Andy Kaufman

Andy Kaufman

Andrew Geoffrey "Andy" Kaufman (January 17, 1949 - May 16, 1984) was a popular and eccentric American entertainer, actor, and performance artist. Andy Kaufman took comedy and performance art to the edges of irrationality and blurred the dividing line between reality and imagination. Impressed by his abilities, Lorne Michaels asked Kaufman to appear on the inaugural broadcast of Saturday Night Live (October 11, 1975). Probably best known for his work as Latka on the TV sitcom Taxi, Andy also appeared in several TV shows and movies, on Broadway, did a one man show at Carnegie Hall, enjoyed a brief professional wrestling career, and performed in concerts nationwide. R.E.M. wrote the hit 1992 song "Man on the Moon" about Kaufman, and Jim Carrey portrayed Kaufman in the 1999 film of the same name.