Five questions with Richard Kind of 'The Producers'

The comedy star joins The Producers, returning to a role he played on Broadway in 2004.

Summary

• Richard Kind played Max Bialystock on Broadway in 2004
• He temporarily takes over the role from Andy Nyman for a short run at the Garrick Theatre
• Kind plays a Broadway producer who schemes to get rich quick by staging a flop

Richard Kind is an American actor and comedian, best known for his work in Curb Your Enthusiasm, Inside Out, and Only Murders in the Building. He was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance as Marcus Hoff in the 2013 Broadway production of The Big Knife. Now he returns to the role of Max Bialystock for a short run in The Producers in the West End.

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How does it feel to be returning to the role of Max Bialystock in London?
Fantastic! I’m older now - 20 years have passed since I first played the role, and it was tough back then. Back then, I lost 30 pounds! But I love this play, the cast, and being in the West End. The venue, the production, the sense of dignity here – it’s all wonderful!

What is it about Mel Brooks’s comedy that still tickles audiences?
It’s funny. Funny is funny!

You have been in so many iconic movies and TV shows, what are the roles that really stick with you?
Some of my most memorable roles are in theatres most people haven’t seen. On screen, I think I’ll go down for playing Bing Bong in Inside Out, A Serious Man, and shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm. I love acting itself more than any particular role.

How much fun did you have playing Vince Fish in Only Murders in the Building?
It was great, but do you know what was even more fun? The green room! Being with the actors, not just Steve Martin and Martin Short, but everyone on set, and the writers. The show’s silly humour, acted straight, makes it even sillier!

You have worked with so many legends, but who is your comedy hero?
I can’t say it’s a certain person but the movie M-A-S-H shaped me early on. It taught me irony, satire, bad taste, and how to approach a serious world without taking yourself too seriously. Don’t take yourself too seriously, but take life seriously.

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Richard Kind plays Max Bialystock through 11 May, when Andy Nyman returns to the cast.

This article first appeared in the April 2026 issue of London Theatre Magazine.

Photo credit: Richard Kind. (Photo by Jenny Anderson)