Andy Kaufman Net Worth:
$3 Million
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Net worth: |
$3 Million |
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Date of birth: |
Jan 17, 1949 – April 16, 1984 (35 year old) |
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Gender: |
Male |
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Height: |
6 ft (1.85m) |
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Profession: |
Actor, Comedian, Entertainer. Artist. Writer. Wrestler. |
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Nationality: |
United States of America |
What was Andy Kaufman’s net worth?
Andy Kaufman was an American actor, writer and producer. His net worth at the time of his death in 1984 (after inflation adjustment) was $3 million. Andy Kaufman was nominated for two Golden Globes for his role as Latka Gravas in the ABC/NBC sitcom, “Taxi”, (1978-1983). Parts of Andy’s act were seen on “Saturday Night Live” (1975-1982). He was also known for impersonating Elvis Presley as well as characters like Foreign Man and Tony Clifton. Kaufman was seen in “God Told Me To”, “In God We Tru$t”, “Heartbeeps”, and “My Breakfast with Blassie.” He also appeared on “Van Dyke and Company,” (1976), and “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” (1978-1978), and “The Midnight Special” (both 1981 and 1978), and “Late Night with David Letterman” (1982-1983). He produced and starred as the producer and star in “Andy’s Funhouse” in 1979.
Andy was also involved with professional wrestling and his feud with Jerry Lawler culminated in a fight in 1982 on “Late Night with David Letterman”. It was discovered that Kaufman had fabricated the feud and fights more than a decade later. Since his death, three books featuring Andy’s writings were published: “The Huey Williams Story”, “God…and Other Plays”, and “Poetry and Stories”. Jim Carrey played Kaufman in the 1999 movie “Man on the Moon.” Carrey was awarded a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actor In a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical. Andy, who was 35 years old, died from lung cancer in May 1984. Many rumors have circulated that Kaufman faked his death over the years.
Early Life
Andy Kaufman was born Andrew Geoffrey Kaufman in New York City on January 17, 1949. He was raised in a Jewish family in Great Neck, Long Island with his mother Janice (a homemaker/formermodel), father Stanley (a jewel salesman), as well as younger siblings Carol, and Michael. Andy began performing at children’s parties when he was 9 years old, showing cartoons and playing records. Kaufman was a writer and poet in his youth. He finished his first novel, “The Hollering Goo”, at the age of 16. It was never published. Andy started playing congas shortly after Babatunde Olatunji, a Nigerian musician, visited his school. Kaufman graduated from Great Neck North High School in 1967 and later went on to study television production at Boston’s Grahm Junior College. Andy started his college TV program called “Uncle Andy’s Fun House”. He hitchhiked to Las Vegas in 1969 to meet Elvis Presley. He hid in a kitchen near one of his concerts. Andy approached Elvis as he was about to leave the back entrance and gave him the manuscript for a book that he had written about him. Kaufman quickly developed his act and wrote a one-man play called “Gosh”, which was later retitled as “God”. After graduating from college in 1971, Kaufman began performing comedy at small East Coast venues.
Career
Andy gained first recognition for his character Foreign Man. He performed it at The Improv in New York City. Then he played the role on “Saturday Night Live,” in October 1975. Kaufman joined “Taxi” in 1978. His friend Bob Zmuda said that they were “basically buying Andy’s Foreign Man character to use for the “Taxi” character Latka. Over five seasons, “Taxi” aired 114 episodes. Kaufman was nominated for a Golden Globe in 1979 and 1981. Tony Clifton was another popular Kaufman character. However, the character was occasionally performed by Zmuda and Andy’s brother Michael. Clifton was initially an opening act for Kaufman, but he eventually started his own shows. Andy performed at Carnegie Hall in April 1979. He invited his grandmother to sit at the side of him on a chair. She was later revealed to be Robin Williams at the end of the performance. Kaufman got an elderly woman fake heart attack and die on stage. Then he appeared onstage in a Native American headdress, and performed a dance over the woman. Andy invited the whole audience to a dinner of milk and cookies at the end. He starred in “Andy’s Funhouse,” a TV special that featured Foreign Man and his famous Elvis Presley impression. In 1983, he did a similar show for PBS called “The Andy Kaufman Show.”
Kaufman’s film debut was in 1976’s sci-fi horror film, “God Told me To.” He then appeared in the TV films “Stick Around”, (1977), and “Stormy Justice”, (1979). Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle and Louise Lasser starred in “In God We Tru$t”, 1980. Bernadette Peters and Randy Quaid starred in “Heartbeeps” 1981. Andy’s last film was 1983’s My Breakfast with Blassie, in which he starred alongside “Classy” Freddie Blassie. He also appeared briefly with Deborah Harry in the Broadway play, “Teaneck Tanzi: The Venus Flytrap”, which was canceled after only two performances. In addition, he appeared in “The Rodney Dangerfield Special: It’s Not Taken No More”.
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Personal life
Andy and his high school girl had a baby in 1969 and offered her up for adoption. Maria Bellu-Colonna was their daughter and discovered in 1992 that Kaufman was her child. Brittany, Brittany’s daughter, played a small part in the 1999 film “Man on the Moon”, playing Andy’s younger sister. Kaufman began to study Transcendental Meditation in late 1969 while still at college. He used it “to boost his confidence and get into comedy clubs.” Andy continued to practice yoga and meditate three hours per day until the end. In 1971, Kaufman went to Spain to train to be a teacher of Transcendental meditation. After meeting Lynne Margulies on the set for “My Breakfast with Blassie”, Kaufman started a relationship with her in 1982. They remained together until Kaufman’s death. Margulies directed 1989’s I’m From Hollywood, a Kaufman wrestling compilation. She published a book of “hundreds” of angry letters that were sent to Kaufman titled “Dear Andy Kaufman. I Hate Your Guts!” 2009 Lynne co-wrote “Andy Kaufman: the Truth, Finally” in 2014 with Bob Zmuda.
Death
Kaufman’s family expressed concern over his persistent coughing at Thanksgiving in 1983. Andy assured them that his doctor had confirmed that there was nothing wrong. Kaufman returned from Long Island to Los Angeles and underwent tests at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He was diagnosed with large-cell carcinoma in the lung. Andy was treated with palliative radiotherapy but the cancer spread to the brain. He made his final public appearance at “My Breakfast with Blassie”, March 1984. Kaufman and Lynne Margulies travelled to the Philippines on the following day to undergo psychic surgery. This pseudoscientific procedure has been deemed medical fraud. Andy felt initially better but after returning home to L.A., Andy died at Cedars-Sinai on May 16, 1984 at the age 35. Kaufman had previously spoken of faking his death so rumors circulated that Andy wasn’t actually dead. After Kaufman’s death in 1995, his character Tony Clifton was seen at comedy clubs. However, Jim Carrey revealed that Bob Zmuda played Clifton on the 1995 NBC special. An actress claimed to be Andy’s child and claimed that he was still living. The Los Angeles County Coroner’s office responded with re-releasing his death record, which confirmed that he was buried in Elmont, New York.
Nominations and Awards
Kaufman was nominated for two Golden Globes for “Taxi”, Best Actor In a Supporting Role – Television Series in 1979, and Best Supporting actor in a Series or Miniseries Made for Television in 1982. He was awarded a Golden Prize Alien by the 2013 Independent Video Film Festival of Youtube Art Club Pavlos Parschakis. In addition, he won TV Land Award nominations in 2006 for Most Wonderful Wedding (shared in part with Carol Kane) and 2007 for Favorite Elvis Impersonation on “Saturday Night Live”.
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