Richard Kind recalls the good old days with longtime friend George Clooney: ‘Years ago we’d chase women together’

Richard’s my Kind of guy

Ask actor Richard Kind anything and each answer’s a soliloquy.

“Born in Trenton. My dad had a jewelry store in Princeton. When we were robbed my grandmother lost her favorite sapphire ring. Years later a jeweler friend called to say the thing got resold and he was holding the original — which I now have — in his hand.

“College was to be Princeton. But because my uncles went to Dartmouth, I was to go there. I preferred Northwestern for their theater program. I now have three children in college and with the effing fortune it costs today — and me a character actor on the decline. Please. So I went to Pennsbury and Bo Diddley and Rodney Dangerfield played my prom.

“We’re from Poland. Real last name Katz but Franz Joseph’s edict was you could no longer have that name. Tracing back to 1623 was our relative named Kind so we took that name from the grave.”

About his long friendship with George Clooney, it was: “A dear friend. We years ago did a pilot together and it took off. He has my same humor, same morality, same love of film. Years ago we’d chase women together. We gathered a group together in LA called ‘the boys.’ We lived through good times and bad egos and we remain friends. George is godfather to my oldest child. He was best man at my wedding. He’s double being a good guy. But I rarely talk about him.”

So why are his pal and his pal’s wife in a Jewish city and looking to be big on Broadway while knocking Israel?

“Won’t answer that. I won’t get into that. My big thing is my Netflix talk show. Last year, guests were Letterman, Seinfeld. It was unbelievable. Next, it will be on between March 12 and May 28.”

To hear more, like the story about his very first audition, which he is still retelling — you can try Netflix. It’s “Everybody’s Live With John Mulaney.”

A resting meal

To see our terrific new police commissioner, Jessica Tisch, try Due restaurant, on Third Avenue, between 79th and 80th. Its manager Ernesto Cavalli personally gave her their fusilli with radicchio and pancetta.

Those with fire in the belly

With fires breaking out in the US, let’s be grateful to Julia Roberts. One org already raised over $5.9 million. Now, a minimum $10 donation gets lunch maybe with the “Pretty Woman.” Winners choice of LA, San Francisco or even here in our crunched Apple. Includes airfare for out-of-towners, a hotel stay for you and a guest.

Behind it is the SoCal Fire Fund organization dedicated to providing recovery and support for those needing it most.

One dim Lady

Eleanor Coerr’s book “Lady With a Torch” tells that Miss Liberty’s torch was found useless. “No brighter than a glowworm,” was said about Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi’s creation. Originally commissioned to be a lighthouse for New York’s harbor, it was “Forget it.” The thing was no brighter than a sweet potato. But the patriotic symbol pleased America so, it got deemed “magnificent success.”

‘Rocket’ woman?

One more thing. Elton John wants to be reincarnated. He has said: “I’m asked what I’d like to be if I came back. I’d like to be a woman. You’ve just got to find out what the other side is like. I think that would be quite interesting.”

The fervent hope of a young man in Borough Park: “Me, I want someday to come back as a man so rich he can go to a drive-in inside a taxi.”

Only in New York, kids, only in New York.