaters: "I'm stunned by the news of George Wendt's passing. George was very kind to me throughout my league years—did whatever I needed. Rest in good humor, George." Eric Spitznagel, Chicago-based writer and author: "The first celebrity interview I ever did was with George Wendt. I was working part-time at the Second City in 1991, just out of college, and trying my luck at journalism. I wanted to write a story for a local indie mag about 'funny fat guys,' and SC producer/den mother Joyce Sloane, who was ridiculously kind to so many of us, overheard me talking about it at the theater's front bar. 'You should talk to George Wendt,' she said. She picked up the bar phone, dialed a number, and then handed me the phone. 'This is George,' the voice said. 'Joyce said you want to ask me about being funny and fat. Whatcha wanna know, kid?' I was... not prepared. But like Joyce, he was so kind and patient and eager to help, and so much smarter than my stupid questions." Scott Goldstein, comedian and filmmaker:"I'm forever grateful that my last conversation with him was about the Southside Pope and I'm glad he got to see it happen. He was a smart, funny, kind man who always gave credit to the writers for those great 'Norm' one-liners, but he had the talent and the timing to nail each one of them." Katie Rich, former Second City Mainstage cast member:"Being a blue-collar gal from the South Side, I always felt like George was family even though I had never met him. One time, he and his Second City cast came by the Mainstage and I poured my heart out to him about how it had always been my dream to be at Second City, but I had done that, so what do I do NOW? And he just grabbed me and hugged me. He said, 'That's exactly how I felt. I was this kid from the South Side and all I wanted was Second City. Now what? And then I ended up on a bar stool with the best writers in the world. It'll work out for you, too.'"
