James Burrows on Andy Kaufman

[tarantism]

why did he have a problem with andy being a "rich kid from new york" his obvious nose body language is pretty telling

[txmomoftwo1]

mr kaufman was BRILLIANT

[SethHesio]

Andy Kaufman got it... he was awesome.

[cheersing4u]

What a boring twat, LONG LIVE ANDY K !!!

[comanchio1976]

@cheersing4u 'Boring twat'? He was doing an interview about someone he truly admired. What were you expecting,tap dancing and juggling?

[sportssl97]

Was Andy just a regular Guy or Was there something wrong with him. Was he just a good actor.

[sportssl97]

I don't get What James Burrows is Saying?

[sportssl97]

Andy Kaufman never lip singed he actually sang like Elvis Presley?

[MultiSmartass1]

As comic, I can tell you that the convention of stand-up is that the comedian is on the defensive trying to get laughs from the audience which is on the offensive.

Andy fliped the script and put the audience on the defensive.

That's why he was a genius.

He not only demolished the fourth wall but all the other walls as well.

Brilliant.

[badskroy71]

I'm confused, did the actors know Tony was Andy? I know James Burrows and the producers were aware, but did anyone else know?

[kaitlinan]

@badskroy71 a lot of them didn't know it was andy, I know at least Danny Devito didn't know, the majority didn't know, its hard to say.

[bencubed]

Interesting at 4:50 : ' Andy's a genius ' present tense,.. hmmmm

[pittsky]

My god, I wish I could have see it. Brilliant.

[foketesz]

one's life as the work of art

[CatapultYourMom]

James Brown is a great singer, but he's a boring interview.

[Mike1614b]

so,

[anthonycotillo]

cant belive how one guy can talk and make something so funny so boring

[julienceaser]

Andy wasn't a great Elvis impersonator just because of his sneer, it was because he sounded acted just like him. He had all the moves...Thank you veddy much!

[gtbwi]

@skinnerg BRAVO!! skinnerg!!! I AGREE!!!! BRAVO!!!! i really dont care who's insane OR 4 whatever reason SANE!! all i know 4 sure is ANDY WAS WAS SANE 'ER THAN MOST!!! HE COULD SEE THE UGLYINESS OF US!! thats whats FUNNY & SO SAD!! about us!! most cant see it!! ......us!!.. we are so superficial

[Capt777harris]

@gtbwi Andy Kaufman was no insane, at lest from all reports I've gotten. He loved to experiment with comedy, and kept it going in his personal life because he loved it that much. Just like the interviewer said, everything was scripted or planned in advance. And Andy appears to have been able to be a master of that.

Still, I didn't like his comedy. So take that for what it's worth.

[peteybelljr]

dude please please please dont compare andy to ali g! please! different league different sport!! andy was a genius!

[supplyfilms]

@peteybelljr u dont seem to get ali g.... southpark imo

[chonyc77]

Its a diffferrent kind of humor. Its more of like an Ali G humor. I love it. And i also think its a more intelligent humor.

[YeahRight825]

When it came to rehearsing and memorizing lines, Andy was EXACTLY like Jackie Gleason... Jackie never liked to rehearse because, according to him, it took something away from the performance, but he still knew his lines verbatim when it came time to deliver them... I guess that's way the comic genius mind works.

[axegas76]

Now I understand where Adam Sandler comes from, sasha cohen, wow, Kaufman influenced them so much.

[PchickenPcake]

Andy Kaufman was amazing!!! he was the greatest!!!

[aliax20]

A genius ahead of his time. Borat was a follow up of Andy's career and obviously it worked cus the time was right. People were just too sensitive at the time, they didn't get it

[bigdicky321]

Give everyone your opinion of who was. Id love to know who was really funny.

[sorstudios]

Probably Bill Hicks or Dangerfield. However; it's just my opinion.

[bigdicky321]

cant disagree with either of those. both legends in their time. we drink from the same well. disagree about kaufman, but he's an aquired taste.

[Numenorean921]

Some people just don't get the Kaufmeister, to alot of people, he's legend.

[sc3333]

he wasn't laugh out loud funny cuz he didn't tell jokes and shit....he was more about fucking with the crowd which is funny as fuck

[sorstudios]

So he was kinda like a politician?

[voondebayosh]

@sc3333 the original internet troll

[fuzzynormal]

The fact that Jeff Conoway bought into the Clifton performance makes it that much more entertaining to me.

