Dana Stanley is best known as the former wife of actor Richard Kind, but her own career tells a much quieter and more meaningful story. While Kind became famous through Mad About You, Spin City, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Inside Out, and decades of character roles, Dana worked with Project ALS, an organization focused on raising money and accelerating research into amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Northwestern University’s archives identify her as an executive director of the organization.
Dana and Richard married in New York City in November 1999. Their wedding had a particularly famous best man: Richard’s longtime friend George Clooney. The couple went on to have three children before separating in 2014, and biographical records now place the end of their marriage in 2018.
Unlike many people connected with Hollywood stars, Dana never appeared interested in turning her marriage into a celebrity career. Even after nearly two decades with a recognizable actor, reliable information about her current private life remains limited.
Why Is Dana Stanley Known?
Most people discover Dana Stanley while looking into Richard Kind’s personal life.
Richard has spent decades playing memorable supporting characters. His face is familiar even to viewers who may not immediately remember his name.
Dana entered the public story when she married him in 1999.
Yet describing her only as Richard Kind’s ex-wife misses an important part of her background.
Northwestern University’s archive of Richard’s papers specifically describes Dana as an executive director of Project ALS, an organization raising money for research into ALS, commonly called Lou Gehrig’s disease.
That gives Dana an identity completely separate from Hollywood.
A natural related topic would be Richard Kind’s life, career, children, and friendship with George Clooney.
When Was Dana Stanley Born?
Dana Stanley’s exact date of birth is not reliably established in major public sources.
Several newer biography websites publish ages or other early-life information about her, but those details are difficult to trace back to authoritative records.
This creates a common problem with celebrity-family biographies.
Once someone becomes searchable because of a famous spouse, websites often repeat one another until an unsupported detail begins to look confirmed.
For Dana, it is safer not to give a precise birthday or age without stronger documentation.
Her parents, siblings, childhood, and exact birthplace have also remained largely outside the public record.
Did Dana Stanley Attend Columbia University?
Some recent biographies identify Dana as a graduate of Columbia University.
However, this detail is much less firmly documented than her Project ALS career, marriage, and children.
Northwestern University’s Richard Kind archive confirms her nonprofit role but does not provide a detailed educational biography for Dana.
For that reason, claims about Columbia should be treated as reported rather than definitively established unless an original university or professional biography becomes available.
What is much clearer is that Dana developed a serious professional identity outside entertainment.
What Is Project ALS?
Project ALS is associated with efforts to support research into amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.
ALS is a progressive neurological disease that affects nerve cells involved in controlling voluntary muscles.
Dana’s connection with this work is one of the strongest independently documented facts about her career.
Northwestern University’s archive describes her as an executive director of Project ALS, while IMDb similarly identifies her as the organization’s executive director and explains that it raises money for research into Lou Gehrig’s disease.
This was not simply a social title attached to a celebrity spouse.
It represented professional nonprofit work connected with a serious medical cause.
Was Dana Stanley an Actress?
There is no strong evidence that Richard Kind’s former wife built a professional acting career.
This is worth clarifying because searching “Dana Stanley” can produce records belonging to other people with the same name.
One IMDb page, for example, identifies a Dana Stanley connected with the 2025 project You Fired a Fashion Icon. There is not enough evidence to conclude that this is Richard Kind’s former wife.
The documented Dana Stanley associated with Richard is better known for her Project ALS work.
Confusing two people simply because they share a name can easily create a false biography.
How Did Dana Stanley Meet Richard Kind?
Reliable sources provide surprisingly little detail about their first meeting.
They were together by the late 1990s, when Richard was already an established television actor.
He had appeared on Mad About You and was playing Paul Lassiter on Spin City.
Later accounts tell a memorable story about Richard’s proposal.
Richard reportedly considered eight his lucky number and designed his proposal around it. He arranged the moment around August 8, 1997, an address on West 88th Street, and a time connected with the number eight.
Then came the unexpected part.
Dana reportedly said no.
She later reconsidered and accepted his proposal.
The story has circulated in profiles of Richard and their relationship, although the strongest archival sources focus more on the marriage itself than every detail of the proposal.
When Did Dana Stanley Marry Richard Kind?
Dana and Richard married in November 1999.
IMDb gives the date as November 14, 1999 and says the ceremony took place in New York City’s Central Park.
