ANDY KAUFMANAndy Kaufman, the American entertainer and actor, reportedly died - though the matter remains one of contention - on 16 May, 1984. He was 35.Mr Kaufman was usually described as a comedian though he often dismissed this term, preferring to label himself as a song and dance man.He was probably best known for his appearances in the sitcom Taxi and subversive routines on Saturday Night Live, though also for the persistent rumours that he faked his own death.Mr Kaufman was born in New York City on 17 January, 1949, to parents Janice and Stanley Kaufman. He spent his early years living in the Long Island area of New York. He first began performing at the age of nine while still at school. Andy attended Grahm Junior College in Boston and graduated in 1971. Upon leaving college Mr Kaufman began performing stand-up in various East Coast comedy clubs.As part of his act Mr Kaufman developed several characters. Many of these characters would tell purposefully bad jokes and make terrible impressions of famous Americans. One of these characters was only known as 'Foreign Man'. A variation of this routine appeared on the first ever episode of Saturday Night Live in October, 1975. The lack of quality was all part of the act but it often confused the audience who were never sure whether they should be angry at having to sit through such an awful performance or whether they should feel sorry for a performer who would cry if he was heckled.Confusing and tricking the audience was a staple of Mr Kaufman's performance. Once he had convinced them he was hopeless he would often launch into a near perfect impression of Elvis Presley that the singer himself said was his favourite. This would be when the audience would realise they were watching someone with a great deal of talent.The 'Foreign Man' character was used as the template for Mr Kaufman's character Latka Gravas in the American sitcom Taxi which he appeared in from 1978 to 1983. This was a surprise considering Mr Kaufman was notoriously not a fan of sitcoms and was not thrilled about the idea of being in one as he thought they were too limiting. In order to get round this, the script writers gave Mr Kaufman's character a multiple personality disorder so that he could play several characters in the same show.Mr Kaufman became such a hit that he was nominated for two Golden Globes in 1979 and 1980. The programme was a huge hit and brought Mr Kaufman to the attention of a wide audience. However, the side effects of this popularity were not always to Mr Kaufman's liking as many people would turn up to his stand-up shows and expect him to be in character. This compounded his belief that sitcoms were limiting.Despite his success in sitcom, Mr Kaufman is best loved for his performance art and comedy. One of his live shows ended with the entertainer taking the entire audience out for milk and cookies and telling them that if they wanted to meet him on the Staten Island Ferry the following morning he would continue his performance for them. Moments like this became Mr Kaufman's hallmark.Mr Kaufman also enhanced his reputation by appearing several times on Saturday Night Live, performing the full range of his characters and impersonations.After Thanksgiving dinner in 1983, many of his family members became concerned about the persistent cough that Mr Kaufman had developed. He was soon diagnosed with lung cancer. He was told that he did not have long to live and fans were soon shocked by his gaunt appearance.On 16 May, 1984, he died in Los Angeles of kidney failure caused by cancer. He was 35. Although he was mourned by his army of fans, many others gave rise to the theory that Mr Kaufman was not actually dead. The day after he died someone phoned the Howard Stern radio show and claimed that his death was a hoax. Outlandish as they may seem, these claims were supported by the fact that Mr Kaufman never smoked, drank very little and was also a vegetarian.Despite reports of his death, many people refuse to believe it and have set about compiling evidence to prove their theory. It is believed that at the time of his death Mr Kaufman was writing a screenplay about a man who claimed to have lung cancer and faked his own death.But despite the dearth of rumours, it remains likely that Mr Kaufman died as was reported. His death certificate is on file with the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services and can also be seen on the internet.Nevertheles s the mystery has only heightened his legend. The band R.E.M. dedicated two songs to his memory and the myths surrounding his life, Man on the Moon and The Great Beyond, and a film starring Jim Carrey, also called Man on the Moon, told the strange story of his life in 1999.
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