Andy Kaufman on Letterman (September 22nd 1983) Part 1

[@johnvallett5515]

Aw poor Andy seemed like such a sweet guy, even tho he was a bit hard to take or understand, he was very unique and I've always liked him, shame his life was so short and we never got to see more of him, but he did a lot and made a massive impact in his short time, whether he was liked or disliked by people, interesting and entertaining if nothing else, :")

[@izzy430]

The guy that laughed at the end. Priceless.

[@stefio69]

That laugh in the background at 4:49 is glorious.

[@pauleytee8410]

Stefio hahaha, you bet 😂

[@HilltownCT]

Sounds like he was half in the bag. lol

[@jsfnnyc]

Rolling on the floor laughing

[@IMaDEM0N]

OH MY GOD... This must've been part of the influence for Jim Carrey's character in "Me, Myself & Irene"

[@juancpgo]

IMaDEM0N haha it seems so!

[@Alan_Page]

Definitely, when you consider Jim Carrey played Andy Kaufman in a movie.

[@gordongraham7552]

Aye he took a lot of inspiration from Andy for sure, you have to watch a documentary called “Jim and Andy”

[@MillerTheOfficialLoFi]

This mans lack of superficiality is quite admirable and refreshing.

[@letsif]

One of the most original performance artists. Led the way for Borat et al.

[@kylaasierra]

He is adorable

[@jonnytongaII]

i love that you wrote this...

[@captainpungent]

He gave off a childlike aura, and for all of his crazy antics it never made him seem mean spirited.

[@harloldjamser3962]

Tearing it UP! CONFUSION GLORIOUS

[@JPammo]

Andy Kauffman/gorgeous eyes

[@siray3232]

1:22 - I love the laugh in the background and Andy's confused reaction lmao

[@edwardrossman9448]

He wasnt confused - he was admonishing the audience for reacting for having a dirty mind when he said he is having fun with himself. But its all a gag anyway, its not as if he is really mad at the audience.

[@AndyOnLetterman]

I have seen it and I should have it. I'm still looking for it. Once I have it, it'll be up.

[@nahtesalinas1917]

AndyOnLetterman have you found it yet?.

[@taylormadeclowns]

Pure Genius.... That is some funny shit... He was the Greatest.....

[@Tyler-qh9jm]

Really?

[@oscarmorales-cn3hz]

So good!!!

[@theflorgeormix]

Andy was fascinating on a lot of levels as was Brother Theodore, genius written all over them, yet somehow tragic.

[@brankobelfranin8815]

Andy I know you are still in us.

[@sooowatsup100]

yeah . . . and that's what makes him more fascinating.

[@Karmathejedi1701]

this made me smile.....

[@BloodAndGutsTV]

Andy was a legend :)

[@caramelizeme]

he's so fucking personal. And the fact that you can't tell whether he's lying or not makes it such incredible entertainment.

[@AndyOnLetterman]

He did appear there on the 17th of November 1983. He was with those kids again and that was the last time he was there due to his death in 1984.

[@juancpgo]

Was he a genius? I don't know, I must say I don't get it all that he done. Do I admire him? A lot. Nobody did what he did, nobody went this far. He never explained anything, never got out of character. He never gave up, that is amazing to me, I don't know anybody else like that.

[@MisterNifty]

Juan Gonzalez You have to understand it was always 110 percent with Andy Kaufman. When all the other comedians were concerned with making money, Andy was more concerned with performing. They would be trying to climb the money tree and he would be out on the end of the branch jumping up and down. If you read the book about him, it seems from the time he was born to the time he died he was performing. When he got through with one performance, he would then go on to the next one. When he was in the hospital dying, he had his family performing role reversal in order to resolve issues. After he died, his funeral was a performance. To say that he was a comedian would be insulting. Comedians need the laugh, entertainers don't. To Andy, it didn't matter. It was all good.

[@juancpgo]

MisterNifty Yeah, he was amazing. I love this kind of person who you can never never break. Guys like Kaufman, Larry David, Buckethead, Aphex Twin, Prince... they build these mysterious personas and create a whole universe of inspiration. And they are all amazing as artists, at least to my personal senses. But I love comedians, I don't consider it a limiting term.