[billyf26]

glen and les charles and jim burrows had such an eye for talent ,cheers, taxi, there are none better.

[notdarkyet1997]

Genius?

Does "balls" = genius??

I'm certain that it's art, but so is a blank canvas to some people

[tattleboad]

man is free the moment he wishes to be

[tico8007]

taxi was the original seinfeld, christopher lloyd was the original kramer and devitto was the original costanza

[Pallindrom27]

Using your analogy it's a gimme that Elaine was Elaine but who would've been Jerry?

[tico8007]

um well there was no Jerry, the closets thing was Jud Hersh

[klwewf]

Who's Jud Hersh? I know Judd Hirsch was the star of the classic Taxi sitcom.

[tico8007]

he is Jeff Goldblum's father in the movie independence day

[klwewf]

JUDD HIRSCH is in that movie. The same guy from Taxi. Who is the guy you typed: JUD HERSH?? I never heard of him.

[stephano7734]

Dear John,

I hope life will go on....

Dear John.....

[bloozboy5]

I see the similarity with Taxi but the formula was set many times, long before that series. My guess is that Norton on the Honeymooners was one of the first "Kramers" on television.

[klwewf]

I see where you get the Jim & Kramer connection (mainly just the hairstyle & the fact he thought differntly from most people). But, Louie DePalma & George Costanza were NOTHING alike. I mean, come on.

[godhelpme2009]

@klwewf .....???-DePalma & Costanza - ? NOTHING alike ??? i am amazed that you can't see a resemblance between those 2 characters

[klwewf]

@godhelpme2009  Help me out.....

[ALittleBitOfGreen]

really interesting!! thanks

[Gerogiancounty]

how crazy can it get?

to be fired on stage with two hookers !!

LOL

[elfilicious13]

Great stuff

[Pallindrom27]

Let's all go help Tony Danza look for that tape!!!

This was VERY interesting. I wonder what his views are of Andy possibly having faked his death?

[erglro]

Maybe a hint:

"He's a genius. Andy's a genius"...not WAS, but IS.

[Pallindrom27]

Good catch.

I wont say that the interviewer WAS Andy like someone suggested earlier(Because REALLY. Would Burrows be THIS relaxed talking about Andy TO Andy?)but I WILL suggest that anyone interested look up an entertainer named ARION(Who had a video up last time I checked, a cover of "Solitaire".). This ARION is an Elvis like entertainer who MIGHT look familiar to some.

[dirkschuitsma]

He looks like him yes.. But I think it's not Andy. Andy would have been looking older..even with plastic surgeon. This guy also looks to chill to be Andy I think. (just checked Arion's website)

[Pallindrom27]

Thanks for checking him out.

I'm not saying for certain that he IS Andy but Arion IS an Elvis Impersonator(Though he denies it constantly saying the same thing that Jimmy "ORION" Ellis used to say that he's NOT trying to sound like Elvis. I dont think that EITHER man was being honest on the subject, they were BOTH trying in my opinion.)and Andy was the FIRST Elvis impersonator.

In addition to this is the incredible likeness to Andy that you mentioned.

Andy MAY still be "goofin on Elvis".

[rebecabarreiro]

Haha my dad worked for him. So weird seeing him on Youtube. Really nice guy.

[tygersflowerz]

I think Andy kept his distance from the cast and didn't befriend them because he didn't want to do "Taxi" in the first place, and by making friends, he knew he would want to be hanging on the set more often. He didn't want anything to deter from his original plan for his career. I think he knew this show could easily do that. It could've very easily been all-consuming.

[tygersflowerz]

Tony Clifton as Louie DePalma's brother would've been AWESOME. Bad call on Andy's part to think his stunt was a better idea than that! ;-)

[Neekstarrr]

hahaha what a bunch of sheep! What a bunch of IDIOTS!

[banalexistence]

that would be funny jay

[BrokenLeggBilly]

He takes too long to get to the point he's trying to make. Fucked up.

[Puzzlementarians]

It wouldnt be so far fetched to suggest that you were trying to disguise your voice. You changed your voice for each character you played...

[jaystone322]

The person interviewing him is absolutely Andy Kaufman.. Is it not? Listen to the voice!

[craigmazzali]

No, I would say it is definetly not him.

Andy died.