Historical photographs from the event identify the location as the Park View Restaurant at the Boathouse in Central Park, although one photo archive dates the event to November 13. This creates a minor one-day discrepancy between archival captions and IMDb’s marriage record.
The broader facts are clear.
It was a Central Park wedding in November 1999.
And one of Richard’s closest friends played an important role.
Was George Clooney Really Richard Kind’s Best Man?
Yes.
George Clooney served as Richard Kind’s best man when he married Dana.
IMDb records the detail, and the Los Angeles Times later mentioned it while covering Clooney’s own wedding celebrations.
The connection was not simply a Hollywood publicity friendship.
Richard and George had known each other since before Clooney became one of the biggest movie stars in the world.
They had worked together during their earlier acting years, and Clooney even lived in Richard’s Los Angeles apartment before landing ER.
Their friendship became famous partly because Richard has told stories about the elaborate practical jokes Clooney played on him.
A useful internal-link opportunity would be Richard Kind and George Clooney’s decades-long friendship and funniest stories.
Who Is Richard Kind?
Richard Kind was born on November 22, 1956, in Trenton, New Jersey.
He became one of Hollywood’s most recognizable character actors.
Rather than building his career around being a traditional leading man, Richard became known for supporting characters who could be funny, irritating, emotional, or surprisingly sympathetic.
His television work includes Mad About You, Spin City, Scrubs, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Gotham, and Red Oaks. Northwestern’s archive also documents his extensive Broadway career.
His movie and voice work is equally broad.
He appeared in A Serious Man, Argo, and Beau Is Afraid and voiced characters in A Bug’s Life, Cars, Toy Story 3, and Inside Out.
For many younger viewers, Richard’s voice as Bing Bong in Inside Out may be his most memorable performance.
How Many Children Did Dana Stanley and Richard Kind Have?
Dana and Richard have three children.
Northwestern University’s archive identifies their older daughter as Skyler and says she was born around 2002. It identifies Samantha and Max as twins born around 2005.
IMDb also lists their children as Max, Skyler, and Samantha Kind.
The spelling of Skyler’s name varies slightly in some public sources, with “Skylar” also appearing.
Because the children have not all chosen major public careers, their privacy matters.
There is no reason to turn ordinary details about their personal lives into speculation simply because their father is famous.
What Was Dana and Richard Kind’s Family Life Like?
Their family was strongly connected with New York City.
By the time reports emerged about their separation in 2014, Dana, Richard, and their three children were living on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that their older daughter was 11 and the twins were 9 at the time.
This was also the period when Richard was maintaining an extremely busy career.
He moved between television, movies, theater, voice acting, and guest appearances.
Dana, meanwhile, had her nonprofit work and motherhood.
Their household therefore existed somewhat differently from the usual Hollywood image.
Richard was a famous working actor, but their family base was New York rather than a publicity-centered Los Angeles lifestyle.
Did Dana Stanley Attend Hollywood Events?
Yes, Dana occasionally appeared publicly with Richard.
But she never developed a large celebrity identity of her own.
That difference is important.
There are celebrity spouses who build social-media brands, television careers, or businesses around their famous relationships.
Dana did not appear to follow that route.
Her public appearances were generally connected either with Richard’s work or charitable activities.
Her professional identity remained associated with Project ALS rather than entertainment.
When Did Dana Stanley and Richard Kind Separate?
News of their separation became public in January 2014.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported that the couple were separating after about 14 years of marriage and described the split, citing Closer Weekly, as amicable.
Richard was approached about the story while attending the Sundance Film Festival.
His reaction showed where his priorities were.
Rather than publicly discuss the breakup, he expressed concern about his children learning private family information through the press.
That response also explains why relatively little reliable information exists about what caused the separation.
Neither Dana nor Richard turned the breakup into a public media battle.
Why Did Dana Stanley and Richard Kind Divorce?
The exact reason for the end of their marriage has not been reliably disclosed.
This is an area where biography websites can easily go too far.
A couple separating does not automatically prove infidelity, constant arguments, financial problems, or any other dramatic explanation.
The 2014 reporting described the separation as amicable. Richard declined to discuss the details publicly.
Unless Dana or Richard provides a fuller account, the responsible conclusion is simply that their marriage ended after many years together.
Anything beyond that would be speculation.
When Did Dana Stanley and Richard Kind Divorce?