[@MisterNifty]

Juan Gonzalez See, but Andy was successful as a teenager. He was charging 25 bucks an hour to put on birthday parties while performing the same routines. He was a gut laugh. He broke you down first. Problem is, later on in his life he started taking drugs. Fortunately, he found his way into meditation. He then reintroduced many of the same routines he did to entertain kids. He was definitely a hoot. One in a billion.

[@scwt89]

Juan Gonzalez Richard D. James seems like a pretty normal person to me.

[@juancpgo]

scwt89 All the guys I mentioned seem to be normal to me. They are artists, they are about creativity. But “normal” is a term I can't really understand or define, human beings are so complex in this sense.

[@scissors656]

i hitch hiked twice in my life; and both time freaks.

[@jtluns9]

I've always wanted to adopt some little African kids. Andy was living the dream

[@fernandovargasmejia740]

Why?

[@jtluns9]

@@fernandovargasmejia740 they’re chick magnets. Dress em up in some tiny bling and give em a traditional black name like O’jay

[@ImJakeSrsly]

Wow, his "death" was less than a year from this interview.

[@croix1470]

nice quotes

[@Rammshtyn]

Jake James -What happened to his kids?

[@Worldofbubba]

Around 6 months later.

[@PrinzMidas]

I just wanted to write the same. And here, he don’t seem ill. It can go so fast!

[@barrypotter5751]

@@Rammshtyn I don't think Andy had any kids

[@bluestate69]

he plays off the audience just as much as he plays off of letterman. i've never seen a performer use the audience as part of the act. its so subtle.

[@ebbhead20]

and he made you think,which is always healthy,and some of his stuff like interactive tv,was way ahead of it`s time,today it`s seen as a normal thing. :-)

[@_maryade]

I read on Andy's website that he went there with his parent on January 7, 1983..would be great to see it as well..

[@tickedoffnow]

poor baby, rest in peace Andy, you are loved :) p.s: I understand your comedy completely!!!!

[@CaptainSpalding72]

Andy was bizarre, a freak, a genius, a madman- totally fucked in the head. The best part no one can ever copy him. He punked everyone, even those that didn't know it. IF you were watching Andy, he punked you.

[@dovestones]

Credit to both these guys for keeping a straight face inspite of knowing what is coming. I'm not sure I could do it.

[@irfanulhaq1]

i love kauffman hes awesome

[@joeydendron]

You many find that many things happened a certain number of days before you were born. EG Barbara Eden was on the cover of TV Times on the 18th September 1983, which was 6 days before you were born.

[@Brambleiah]

a real artist

[@NealhughHurwitz]

I think the guy is a critic!!! and damn good!!! just delivers the goods in a way hard for the "normal" folk to understand!!! Bravo to Letterman btw!!!

[@LT1HILLINGHOE]

He says that Taxi has been canceled, and that didn't happen until 1983. So, it appears this is in 1983.

[@unclesporkums]

@AndyOnLetterman I only saw a clip of his last appearence once on Trio. He brought a clip of "The Big Chill" with him because "I liked it."

[@jibberjabberr]

OMG this is me, myself and Irene. Genius.

[@melizzafreeman8938]

This man is a real comedian

[@JaKeW138]

Melizza Freeman he isn't a comedian. He never told a joke

[@stevenanthony6223]

Taking your audience out for milk and cookies i dont think will ever be topped. He loved fuckin with peoples minds.

[@juancpgo]

Steven Anthony interesting point

[@horsesflu]

I was born on this very day, on this very year.

[@kolst8406]

Yes,this is 9/22/83. The unanswered question is whether he appeared on Letterman again. Epguides.com shows he did appear on 11/17/83, so this is probably his second to last appearance.

[@Parhellia]

the problem with Andy always was... people simply couldn't figure out if he was joking or if he was really this insane!... and the truth is he was always very insane and very true... the confusion made him an unfunny idiot in the eyes of some and a comic genius in the eyes of the others.... and that's why he is something different... something short lived but extremely good.....

[@Parhellia]

***** Well I just left my honest opinion, an opinion and nothing more. if you disagree you have two options, either to keep quiet or argue against it. I see no point in calling me dumb. by being rude and calling the opposite party names, you just prove that you are an unworthy opponent for an honest discussion. P.S. I never understood the reason for the tendency towards swearing and calling others names in the comments section, but it seems very common. It most have a psychological explanation that's beyond my knowledge.

