Andy Kaufman

Andy Kaufman cultivated his unique performance style from a young age, initially entertaining himself and then his younger siblings, before performing at children's birthday parties as a teenager. While attending Grahm Junior College, he discovered transcendental meditation, which he credited with providing the confidence to pursue his act in small Manhattan clubs and later at the Improv in Los Angeles. His career gained significant momentum after his debut on "Saturday Night Live" in 1975, leading to a regular role on the series "Taxi" starting in 1978. Kaufman's act, which ranged from brilliant to boring to bizarre, culminated in a notable 1979 performance at Carnegie Hall, where he famously arranged for 20 school buses to transport 2,800 audience members for milk and cookies after the show. He also appeared in the film "Heartbeeps" (1981), portraying a romantic robot alongside Bernadette Peters. As Kaufman's career progressed, his comedic approach often became darker and more confrontational, leading to instances where his audience found his acts offensive. This shift contributed to a decline in his popularity, notably when viewers voted him off "Saturday Night Live" in 1982 after his 14th appearance, and the subsequent cancellation of "Taxi" the following year. Late in 1983, he faced another significant setback when he was exiled from the Transcendental Meditation movement. Personally, Kaufman had a daughter at age 20 with a girlfriend, and later dated film editor Lynne Margulies. Near the end of 1983, a persistent cough led to a diagnosis of lung cancer. Despite his illness, he maintained a belief in his recovery, exploring various remedies including hypnotism and faith healing, until his death from lung cancer on May 16, 1984, at the age of 35. Fifteen years after his death, interest in Kaufman experienced a resurgence with the release of a memoir by his friend Bob Zmuda, "Andy Kaufman Revealed" (1999), a biography by Bill Zehme, "Lost in the Funhouse" (1999), and a biographical film starring Jim Carrey, which premiered in December 1999.