[matcardinal]

i thought that

[AcesOfJokers]

RIP Andy

[davesm2006]

he means tony danza. I would love to see it

[bowiesixx]

i'm wondering when he mentions tony having a video, if he means tony danza. not tony clifton. maybe. even though bob played tony clifton also.

[klwewf]

He's talking about Danza.

[jksonny]

Great story!

[katncandy]

'the idea that he could conciously remove himself to play himself being someone else, being someone else is incredible and he did it for such a length of time. he even convinced america he *was* one of his own characters.' -fact. Are you saying there never was an Andy Kaufman?

[BudhaCronX]

what is this from? It's funny he refers to Andy and tony not only as two people, but in present tense!

[joshwee26]

all i can say: Andy Kaufman and Woody Allen!!!!

[rikki444]

Andy was totally sane. so sane in fact he was able to analyze his own psyche and that of others in order to make you believe he was completely insane. he would have made a hell of a psychiatrist. the idea that he could conciously remove himself to play himself being someone else, being someone else is incredible and he did it for such a length of time. he even convinced america he *was* one of his own characters. genius.

[Alfrunk]

And you know this...how?

[rikki444]

'the idea that he could conciously remove himself to play himself being someone else, being someone else is incredible and he did it for such a length of time. he even convinced america he *was* one of his own characters.' -fact. 'Andy was totally sane...'- just an observation, he would have to have been!

[Alfrunk]

true

[vv901vv901]

Nice theory, but where did you get this analysis from? Is it your own? Is it based on some clips you've seen of him or did you ever meet him?

[MentalM1sf1t]

hey ...andy's main objective was to get you shocked and to get you scratching your head ..Mianly to "THINK" u idiot ...most entertainers treat the audience like idiots because that is what they are idiots.....they dont know what funny is they have to be told what funny iz ..it's being told a joke and not being able to figure it out on your own..or not being attentive enough to actually get the joke because u expect all your work to be done for you

[skinnerg]

People get Andy or they don't - like Woody or Miles or Zappa...

I don't think he was mentally ill. I think he was saner than most.

[njolnir]

Well said.

[tvguitars]

Miles and Zappa are brilliant! So is Andy. I like Woody but not as much as the others. Merry XMAS.

[blogward]

I don't get Andy in the same way I don't get Danny Kaye, Jerry Lewis or Abbot and Costello. Clever, but not likeable.

[Capt777harris]

@skinnerg He liked to be in control, and let his natural intelligence and his ability to manipulate information just take the audience for a ride. He probably got a kick out of that, and continued it.

[spaceyrules]

I think he was seriously mentally ill.

[dalisman]

LOL, well, he wasn't.

[CashMoneyMoore]

Just because you're mentally ill, doesn't mean you're stupid.

[Therealandykaufman]

to a ceraitn extent it does cuase your not intelligent enough to disginguish certain things form what matters and whats real but i also know what you mean!

[CusterFlux]

@CashMoneyMoore the people in my socks would agree ...

[CashMoneyMoore]

@CusterFlux Well I'm glad we're all in agreement

[CusterFlux]

@CashMoneyMoore So are they! Until I whip out the Desenex …

[kewlguy34]

Andy was a comedic god

[breesnana]

Andy Kaufman was the most annoying actor I have ever seen EVER!!!! I don't think he was that talented, more annoying than anything!

[johnnysaucer]

Ha ha ha, bressnana that post would make Andy very happy.

[Mikeol2006]

He'd love your comment. your comment is exactly what he was looking for.

[dalisman]

Did you go and find all of his videos and just trash him like this? Shouldn't you spend your energy on videos that you LIKE?

[nanascutiepie]

I didn't have to and I have MUCH better things to do than spend ANY time watching ANY thing he does. I am NOT trashing him, it's my opinion that I wrote after all isn't the reason for these comments is for us to write our opinions? I didn't care for him and no one can change that. End of conversation.

[RydraWong]

:))

[njolnir]

I think Andy's manager and a few of the executives knew about it.As far as I know the actors weren't aware of it before time...they just kinda figured it out as it was happening.

[hairypolack]

Im confused

so the other actors KNEW it was andy putting them on?

[njolnir]

^^Thanks for that.

[HouseofGlib]

That's James Burrows, not Jim Brooks.

[njolnir]

I wish Tony Danza would find that tape...