[@doddsino]

If you confuse enough people, some of those people will think you're a genius.

[@AndyOnLetterman]

I will upload it once I find it.

[@eddietavaresjr.4773]

Master Of Comedy A Legend !

[@ProjectFlashlight612]

One of the funniest things about this is seeing David Letterman with real hair. Dig that early 80s dry look helmet head! :)

[@AndyOnLetterman]

His last Letterman appearance was on November 17th 1983.

[@ChiefFartFeathers]

I wouldn't say genius but Andy K was a talented guy and real entertainer.

[@marboclepto]

After watching the movie 'man of the moon'. U can tell when he's serious and not. In this interview. Everything he's saying is the truth and yet, ppl r cracking up. That's genius. I don't know any1 that can stand on stage and not do or say anthing and make a whole show out of it.

[@Derpadeedooda]

The ultimate troll

[@juancpgo]

holocaustocannibal LOL what a funny description to him. Makes sense.

[@captainpungent]

They broke the mold when Andy was made, and still, no one can compete with him.

[@kolst8406]

This is probably his last appearance on Letterman. That 11/17/83 appearance listed on IMDB is a mistake; it was actually 11/17/82.

[@melodytannerclark]

He said that a boy would wait ten years but a man would wait 20 years. Frankly, I think he's still out there alive somewhere.

[@_maryade]

I would love to see his last appearance in Letterman... thanks a lot if you can upload it!!

[@Mike1614b]

this was taped 1/26/84 and Andy died 5/16/84. His last TV appearance. Sad

[@AndyOnLetterman]

Yes we already know that. See the date on that clip I already posted. However, he DID appear there in november 1983. I know that by absolute fact.

[@felixthelmocevallosmorales41]

Andrew Geoffrey Kaufman (17 de enero de 1949 - 16 de mayo de 1984)​ fue un artista, actor, escritor y artista de performance estadounidense. Aunque a menudo se le llama comediante, Kaufman se describió a sí mismo como un "hombre de la canción y el baile". Desdeñó decir chistes y participar en comedias como se entendía tradicionalmente, una vez dijo en una rara entrevista introspectiva: "No soy un cómico, nunca he contado un chiste... La promesa del comediante es que saldrá y te hará reír con él... Mi única promesa es que intentaré entretenerte lo mejor que pueda".

[@nash92]

LOL THATS GENIOUS

[@manlymen552]

The troll king lol

[@ForbiddenFruitStore]

When he says he's been doing "nothing", he's not lying. His career was tanking at this point because of his wrestling obsession. He'd be dead 8 months later. Death: the ultimate career killer.

[@TuHermanaEnTanga7]

This guy was the ultimate troll.

[@gmajorspresents]

Hysterical 😂

[@don4476]

Dave always said Andy Cowffmann.

[@inthejcurve7968]

Had me hook, line, and sinker! I believed every word, until Andy reminded me he is Andy, and a comedy genius.

[@HEEMHerbals]

This dude seemed like a very simple man who saw things very different than so called normal people. Idk, it just seem like he was serious 85% of the time.

[@TheConorsmithusa]

I am having a very good time by myself....

[@AndyOnLetterman]

@kolst8406 I'm not judging by IMDB at all, I don't know where you got that idea from. It's in some biographies as well as on the official Andy Kaufman homepage. I figure someone editing the IMDB pages fucked up somewhere and thought 11/17/83 was the one where he sang Rose Marie. But thanks for your comments. I still hope to find the missing appearances.

[@AndyOnLetterman]

No there is one more, it's from November 17th 1983.

[@WilsonEatsASMR]

I wonder what ever happened to his "3 kids" ?

[@TheSmokey1424]

WilsonEatsASMR jail

[@Mike1614b]

they robbed andy then ran away

[@dcsmooth]

In thirty years.....what comedian will the next generation be looking up like you just looked up this one?

[@ChescoYT]

LMAO at 4:50 laugh!! :D George McFly is in the audience!

[@kolst8406]

@AndyOnLetterman Maybe he did appear with his "sons" again (which would be hilarious), but there's no reason to believe it was on 11/17/83. If you link on to that date on imdb, there is a listing for Bob Zmuda as "Andy Kaufman's Butler," which is actually from the 11/17/82 clip - which you have posted. Also on 11/17/83, it used to list Andy Kaufman as "Singer - Ave Maria," (which, again, is really from 11/17/82), but they deleted that listing and now just list him as "himself."

