Andy Kaufman is a popular American showman, stand-up comedian and actor. He became famous for regularly arranging on stage an alternative to comedy in the usual sense of the term, skillfully mixing stand-up, pantomime and provocation. At the same time, he erased the line between imagination and reality. For this, he was often called the "Dadaist comedian." He never turned into a pop artist telling the audience funny stories. Instead, he began to manipulate their reactions. Often the people around him could not understand when he plays a role, and when he remains real.
Childhood and youth
Andy Kaufman was born in 1949. He was born in New York. As a child, he liked to put music on his gramophone, as well as play, imagining that he was facing an audience for which he was conducting a parody show. From the age of 8, he already arranged shows for his family.
At the same time, everyone noted that the boy had a strange sense of humor, which few understood. The father considered such occupations inappropriate for the child, because of this they regularly had disputes. At the age of 9, he was already entertaining other children at parties, putting cartoons and music records for them.
From the age of 14 he began to earn money, speaking in bars. In clubs, Andy Kaufman always refused to perform with the numbers that the audience expected from him. He was an original comedian who represented a whole theater of diverse actors.
Education
In youth, the hero of our article became interested in literature. He wrote stories and poems, and at the age of 16 he finished his first novel.
In 1967, he received a diploma of secondary education, before entering college in Boston, takes a break lasting one year. At this time, Andy Kaufman launches a television show called "Uncle Andy's Fun House".
In 1971, he went to Spain for several months, where he practiced in meditation classes.
Comedian career
Andy Kaufman's biography at first was very successful, his career quickly went uphill. He performed on Broadway. Participated in television broadcasts, starred in films.
On the big screen, he made his debut in the film "God asked me", appearing as a police officer in 1976. Among the films of Andy Kaufman, it is also worth noting the paintings "Do not leave," "We Believe in God," "Heart Signals," "Miss Piggy's Fantastic Show." His most striking image is Latka Gravas in the comedy sitcom Taxi.
Interestingly, Kaufman was often called a comedian, although he did not consider himself to be such. He never participated in comedies or joked, at least in the traditional way. He stated that he was an artist of the theater of the absurd. In his rooms, he managed to evoke a wide variety of feelings from the audience - from disgust and numbness to unbridled laughter.
For example, during one of the speeches, comedian Andy Kaufman began to talk about fictional difficulties in the family and the impending bankruptcy, and then he began to ask alms from the audience.
Popular performances
Many remember his benefit at Carnegie Hall in New York. At the very beginning of the performance, he invited his grandmother to the stage, set her down so that she was comfortable watching the show. At the very end, it turned out that under the mask of an old woman hid actor Robin Williams.
In 1981, the hero of our article three times took part in the ABC Live Friday show. During his first speech, he talked about four people who met during dinner, and then took turns going to the toilet to smoke marijuana. Right during the sketch, he left the image, refusing to utter a cue. Then his partner Michael Richards threw the script text at him. In response, Kaufman poured water over him. The angry producer ran out onto the set, the show quickly went on advertising.
In the second issue, he sang with Katie Sullivan, and then said that he believed in Jesus, and with Katie they were long secret lovers, they were going to get married soon. All this was untrue. The third time, he sketched a drug addict, and then had to announce a punk band that was behind the curtains. Instead, he began to talk about the dangers of drugs, talking for so long until the show had to go to another advertisement.
Since 1983, his own show began to appear. Each time it began in the middle of the interview, during which Kaufman began to laugh hysterically.
One of his most famous characters is Tony Clifton. Kaufman himself claimed that he and Tony were completely different people, some even believed that it was not the same person.
Clifton was a presumptuous, dumb and insensitive salon singer who performed with a big belly and in huge dark glasses. In the midst of his performances, he liked to begin to rhyme completely unrelated words and insult the audience. Often, the audience threw it at all that came to hand. To give a greater effect, he often wore a bulletproof vest for performance or hid behind a nylon mesh.
The speech was aimed at provocation, Kaufman tried to get him literally kicked off the stage. As soon as the audience knew that Kaufman was Tony, he went into the hall and began to watch his own performance. As a rule, in such cases one of his friends changed clothes in Tony.
End claimed that he met Tony in one of the nightclubs in the early 70s, and in 1977 asked for the first time to open his performance. A year later, he officially hired him for joint concerts.
It is noteworthy that when the comedian signed a contract to participate in the Taxi sitcom, he demanded that Clifton be guaranteed at least four episodes with his participation. As a result, he never appeared in the series, as he was fired for a row with prostitutes in the office of the company.
