Persons [ ] I never told a joke in my life | Andy Kaufman, 1949-1984

Andy Kaufman

“While all the other kids were out playing ball and stuff, I used to stay in my room and imagine that there was a camera in the wall. And I used to really believe that I was putting on a television show and that it was going out to somewhere in the world.”

“I thought Doodyville was inside of the television. You know, like, if television was this box – and if I went inside the box that was a television, I’d be in Doodyville.”

“My parents would say, ‘Why don’t you go out and play?’ and I would say, ‘I can’t! I’m putting on my shows!'”

“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?”

“It’s not that I was crazy. It’s just that I was sad at times because the world was sad at times. When I would perform, it wasn’t sad anymore.”

“The more they hate you, the better you’re doing.”

“Tony Clifton and I don’t even look alike. He smokes and drinks, and I do neither. He’s a big fat guy, and if it weren’t for me, no one would know who he is.”

“I see the world as an illusion, and we shouldn’t take ourselves so seriously.”

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

“Whenever I play a role, whether it’s good or bad, an evil person or nice person, I believe in being a purist and going all the way with the role. If I’m going to be a villainous wrestler, I believe in going all the way with it and not breaking character and not giving away to the audience that I’m playing a role. I believe in playing it straight to the hilt.”

“There’s no drama like wrestling.”

“There’s no way to describe what I do. It’s just me.”

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

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

“I never told a joke in my life.”

“Tank you veddy much.”

Andy Kaufman, 1949-1984
anti-comedian

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In 1992, the band R.E.M. released the song “Man on the Moon”, a tribute to Kaufman.

Jim Carrey portrayed Kaufman in the 1999 biopic film Man on the Moon, directed by Miloš Forman. The film took its title from R.E.M.’s song of the same name.