David Letterman Was in on Andy Kaufman’s Outrageous Bits (2017)

David Letterman looks back fondly on his working relationship with the late "song and dance man," Andy Kaufman.
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[@howardstern]

Watch the FULL interview on SiriusXM: siriusxm.us/LettermanHSS

[@gavinknutson9132]

ANDY KAUFMAN YASSSSSDDSSDS

[@simonzoric]

Letterman talking about Andy is pure joy to watch!

[@jamiethornton6101]

Andy Kaufman and Jerry Lawler were just pure genius. In an interview by the wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin ( a serious non wrestling interview) he asked Jerry about the entire story. Andy flew to Memphis and the two of them just decided to come up with all these plots and interviews at Jerry's home. They were ahead of their time for sure. They did such an amazing job at keeping it real and not breaking character. That slap from Lawler was so real and loud, you can hear it.

[@joe_schmoe_420]

Andy sold it so we'll that he didn't even tell his parents They hated Jerry til they found out it was all a gimmick

[@jakemoeller7850]

​@@joe_schmoe_420• 😅

[@wyskass861]

One of the reasons Wrestling become more popular. They elevated wrestling to the drama that it became and took it national. Legendary.

[@LtheDetective]

"And... Joaquin I'm sorry you couldn't be here tonight." The best late night talk show line in history in my personal opinion 😂

[@snerdterguson]

I think mine would probably be something from Norm. Maybe the punchline to his joke about a wife in a coma, or the entirety of the Moth joke. I'm also a huge fan of the "serving a youthful porpoise" joke. A classic is Rodney Dangerfield on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. "My wife likes to talk after sex... So she calls me from the hotel room."

[@joeyserrapede]

The Madonna interview has a lot of great lines too~

[@chinaman1]

​@@snerdterguson not many people would know what you're talking about. It's a generational thing.

[@heidiheidiho6412]

Joaquin almost broke character.

[@hutch1197]

@@joeyserrapede The Madonna interview was just her being vulgar. Didn't really take a lot of talent, intellect or creativity for her to do that.

[@duluthdjs2588]

This curtain pull back is pure gold. Love all of it. Thank you for getting this out of David.

[@johnnypk1963]

The 80s Letterman shows were amazing. Watched every night I could

[@sinjinadams2862]

I still remember watching this show when it originally aired and was completely shocked and confused thinking is this an act or for real. I loved Andy Kaufman! He was great on Taxi too.

[@MartyMacFry]

Wrestling is at its best when it triggers this reaction.

[@samueljlarson]

everything on tv is an act

[@Genious.]

I always loved Letterman saying 'I think you can use SOME of those words on TV'.

[@77barrymac]

...but you CAN'T throw coffee!

[@waynej2608]

@@77barrymac that, was the slam dunk!

[@MrEScience]

"He didn't seem to be in on the joke" just shows you the GOOD wrestlers are amazing actors too.

[@ZaneRapture]

Mickey Rourke said the same thing about Chris Jericho.

[@GS-Das]

It shows how out of touch Howard is.

[@waynej2608]

I was fairly young at the time I saw it, but he had me fooled.

[@christopherweise438]

Look how easy it was for The Rock and John Cena to transition to movies. They've been actors their entire careers.

[@rabbit251]

Aren't all wrestlers actors?

[@demianb5463]

I hope Dave knows what he is meant to so many people, I was born in 73 and to me…him and Carson was as good as it would ever get.

[@WickedScott]

I don't know if younger people watching this understand that NOBODY did this kind of stuff on TV back then. Letterman and Kaufman were both TV mavericks. I remember staying up to watch Dave was a naughty thing to do! 🤣

[@somewhatlost]

I love that he was in on the bit. Makes it all the more better rewatching.

[@infobahnpirate9713]

Letterman is the best there ever was, or will be. He was late night television.

[@claytonkeever2992]

Wrong that is and will always be JC

[@kickbackt7971]

Letterman is great but Carson the goat

[@deckofcards87]

Carson was way better

[@mauriceortiz8817]

You need to watch Craig Furgeson

[@Nathan-gd7xq]

@@deckofcards87 James Corden towers over them all.

