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Iain Lee on Andy Kaufman

Broadcaster Iain Lee chooses performance artist, wrestler and star of TV’s Taxi, Andy Kaufman. With Matthew Parris. From 2017.

There were so many hoaxes in Andy Kaufman's brief career that for years his fans believed that he wasn't really dead.

Kaufman's best known as Latka Gravas in the American TV sitcom Taxi, and his life was undoubtedly weird. Performance artist, Elvis impersonator, wrestler - he's difficult to pin down.

Nominator Iain Lee believes he was a genius, while Olly Double of the University of Kent school of arts reckons Kaufman didn't really care if his audience laughed or not.

Presenter Matthew Parris draws his own conclusions about Kaufman's extraordinary life, later turned into a film starring Jim Carrey called Man on the Moon.

Produced at Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Bristol by Miles Warde.

First broadcast on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 in May 2017.

Available now

26 minutes

Last on

Thu 14 Mar 2024 21:00

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Matthew Parris
Interviewed Guest Iain Lee
Interviewed Guest Oliver Double
Producer Miles Warde

Broadcasts

  • Tue 30 May 2017 16:30
  • Fri 2 Jun 2017 23:00
  • Thu 7 Oct 2021 18:30
  • Fri 8 Oct 2021 00:30
  • Sat 9 Oct 2021 07:30
  • Sat 9 Oct 2021 17:30
  • Sun 10 Oct 2021 05:30
  • Thu 14 Mar 2024 21:00

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