Andy Kaufman

Meet Andy Kaufman whose performance-art style comedy had the power to amuse, mystify, and (sometimes) offend during a short but brilliant run in the 1970s and 80s. A master of oddball characters, Andy first gained national fame with a groundbreaking spot on SNL in 1975, then in 1978 he took on the role of Latka the foreign mechanic on the smash TV sitcom Taxi. But fans who bought a ticket for his live show found themselves in a spectacle of edgy crowd work including a long-running bit in which Andy would wrestle female audience members for the "Intergender Wrestling Championship of the World." Was it all a put on? With Andy, who ever knew exactly where the line was drawn? As always find extra clips below and thanks for sharing our shows!

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Andy's breakout tv role was as Latka, a foreign mechanic, on Taxi. To take advantage of his range of characters, writers gave Latka multiple personality syndrome. But they all came from Latka, whose indecipherable accent was a staple at office water coolers during the show's run. https://youtu.be/NRKxPrFXbO0?si=ov1HyZXabHbyMfk_ 

Anyone who watched SNL in its early years remembers groundbreaking sketches and appearances and Andy's 1975 spot sure qualifies! https://youtu.be/Yxp23Gkvn9g?si=k-0shn_WLRLR4OJq

Andy had a thing for pro wrestling, eventually sparking a feud with Jerry "The King" Lawler that landed in David Letterman's lap in 1982. Was it all a fake? Andy never broke character! https://youtu.be/FL9PGJslS6A?si=Xxjc_YVHni8bxoGD