[@labenbrittenum6934]

i remember that show and for years didn't know that was a set up!..i'd always thought DAVE'S reaction was more he didn't want to be in the middle of that crazy stuff but now it all makes sense

[@foodog777]

Crispin Glover’s “I can kick” bit was up there with Andy’s best.

[@Nathan-gd7xq]

The funniest part was that he was staying in character for a film he was shooting at the time. The film came out 4 years later and barely anyone saw it, so for years everyone just assumed Christian Glover has lost his mind on TV.

[@TL....]

@@Nathan-gd7xq what was the name of the movie

[@Nathan-gd7xq]

@@TL.... Rubin and Ed.

[@DrBoneright]

Pretender to the throne.

[@marlonelliot8943]

There were three guests that Dave would have on where he could sit back and know they would take it away - Norm Macdonald, Chris Elliot and Andy Kaufman

[@RedRocket415]

Robin Williams

[@MrGenexxx]

Madonna

[@candre241]

Bill Murray

[@johnurban7333]

Bonnie Hunt was another

[@robertwiles8106]

Penn & Teller.

[@simonjm10]

No one played the straight man better than Dave.

[@waynej2608]

Agree. Whether it was Kaufman, Rickles, Williams, Grodin, a young Leno, et al, Dave was the 'Bud Abbott' to their 'Lou Costello'. He was the best and truly served to enhance the brilliance.

[@Alpha_Omega_1541]

I’d love to see a new Letterman interview.

[@RichBass7]

He's got a show on Netflix that is basically 2 people hanging out....a lot about Dave comes out thru this series. HIGHLY recommend!!!!

[@darryl.c7972]

His new show is called My Next Guest on Netflix.

[@charlesritt5088]

@@RichBass7 Nominated for a emmy award 2022

[@roccoz2231]

@1:47 -- You can see Andy lean forward in his chair and brace himself for the slap. He knew it was coming. And his fall out of the chair was a classic wrestling bump. It was a genius storyline. Flawlessly executed.

[@ToneeRhianRose]

According to Jerry Lawler the slap was Andy's idea!

[@MCEdward7]

At the time, only Andy knew how good he was, and only in retrospect, do we now all get it... Genius.

[@daveidmarx8296]

Dave was a master of creating chaos and confusion on his show. It makes sense that he loved Andy.

[@DaSkarekrow]

Andy was the first troll... he love getting the attention, negative or positive

[@Genious.]

The thing that's fascinating to me is how much trolling he did, just for his own personal amusement that most people would never even know about. There's a lot of stories in a few books I've read, especially Zmuda's.

[@scottfischer6029]

I met Andy at the spectrum after wrestling match he was the coolest dude ! He actually asked us for directions ,I was like that fn Andy Kaufman ! :)

[@steven_k117]

Where is the Spectrum? Did Andy remind you of Elvis Presley in any way?

[@scottfischer6029]

@@steven_k117 yo it all building where flyers sixers played. They had house shows wrestling. . he was real cool. Yes he did great Elvis impress ion

[@edwardwong654]

It's not the same without Letterman. You could always look forward to the end of a weeknight, knowing the feel good moment when there would always be a Letterman.

[@luisvillar8320]

Listening to this and Lawler's account shows how brilliant Andy was because they were both in on it, but Dave and Lawler did not know the other was in on it.

[@JaricDesann]

I don’t believe for a minute that Dave knew. The wrestling business was extremely protected back then.

[@PierceStudent]

Andy Kaufman, I put him down as the #1 comedian of all time. His moniker, "I'll wrestle any woman in America." His wrestling Jerry Lawler in Memphis was as big as the Beatles coming to America. You had to have lived at that time to understand it.

[@artlover1477]

We all have to remember, Andy was not a comedian per se. He was a performance artist.

[@fundamental1020]

Loved loved Andy!!!

[@boatbound3300]

God bless David Letterman

[@lordofthemound3890]

Up there with the Penn & Teller “Hat Full of Cockroaches” bit.

