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 49 to 72 of 117.
1:12Information Overload
38 views
0:45Protecting the Schedule
37 views
0:52The Shocking Cost of Multitasking
37 views
1:05Why Leading People Is Harder Than Managing Projects
37 views
49:05Hope Is Not a Strategy… Or Is It?, with author Jen Fisher
36 views
0:49Time Swiftly Washes Away the Obvious
36 views
0:42Joy and Stress Aren’t Opposites
34 views
1:13The Toughest Loving Thing a Leader Can Say, from Marcus Buckingam
34 views
3:02What if you made all meetings optional?
33 views
2:25I know what to do but I forgot why
32 views
1:02How Self-Sabotage Holds You Back (And What Successful Leaders Do Instead)
32 views
1:01Whose responsibility is it for me to have a meaningful experience at work
29 views
1:26Micromanaging Starts Here: The Leadership Mistake Most Bosses Miss
29 views
0:465 Leadership Habits That Separate Great Leaders From Everyone Else
29 views
0:46Why Helping Too Much Leads to Burnout (And What to Do Instead)
28 views
0:49From kicking and screaming to learning
28 views
0:54Double Your Success With One Simple Step
27 views
0:53Having a relentless optimizer mindset
27 views
0:53Why Some Systems Don't Seem Fair (And What They're Really Rewarding)
27 views
1:19Aim for being a Less Terrible manager
27 views
1:08Dr Kings Perspective on Others
27 views
0:41Rebuilding requires ownership
26 views
46:42When Process Is Not Enough: The Human Side of Project Leadership, with Brett Harned
25 views
0:43Don't find additional reasons to be unemployable
24 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.