There is some confusion online because the separation became public in 2014.
However, current biographical records list their marriage as lasting from 1999 to 2018.
So 2014 appears to represent the public separation rather than the final end date recorded for the marriage.
This distinction explains why different websites give different years.
The simplest timeline is:
They married in 1999, separated publicly in 2014, and their marriage is now recorded as ending in 2018.
How Long Were Dana and Richard Kind Married?
Using the currently recorded marriage dates, their marriage lasted about 19 years.
That is a significant period of both their lives.
Richard’s career changed considerably during those years.
When they married, he was especially known for television comedy.
By the time their marriage ended, his résumé included major stage performances, respected independent films, animated hits, and dramatic work.
Dana was beside him through much of that journey while maintaining a career outside acting.
Did Dana Stanley Remarry?
There is no strong public evidence confirming that Dana remarried after her relationship with Richard ended.
Similarly, no reliably documented current partner appears consistently in reputable coverage.
That does not mean she has remained single.
It simply means her romantic life is private.
Dana was never especially public even while married to a famous actor, so it makes sense that her life after divorce would attract even less reliable reporting.
Where Is Dana Stanley Now?
Dana has maintained a very low public profile since the end of her marriage.
There is no strong 2026 reporting establishing a new celebrity-facing career, marriage, or major public project.
Older authoritative records establish her connection with Project ALS, but claims about her exact current role should be made carefully unless supported by a newer organizational record.
This is an important difference between saying what Dana did professionally and assuming she still holds exactly the same title today.
Her current private life remains largely her own.
Is Dana Stanley Still Connected to Richard Kind?
They will always share an important family connection because they have three children together.
Beyond that, neither has publicly offered a detailed account of their present relationship.
Their separation was initially described as amicable.
There has also been no widely reported public feud comparable with many high-profile celebrity divorces.
That does not tell us everything about their private relationship.
But it does mean there is no good reason to invent conflict where none has been reliably reported.
What Is Dana Stanley’s Net Worth?
Dana Stanley’s personal net worth is not reliably verified.
Some celebrity biography sites publish specific estimates.
Those figures generally lack documentation showing her salary, assets, investments, property ownership, divorce settlement, or other information required to calculate an individual fortune.
Richard Kind has enjoyed a long and successful acting career.
But Richard’s earnings cannot simply be presented as Dana’s personal wealth.
Likewise, working as a nonprofit executive does not provide enough information to calculate her net worth.
The accurate answer is that her finances remain private.
Is Dana Stanley Still Alive?
Yes, as far as credible public information indicates.
This question deserves clarification because searches for “Dana Stanley obituary” produce records for unrelated people with the same name.
For example, an obituary exists for a Dana Stanley who died in Georgia in June 2015 and was married to Thomas F. Stanley. That is clearly a different person.
Richard Kind’s former wife should not be confused with unrelated women who happen to share her name.
This is another reason careful identity checking matters when researching private celebrity relatives.
Why Is Dana Stanley’s Project ALS Work Important?
It changes the way her biography should be understood.
If someone knows Dana only through celebrity searches, her life can look like a simple story:
She married an actor.
Had children.
Got divorced.
Disappeared from publicity.
But her nonprofit career gives the story another dimension.
Northwestern’s archival description does not identify her simply as Richard’s wife. It specifically records her as an executive director of an organization raising money for research into Lou Gehrig’s disease.
That is meaningful work with an identity independent of Hollywood.
What Makes Dana Stanley Different From Many Celebrity Ex-Wives?
Privacy is the clearest difference.
Dana spent nearly two decades married to a recognizable actor.
Her husband was close friends with George Clooney.
She attended public events.
She lived in Manhattan.
And she raised three children while Richard maintained a highly visible entertainment career.
Yet there is still remarkably little reliable information about her private life.
That suggests privacy was not something Dana suddenly chose after divorce.
It appears to have been her normal approach throughout the marriage.
What Is Richard Kind Doing Now?
Richard has continued working steadily.
His career is a good example of something unusual in Hollywood: longevity without depending on traditional leading-man status.
He has spent decades moving easily between comedy and drama, live-action and animation, television and theater.
His performances in projects such as Mad About You, Spin City, A Serious Man, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Inside Out, and Beau Is Afraid have introduced him to several generations of audiences.