[@attilaer1516]

Such a pitty that we can get this great conversation in Germany. Love how he gets with empathy to the real personality of his guest.

[@masonjones3780]

Andy Kaufman was a genius

[@djscoy]

Kaufman on Letterman, the best late night ever. Legendary.

[@jameshudson169]

dave's NBC show was the show. good times!

[@integral]

Damn, I miss Dave's show so much. It was brilliant and innovative and amazing. Thanks for the years of awesomeness.

[@dmblum1]

I love that Dave was amused by the NYT traditional policy of always using "Mr." for Andy and a wrestler. There have been a few stories over the years where that usage was weirdly funny.

[@compuspex]

"Mr. Loaf."

[@advanceromance2656]

Love Andy

[@matt92550]

Jerry Lawler was in on it, what are you talking about Howard

[@Mangaboy69]

love Letterman

[@TheJuRK]

Jerry Lawlor's version of the incident was hilarious.

[@maxwellmims3495]

I would swear I've heard interviews with David letterman stated he had no idea about phoenix until the end when he leans in and gives dave a wink

[@AA-qb7ni]

The Joaquin Phoenix interview was genius.

[@JasonKB]

Andy Kaufman Lives!

[@sulufest]

Ahhh they just don’t television like that anymore. End of an era.

[@prostreetgsxr]

We miss you David and those good times!

[@kimberknutson831]

I did not know this, but it does not surprise me at all. Kudos to all parties concerned, and thank you for the laughs, "uncomfortable" and otherwise. That this is being "revealed" on your show makes so much sense. Hah! : )

[@SullenMorbius]

letterman had an amazing career

[@DippyHippie]

I sure do miss my David….& his mom!

[@C.Chandler_May]

Tank you very much.

[@rigsby1454]

Jerry and Andy were great friends

[@gonetroutfishing]

Gooood afternoon from central Florida! Hope everyone has a great day!

[@baileymiller8620]

Where central ?

[@gonetroutfishing]

@@baileymiller8620 Dade City... where are you from Ryan?

[@RockoJerome]

It's so funny that Stern thinks Lawler wasn't in on it. I always thought that if anyone wasn't informed, it would have been Letterman.

[@jasontodd9]

So Dave and Jerry were both in on it, but neither knew that the other was in on it, too.

[@BLURTHEGHOST]

I thought that was pretty brilliant, too. I was hyped about Phoenix being a rapper hahahahahaha

[@NateB1976]

“I’m the new king of Memphis Tennessee!!!”

[@j.d.6915]

These segments were brilliant. Especially because Lawler got free publicity nationwide.

[@Techist_US]

great interview.

[@skateringsandy]

The time Crispin Glover appeared on Letterman, Dave seemed legit unhappy

[@NightMedicine]

The neck brace was such a great touch. 😂

[@edwardjnarrojr3135]

Brilliant

[@sdrob6374]

rewind 10 years or 20 and these two are going at each other

[@Squidbillies1000]

David we love you!

[@mr.wright4447]

Great interview!

[@KingGhidorah5464]

Letterman can say he was in on the Kaufman/Lawler stuff, but it’s pretty well known he wasn’t.

[@poindextertunes]

He Will Smith’d that dood 😂

[@JohnnyPerth]

Love Dave

[@psychedelicmushroompeople]

saw both those episodes when aired originally ... because I'm cool.

[@jaybestnz]

This is so amazing that Letterman and the wrestler was in on it. Totally changes the whole meaning of it. 😮

[@Cyborg_Auto]

Letterman seemed genuinely pissed at Phoenix during that appearance, not really believing he knew about the bit..

[@chrisgiroux623]

Super Dave definitely and a reflection of Andy Kaufman 👍

[@thefantasyreview8709]

Jerry Lawler has gone into great detail about how it was all planned. Its a great story.

[@IndieClox]

the books are zmuda's band and theyre amazing

[@Nonduality]

It goes back to Carson and every late-night talk show host before and since that the host knows in advance what craziness is going to happen with a guest. No doubt there are exceptions, but as a rule, the host knows. The communication between Andy and Letterman was the rule, not the exception.

