Andy Kaufman
FameRank: 6

"Andrew Geoffrey "Andy" Kaufman" was a popular and eccentric American entertainer, actor, and performance artist. While often referred to as a comedian, Kaufman did not consider himself to be one. He disdained telling jokes and engaging in comedy as it was traditionally understood, referring to himself instead as a "song-and-dance man." Pranks and elaborate ruses were major elements of his career. His body of work maintains a cult following and he continues to be respected for his original material, performance style, and unflinching commitment to character.

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If I play my cards right, I could bring network wrestling back to TV. Unfortunately, to most people, wrestling is a laughingstock. But fortunately, I'm reaching people who otherwise wouldn't watch it.

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I never told a joke in my life.

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What's real? What's not? That's what I do in my act, test how other people deal with reality.

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I try to please people, to give them a good time, but I refuse to make my act conform to traditional show-biz standards of entertainment. There's a little voice that says, 'Oh, no, you can't do that, that's breaking all the rules.' That's the voice of show business. Then this other little voice says, 'Try it.' And most of the time, when the voice comes on and says, 'No,' that's the time it works.

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I just want real reactions. I want people to laugh from the gut, be sad from the gut-or get angry from the gut.

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Pure entertainment is not an egotistical lady singing boring songs onstage for two hours and people in tuxes clapping whether they like it or not. It's the real performers on the street who can hold people's attention and keep them from walking away.

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When I perform, it's very personal. I'm sharing things I like, inviting the audience into my room.

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My mother sent me to psychiatrists since the age of four because she didn't think little boys should be sad. When my brother was born, I stared out the window for days. Can you imagine that?

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There's no drama like wrestling.

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