About Andy Kaufman
Andy Kaufman (January 17, 1949 - May 16, 1984) was an American entertainer and performance artist, sometimes called an "anti-comedian." He disdained telling jokes in the traditional sense, once saying, "I am not a comic, I have never told a joke." After working in small comedy clubs in the early 1970s, he reached a wider audience in 1975 when he performed portions of his act on the first season of Saturday Night Live. His Foreign Man character, who claimed to be from a fictional island in the Caspian Sea, became the basis for Latka Gravas on the television show Taxi from 1978 to 1983, a role for which he received Golden Globe nominations. Kaufman also appeared as the abrasive lounge singer Tony Clifton and brought a professional wrestling villain act to Late Night with David Letterman in 1982. He died of lung cancer in 1984 at age 35, and persistent rumors have circulated that he faked his own death.
Videos (117)
Videos 25 to 48 of 117.
1:14You can be optimisitc and mitigate risk at the same time
62 views
0:49Cobb’s Paradox: If We Know Why Projects Fail, Why Do They Still Fail?
62 views
50:06Why Better AI Prompts Aren’t Enough for Better Decisions, with author Cheryl Strauss Einhorn
62 views
1:05If its not enforced, they're not coming in
62 views
0:40Surprising Research about Small Talk
58 views
1:48Stop Running on Adrenaline: Design Work That Actually Works
57 views
0:46This expert says Don't Get a Career in A
55 views
0:59Do you remember back when you didn't care
54 views
2:24Stop trying to look like everything is polished and perfect
52 views
58:22Never Settling for Less: Why You’re Leaving Value on the Table, with Attia Qureshi
47 views
0:36How to Network Without Feeling Sleazy (Give First & Grow Your PM Career)
47 views
0:24The Loneliest Job in Project Management (And How to Fix It)
47 views
1:07:54Overcoming the Inner Propaganda That Sabotages Projects and Teams, with Owen Fitzpatrick
45 views
1:16Leadership in Chaos: Stop Watching From the Balcony
44 views
57:59Are Smarter AI Tools Making Us Less Capable?, with LEGO® Serious Play® co-creator Johan Roos
44 views
0:58You're like an LLM. Here's what I mean.
43 views
42:25Thriving in an Age of AI: What Most Leaders Are Getting Wrong About the Future, with Fred Marshall
42 views
0:54Over-indexing on Caring
42 views
1:16The Leadership Habit That Creates More Time for Strategic Thinking
42 views
2:35Using AI to Help With That Difficult Stakeholder
42 views
0:44It's not repressing emotions but regulating them
41 views
0:53Are You Living Your Natural Strengths, or Learned Ones
41 views
1:23Your Degree Isn’t Your Potential
40 views
0:42One Sentence That Shuts People Down
40 viewsGuest appearances (13)
Videos on other comedians' channels featuring Andy Kaufman.
Guest appearances 1 to 13 of 13.
6:28Andy Kaufman's Elvis Presley Impression | Carson Tonight Show
Johnny Carson
10.4M views
8:13Andy Kaufman Impersonates Elvis Presley and Foreign Man | Carson Tonight Show
Johnny Carson
3.9M views
2:39Andy Kaufman on Staying in Character | August 4th, 1977
Johnny Carson
1.3M views
3:00Andy Kaufman as Dr. Vinnie Boombatz (1983)
Jacob Rodney Cohen
994.6K views
15:02Andy Kaufman Talks About Foreign Man and Staying in Character | Carson Tonight Show
Johnny Carson
604.6K views
10:49Andy Kaufman's First Appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Pt. 2 - 01/21/1977
Johnny Carson
604.2K views
2:04Andy Kaufman Foreign Man Impression, Part 1 on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show
Johnny Carson
162.2K views
5:43Andy Kaufman's First Appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Pt.1 - 01/21/1977
Johnny Carson
109.5K views
0:44Rodney finally put a face to the name when he cast Andy Kaufman as Dr. Vinnie Boombatz.
Jacob Rodney Cohen
37.5K views
1:44WTF - Bob Zmuda on Andy Kaufman vs Tony Clifton
Marc Maron
21K views
1:18Kevin Nealon on Andy Kaufman
Neal Brennan
17.9K views
3:54Uncle Floyd Show: Ed Screwy and Sandy Kaufman
Floyd Vivino
1.9K views
1:00Andy Kaufman gets Star on Walk of Fame
Nick Vatterott
231 viewsChannels on this page: Johnny Carson, Jacob Rodney Cohen, Marc Maron, Neal Brennan, Floyd Vivino, Nick Vatterott
Frequently asked questions
Why was Andy Kaufman called an anti-comedian?
Andy Kaufman disdained telling jokes in the traditional sense and once said, "I am not a comic, I have never told a joke." The American entertainer is also described as a performance artist.
How did Andy Kaufman get famous?
After working small comedy clubs in the early 1970s, Kaufman reached a wider audience in 1975 by performing parts of his act on the first season of Saturday Night Live.
Who was Latka Gravas?
Latka Gravas was Kaufman's role on Taxi from 1978 to 1983, based on his Foreign Man character who claimed to come from a fictional island in the Caspian Sea. The role brought him Golden Globe nominations.
Who was Tony Clifton?
Tony Clifton was an abrasive lounge singer played by Andy Kaufman.
Did Andy Kaufman do wrestling?
Yes, he brought a professional wrestling villain act to Late Night with David Letterman in 1982.
When did Andy Kaufman live?
Andy Kaufman was born on January 17, 1949, and died on May 16, 1984, at age 35.