[@erakfishfishfish]

A big exception was when Drew Barrymore flashed him. That was a spur-of-the-moment decision from Barrymore and Letterman’s shock was real.

[@djjazzyjeff1232]

I long for the days when Letterman was on the air. Today's talk shows are pretty much unwatchable. Daves show was pretty good, but the gem of the whole thing was Craig Ferguson's show, which I know that Letterman was effectively his boss, so I give Dave a lot of credit for that because Craig's show was just the best.

[@davemustaki134]

Why would they beep the swearing on howards show? Lol its Sirius XM

[@privatepenguin3137]

They had no choice....that is how it aired on NBC in the 80s that night.

[@davemustaki134]

@@privatepenguin3137 but I've heard it without the beeping a few times

[@privatepenguin3137]

@@davemustaki134 Ahhh....okay...then NBC must own those tapes.

[@chrisxavier3147]

The Kaufman bit was brilliant. RIP Andy

[@chadtellevik5479]

Excellent share

[@DIESEL0759]

It was a working slap, for sure.

[@reputablehype]

There are humans masking as entertainers and there are entertainers masking as humans. Andy Kaufman was definitely the latter.

[@thetannaree]

Did HS ever ask letterman about that crispin Glover show👀

[@xxbobsetsfirexx4269]

Best wrestling angle of all time.

[@felixthelmocevallosmorales41]

David Michael Letterman (12 de abril de 1947) es un presentador, comediante, escritor y productor de televisión estadounidense. 76 AÑOS.

[@isaace9384]

This is the first time I’m hearing that dave was in on the bit and I don’t believe it

[@ftroop8462]

Why would he lie about it

[@isaace9384]

@@ftroop8462 now that i think about it it’s more likely Andy and the Jerry lied to keep kayfabe alive

[@ryang790]

It was bloody hilarious that Joaquin interview. It gets funnier everytime u watch it. Letterman at least is funny while taking the piss 😂.

[@vremetal]

If Evil Dave is still alive Howard should get them both together... what a conversation that would be!

[@Gold-oj8do]

Jerry Lawler said the slap wasn't planned.

[@ToneeRhianRose]

It's cool to know that Dave was in on the joke. According to Jerry Lawler, the slap was actually Andy's idea!

[@marks.3303]

Is that Slim Whitman at 0:44?

[@thetannaree]

😂😂😂ikr!

[@davidmorse3190]

I remember when Kaufman died. People thought for a while it was a prank. We just couldn't accept he was gone.

[@TheActionStack]

only Sill Wmith knows how to smack for REAL.

[@mst3kpimp]

what about the crispen glover incident?

[@cree8vision]

David seems to be going through his Charles Darwin phase.

[@captainpungent]

He's constantly evolving

[@dana.j9062]

Where's the full interview 😕?

[@MrKramer439]

Damn Letterman being in on the Phoenix act shatters my universe smh

[@tdunph4250]

I believe Letterman is wrong is this assessment. Kaufman was on a different plain altogether. Pheonix is quite talented don't get me wrong but Andy has full on genius.

[@gutenbird]

But he is a genius at acting. I don’t use that term lightly.

[@MRaadesign]

Dave was NOT in on Jerry Lawler slapping Andy. Jerry Lawler has told this story for years.

[@frankstudent]

So you believe Jerry over Dave?

[@thekaratekidpartii2169]

He wasn’t in on the Harmony Korine interviews

[@JClaus1221]

Is it possible to have a greater green room than Andy Kaufman and Slim Whitman?

[@jesse1008]

I didn’t know David knew about the Joaquin performance

[@ellisdee1331]

Letterman will be famous now cause Stern had him on his show.

[@GoDamnWeird]

XD

[@felixthelmocevallosmorales41]

Howard Allan Stern (Queens, Nueva York, 12 de enero de 1954) es una personalidad de radio y televisión estadounidense, reconocido principalmente por su programa radial The Howard Stern Show, que se trasmite tres veces por semana (de lunes a miércoles) a través de Howard 100, una estación de la radio satelital Sirius. 69 AÑOS.