The relationship between Richard’s current career and Dana’s current life should not be overstated, however.
They are former spouses.
Their strongest continuing connection is their three children.
Interesting Facts About Dana Stanley
Dana Stanley married Richard Kind in New York City’s Central Park in November 1999, and George Clooney served as Richard’s best man.
She was professionally associated with Project ALS and is identified by Northwestern University’s archives as an executive director of the organization.
Dana and Richard have three children: Skyler, Samantha, and Max. Samantha and Max are twins.
The family lived on Manhattan’s Upper West Side during their marriage.
News of Dana and Richard’s separation became public in January 2014 and was described at the time as amicable.
Current biographical records list their marriage as ending in 2018.
Dana’s exact birth date, age, current relationship status, and personal net worth are not firmly established by reliable public records.
Why Does Dana Stanley Still Attract Interest?
Richard Kind has remained visible for decades.
Every new movie, television role, interview, or viral clip introduces another group of people to him.
Some then search for his personal life.
That leads naturally to Dana.
But what they discover is different from the usual celebrity-spouse story.
There is no giant social-media presence.
No constant interviews.
No public divorce drama.
No carefully constructed celebrity brand.
Instead, there is a woman whose strongest documented career connection involves ALS research fundraising and who raised three children while her husband built one of Hollywood’s most recognizable character-actor careers.
That quieter story may actually explain why people remain curious.
Final Thoughts
Dana Stanley became publicly recognizable because of Richard Kind, but she never appeared to build her identity around his fame.
When they married in Central Park in November 1999, Richard was already a successful television actor.
His close friend George Clooney stood beside him as best man.
It had all the ingredients of a Hollywood story.
But Dana’s life went in another direction.
Her documented professional work was connected with Project ALS, where she was identified as an executive director helping support research into Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Then came family life.
Dana and Richard welcomed three children.
First Skyler.
Then twins Samantha and Max.
They raised their family in New York while Richard continued moving between television, film, Broadway, and voice acting.
The marriage eventually changed.
In January 2014, news emerged that Dana and Richard were separating. The split was described as amicable, and Richard made it clear that he did not want to discuss private details publicly, particularly because of their children.
Current records place the final end of the marriage in 2018.
Since then, Dana has largely disappeared from celebrity coverage.
And perhaps that is exactly how her biography should be understood.
She was never primarily trying to become famous.
She had professional work outside Hollywood.
She became a mother of three.
She spent many years married to a successful actor.
And when that marriage ended, she did not appear to turn the breakup into a public career.
There are still major gaps in what the public knows.
Her exact birth date is uncertain.
Her current romantic life is private.
Her personal finances are unknown.
And detailed claims about what she is doing in 2026 are difficult to verify.
Those gaps should remain gaps rather than being filled with guesses.
The confirmed story is already enough: Dana Stanley spent nearly two decades married to Richard Kind, raised three children with him, and built a professional identity connected with a serious charitable cause rather than Hollywood fame.
For more carefully researched celebrity biographies and family stories, visit Charles Magazine.
FAQs About Dana Stanley
Who is Dana Stanley?
Dana Stanley is the former wife of actor Richard Kind and was professionally associated with Project ALS. Northwestern University’s archive identifies her as an executive director of the organization.
When did Dana Stanley marry Richard Kind?
Dana and Richard married in November 1999 in New York City’s Central Park. IMDb gives November 14 as their wedding date.
Did George Clooney attend Dana Stanley’s wedding?
Yes. George Clooney was Richard Kind’s best man. Their friendship began years before Clooney became one of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
How many children do Dana Stanley and Richard Kind have?
They have three children: daughters Skyler and Samantha and son Max. Samantha and Max are twins.
When did Dana Stanley and Richard Kind separate?
Their separation became public in January 2014 and was described as amicable. Current biographical records list the marriage as ending in 2018.
What does Dana Stanley do for a living?
The strongest documented professional information identifies Dana as an executive director of Project ALS. Her exact current professional role in 2026 is not firmly established by the sources reviewed.
Is Dana Stanley remarried?
There is no strong public evidence confirming that Dana has remarried. Her personal life after her separation from Richard Kind has remained private.
What is Dana Stanley’s net worth?
Dana Stanley’s individual net worth has not been reliably verified. Specific estimates published by celebrity websites should not be treated as confirmed financial information.
