Andy Kaufman Clarified
Most TV viewers know of Andy Kaufman through his role of Latka Gravas on the Taxi sitcom of the early 1980s.
Following his death in 1984, there has been renewed interest in the comic actor, a renaissance of sorts. This year two books and a movie will celebrate the comic actor. CBS News This MorningÂ's Mark McEwen talked with the co-author of Andy Kaufman Revealed, Bob Zmuda.
Zmuda completely immersed himself in co-writing a book on the hard-to-explain comic, who was his friend and onetime writing partner.
Kaufman wasnÂ't even a comedian or actor, as others have labeled him, Zmuda says. "I consider him more of a behavioral scientist."
Zmuda notes that Kaufman hated his Taxi role.
"I don't think he ever watched it. It was like pulling teeth to try to get him to show up at rehearsal," Zmuda says. Zmuda thinks that Kaufman found no challenge in playing the feeble character whose lines were penned by others.
The character of Tony Clifton was more Kaufman's style. In performances before audiences, this character was often crude and offensive enough for Zmuda to be thrown out of the comedy clubs.
Explains Zmuda: "He would become this characterÂ….And [even though] Andy never drank or smoked [and] was a vegetarian, when he would become Tony, he would do all those things. He'd smoke and have hookers."
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| Bob Zmuda: also producing a film about Kaufman |
Part of the Tony Clifton joke was that audiences were never sure if Kaufman was playing the character. Sometimes it was Zmuda. "We kind of fooled the public about who it was," concedes the co-conspirator.
He thrived on this sometimes strained relationship with his audience.
"A lot of times he would do things to irritate the audience and come on stage and read The Great Gatsby for real [and] people are throwing things and asking for their money back and he was in hog heaven," Zmuda recalls.
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The Andy Kaufman renaissance began in 1992 with rock group R.E.M.Â's song of tribute "Man on the Moon." Another book, Lost in the Funhouse, by Esquire magazine writer Bill Zehme is duout later this year. So is a film called Man on the Moon, starring Jim Carrey.
As one of the producers of the film, Zmuda sees the performance of a lifetime in Jim CareyÂ's portrayal of Kaufman.
"He lost himself. He started exhibiting behavior, Kaufmannesque behaviorÂ….Some people thought he was channeling him," says Zmuda.
Universal Pictures plans to release the film on Christmas Day. It's the company's hope that the Kaufman renaissance continues.