Andy kaufman biography 2/4 time signature

American entertainer (1949–1984)

This article is about the entertainer. For the former basketball player, see Andy Kaufmann.

Andrew Geoffrey Kaufman (KOWF-mən;^[1] January 17, 1949 – May 16, 1984^[2]) was an American entertainer and performance artist.

He has sometimes been called an "anti-comedian".^[3] He disdained telling jokes and engaging in comedy as it was traditionally understood, once saying in an interview, "I am not a comic, I have never told a joke.

The comedian's promise is that he will go out there and make you laugh with him. My only promise is that I will try to entertain you as best I can."^[4]

After working in small comedy clubs in the early 1970s, Kaufman came to the attention of a wider audience in 1975, when he was invited to perform portions of his act on the first season of Saturday Night Live.

His Foreign Man character was the basis of his performance as Latka Gravas on the hit television show