This is from an article by Eirik Knutzen in the JUN 6-12 issue of TV Week. Standard disclaimers apply.
While a drama student at Los Angeles Valley College in the late '60s, Richards teamed up with Ed Begley, Jr. in a comedy improvisational act that enjoyed a small following in the local clubs. But Richards was drafted before they had a chance to take off.
In 1970, he attained civilian status attached to the Army's B Corps in Germany as an entertainer developing educational plays dealing with ethnic relations and the evils of street drugs. He subsequently enrolled as a theater student at the California Institute of the Arts and graduated with a bachelor's degree in fine arts in 1975.
Feeeling the need for time off to prepare himself for "manhood," he kicked back by sharing a house high in California's Santa Cruz Mountains with three friends. When the novelty wore off after a couple years, Richards came off the mountain and joined a bunch of college chums from CalArts at the San Diego Repertory Theater.
Between plays, he drifted 130 miles to the north to Los Angeles "to explore more serious acting opportunities" and made the permanent move to L.A. in 1979 to find work "on the narrow path comedy, rather than go through the main gate as a dramatic actor, like everybody else." He quickly developed a solo stand-up act that he describes as "a cross between Robin Williams and Andy Kaufman."
"I was more like a comic actor imitating a stnad-up comedian, doing different characters, voices and faces that transformed very rapidly in fromt of your very eyes," he explains.
Making $25 a night at the Improv in Hollywood, Richards was forced to take a day job driving a bus for a private school in the San Fernado Valley. With his former wife, Cass, also working part time, they somehow provided food and shelter for their daughter, Sophia, now 17.
Now on hiatus from SEINFELD and newly divorced, Richards hopes to spend as much time with his daughter as possible as she gets ready to attend Sarah Lawrence this fall as a business administration/television production major. They've discovered the joys of the great outdoors combined with mountain biking in the Santa Montica Mountains.
But the family had a very rough time untill Billy Crystal -- who became a friend while working in the L.A. clubs -- asked Richards to be a part of his first special for HBO. His screen debut brought him to the attention of ABC executives who signed him up for FRIDAYS (1980-82), their wrong answer to SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE.
Though largely ignored untill SEINFELD came along in 1989, Richards scored with scores of hefty TV guest shots, and put in a full season on the sitcom MARBLEHEAD MANOR (1987-88).
So far, his feature film career consists of brief appearances in such fare as TRANSYLVANIA 6-5000, YOUNG DOCTORS IN LOVE, WHOOPS, and PROBLEM CHILD. His next silver screen cameo role is scheduled to be released July 23; he portrays a motel guest in THE CONEHEADS, a spinoff from the SNL sketches staring Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtin.
"I'm still shooting for features and hope SEINFELD will help me get there," Richards says. "There has been also been talk about me doing a SEINFELD spinoff series -- with a huge amount of money at stake -- but I can't see how you can take Kramer away from the show without hurting it." But there would still be a chance of a spinoff, he says, "after SEINFELD is over."
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Let me add my two cents here.
I loved Mike on FRIDAYS, especially the kid with the mushroom cloud tee shirt who had the tunnels in the back yard and the biker character. And FRIDAYS itself was at least as good as the original SNL and definitely better than the transitional SNL that was on in that era. I think the problem with FRIDAYS was the night it was on and that it was competing against SCTV which was a great show. There was also the impression started by the critics that it was a cheap SNL knock-off and not worth viewing. I don't know if this writer means that FRIDAYS was the "wrong answer" in that if failed in the ratings (which was true) or that it was a bad show (which it certainly wasn't).
I've seen Michael in many parts and I know that I shouldn't think like this but I can't help but imagine those school kids waiting for the bus and when the doors open they see that their driver is KRAMER!
Richards also had a small part in CANNONBALL RUN II. His scenes were with Matt Frewer who is a great comic actor who has not gotten the recognition and parts, etc. that he deserves and is currently trapped in an awful series on Fox. And speaking of Fox, I heard that they are cancelling that great series, FLYING BLIND. What a shame. Does anyone know a name and address to write to complain about this travesty.
-Mathias