Andy Kaufman

A comic genius well ahead of his time, Andy Kaufman pushed the envelope in a series of performance pieces that challenged the very idea of the entertainer-audience relationship, while also confounding a public unsure whether or not his gags were reality or fiction. In fact, Kaufman possessed a rare courage and discipline to stay completely in character, regardless of the outcry elicited by his seemingly erratic behavior. Meanwhile, he made a name for himself on the comedy circuits of New York and Los Angeles, eliciting nervous laughter as the high-talking Foreign Man who often transformed into a dead-on impression of Elvis Presley, or singing the theme to "Mighty Mouse" after standing around in nervous silence, or reading from The Great Gatsby until audience members stormed out. Having first entered America's living rooms via "Saturday Night Live" (NBC, 1975- ), Kaufman's Foreign Man was transformed into Latka Gravas on the hit sitcom "Taxi" (ABC/NBC, 1978-1983), where he emerged as one of the show's most beloved stars. Subsequent antics ensued, most notably his famed Carnegie Hall performance after which he took the entire audience out for milk and cookies. He also starred on "The Andy Kaufman Show" (1980), while marking numerous appearances on late night programs, including multiple stops on "Late Night with David Letterman" (NBC, 1982-1993). Though he incurred the wrath of feminists by wrestling women while hurling misogynist invective, Kaufman nonetheless maintained his strange ability to keep audiences guessing as to where the performer ended and the real Andy Kaufman began. Though some believed he was pulling yet another prank when he revealed he had cancer, Kaufman was finally being real with his fans. Although he died young, the comic left behind an indelible legacy as a bold and provocative performer the likes of which the world would probably not see again.