Wrestling fights
At that time, wrestling became popular in America. Kaufman was inspired by his theatricality, as well as his own penchant for hoaxes. He became the first in the world to participate in battles against women. As a result, he was even proclaimed world champion in inter-gender wrestling.
He first appeared in the ring in 1977, announcing that he was ready to pay a thousand dollars to any woman who could overcome him.
Many considered these speeches offensive to the fairer sex. As a result, he even had to admit that he was not a real fighter, but only wanted to resurrect carnivals when fighters walked around the cities, offering money to anyone who could defeat them.
In total, he spent about 400 fights, leaving the ring undefeated. America was shocked by such sexism and rudeness. Feminists sent him angry letters daily.
Personal life
Kaufman never married in his life. At the same time, his illegitimate daughter grew up, the existence of which he did not know until his death.
Presumably her name is Maria Colonna.
Death
The state of the comedian worsened in the early 80s. At first there was a terrible cough, which progressed rapidly. As a result of the examination, the doctors did not find anything, and the symptom soon disappeared on its own.
A month later, the cough returned, then only managed to make a diagnosis - lung cancer. In addition, the disease was in an advanced stage, the operation was impossible. Doctors gave him three months, he lived for almost five. Andy Kaufman died on May 16, 1984.
Fight for life
Many until the very end did not believe that the popular artist was terminally ill. He himself fought as best he could. He visited doctors, went to the procedures, continuing to speak. He even went to the Philippines to the famous healer, who claimed to carry out operations without tools, only with the help of his hands. But nothing helped.
A few days before his death, he fulfilled his childhood dream by performing at Carnegie Hall. He staged a large-scale performance with the participation of Santa Claus, the dead were resurrected on stage, and the audience was treated with milk and cookies. But the food was not handed out in the hall, Kaufman convinced everyone to take the buses he had previously rented to his favorite bakery.
It was there that they announced his death. Many, learning about the death of a comedian, sincerely believed that this was a joke, since Andy often claimed in reality that he would like to imitate his death.
Oil was added to the fire by the constant appearance of his most famous character, Tony Clifton, in nightclubs already years after the funeral of the hero of our article.
Resurrection
29 years after the comedian’s death, his brother Michael said at the Kaufman award ceremony that his brother was actually alive and well. Confirmation of this was allegedly a note found in the things of the deceased in 1984.
According to Andy, on the eve of Christmas, Michael was to meet with his brother in a restaurant in New York. Kaufman did not come to the meeting, but they handed him a letter stating that he had fallen in love and became the father of the girl. At the same time, the author of the letter asked to keep this information a secret until their father dies. It happened in 2013.
Soon, a 24-year-old girl appeared, who stated that she was the daughter of Kaufman. She claimed that her father was alive, closely following the award ceremonies of his name. The girl was Lynn Margulis, who released a book a year later, admitting that the comedian’s death was a hoax, he soon had to explain everything, since the duration of the joke was limited to 30 years.
At the moment, Kaufman has not appeared in public.
"Man on the moon"
In 1999, Milos Forman directed the biographical drama "Man on the Moon", dedicated to the biography of Andy Kaufman. Jim Carrey in the film played the role of a popular comedian.
The picture is based on the real life story of a comedian. The main roles in it were also played by Courtney Love and Danny De Vito.
The film tells about the life of Kaufman, starting from childhood, when he spoke in front of toy animals, ending with his death from lung cancer.
In 2017, the documentary "Jim and Andy" appeared, which talked about the filming of this film. Viewers are told in detail about how Kerry turned into popular images of his predecessor, as a result, the filming process for many has become a true madness, many have ceased to distinguish Kerry from Kaufman.
Song Mention
Andy Kaufman is mentioned in several song lyrics at once, moreover, they are performed by foreign and domestic performers. The song Man on the moon, dedicated to the actor, was written by the group REM
In 2010, the album "Demon Theater" released the composition of the group "King and the Jester" "Andy Kaufman". The text of the work immediately became popular among fans. It details about one of the most famous hoaxes in the world.
This guy is a reflection
Those nonsense that we have accumulated for years in ourselves.
The viewer asks to continue.
Recently it has been discussed everywhere:
Like, Andy Kaufman can split,
The show will begin
Put on everyone!
Give the heat!
Chorus:
Hey, believe that your success is not a dream.
The hall laughs with you in unison.
That for many you are a man from the moon,
Only part of your game.
And again in his own manner
He, breaking stereotypes, shock the audience.
Yes! He is the best in this field!
Created a very unusual stage image;
After all, Andy Kaufman is a noble provocateur.
The jester laughs, and the conservative is angry.
The song "Andy Kaufman" immediately became popular among fans of this group.