[@ApathySidecar]

@InFlamezzzzz Psychological perfection. He's a sort of superhuman of performance art.

[@SvenTviking]

Somebody done killed the sound. Its silent.

[@devinthierault]

I never realized he did actually have a European Jewish type accent. I think if new was still alive, he would be the one playing Stan Lee in a movie.

[@gaozhi2007]

HAHAHA when he brings out those three black dudes. I love it!!

[@AndyOnLetterman]

@kolst8406 No, he was there on 11/17/83. He was there with his adopted kids again. Or my memory is playing tricks on me.

[@MrEmanuelw]

@MIKESOWELL I was wondering what movie that was again but indeed!! good point.

[@Vazmusic]

Zach is a descendent of this kind of humor...in a way.

[@jsd4544]

It's strikes me often as a bit offensive that he seemed to never truly drop his irony when in front of a camera. One has to wonder if he was ever serious, in person or in private.

[@kolst8406]

@AndyOnLetterman I sent an e-mail to the official website about 11/17/83. I asked them if they had any information on that appearance other than what imdb has. If they respond, I'll let you know what they said. It's interesting that their list matches imdb's; perhaps they supplied imdb with the information, or they simply copied what imdb already had listed.

[@noo2islam]

Going on a TV show for saying we do nothing lollllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll THAT'S SO FUNNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@kolst8406]

@AndyOnLetterman In my experience imdb is spotty in correcting mistakes, even obvious ones. I think they stopped paying attention to my corrections because I corrected the age of an actress - she was about 10 years older than listed - then learned that they do not accept such corrections. The only thing I can surmise is that they are more interested in keeping their paying clientele happy - agents, managers, etc. - who subscribe to imdb.pro, than in always providing accurate information.

[@beavinator]

My right ear appreciates the brilliance, but my left ear doesn't get what the big deal is.

[@Orangeflava]

what happened to the conference?

[@georgiethumbs2438]

Wow Sept. 1983...8 months later he was dead.

[@dolandfilmsproductions9918]

+Georgie Thumbs Presumably

[@jessiejames7492]

watch the Andy Kaufman biography on youtube...Poor guy. Misunderstood . This was about the time all the companies dumped him. His father said that when his transcendental group dumped him too, that was the last straw.

[@TheJrRyan]

Can you upload that one?

[@aaronaaron5968]

why did people clap when he said he was voted off?

[@allbu849]

he died :( back in 1984 after being diagnosed with lung cancer !! poor man RIP

[@whiteyfisk9769]

He didn`t actually die, it was a bit, hes still playing it though

[@Kid_Naps]

He went on a neverending hitchhiking ...

[@ryanknight1350]

Me myself and my 3

[@sirlagged]

Goerge, Herb and Tony, also known as "Tino"

[@ButterOnCorn]

Is Kaufman retired now?

[@rlibby404]

Anybody else thinking there's gotta be a connection to Jim Carrey in Me, Myself, and Irene? Throw Tony Clifton in, and I think there's the whole premise.

[@myinboxes]

Andy focussed on making people think. He'd take the ridiculous and keep going at it until he got a reaction.

[@jt243]

he always sounds like hes crying lmao

[@SecretTimeWarp]

@AndyOnLetterman No, he's very alive.... I can't say he's well (he's ill at the moment), but he's certainly not dead.....

[@TomGallagherSuperboyBeyond]

i was so angry about that.

[@ButterOnCorn]

22. Norway.

[@MediaBuster]

And he died 8 months later? Hmmmm, something fishy about that whole death thing..

[@ButterOnCorn]

In chapter 7 of "The Book of Illusion" entitled "The Death of Celebrity the Immortality of Legend" you will be shown exactly how it was done to the last detail. How a small group fooled the world with the power of a single statement.

[@JazzKeyboardist1]

The world without Andy is like Pee Wee without a Bike? sorry I was trying on the ''women need pee wee like a fish needs a bike

[@ButterOnCorn]

***** On May 16, 1984 Nathan McCoy expired. Only in death did a prospective parent finally claim Nathan as their own.

[@ButterOnCorn]

yup