Andy Kaufman????

Question

So, does anybody here think that Andy Kaufman faked his own death??

I think he was such a talented man and I loved to hear him sing.

Does anybody agree with me??

Kinda two questions there.....

Answer 1

Wish I could believe it, and that he'd pop back out in public one day with a big TV special. But alas, I do believe he's really dead.

Hell of a shame...a very unique talent.

Answer 2

He did fake his death. He came out with it last year after like 20 years of EVERYONE thinking he was dead. He claimed it was the best practical joke he had ever played. I remember seeing the newspaper article a title like Kaufman pulls 20 years practical joke or something like that.

Here's the article I read but it's only partial
New York City, NY (PRWEB) May 19, 2004 — Twenty years ago, on May 16, 1984, most of the world believed that we had lost a comedic legend forever. This has turned out to be what will inevitably be known as the greatest comic prank ever conceived. Andy Kaufman, by all accounts, is alive and well at age 55 and is now living in New York City on the upper west side. To his loyal supporters and fans, Andy says "sorry about faking my death," in a recent interview with ABC News at his apartment. In order to reach legendary comic status and seal his place in the history of performance art, he said it was "necessary to go away for twenty years."

Also check out this site:
http://andykaufmanreturns.blogspot.com/

Answer 3

If he faked his death, where has he been all these years? And why? (kinda two more questions, huh?) I think it is highly improbable that he could have done it, that he could have stayed hidden for over 20 years, that he would not have contacted his family in some way, or that he would WANT to drop out of sight--a very odd thing for a performer to do.

Answer 4

Kaufman died in Los Angeles on May 16, 1984 of renal failure, caused by metastasized large cell carcinoma, a rare kind of lung cancer, and was interred in the Beth David Cemetery in Elmont, New York (Long Island). He was initially diagnosed with the disease in December 1983, after several family members at a Thanksgiving dinner that year were growing concerned over his persistent coughing. He was committed to fighting the disease from his diagnosis until his death. Despite massive amounts of emergency radiotherapy, the cancer had by then spread. His last stand for medical therapy was "psychic surgery", performed in Baguio, Philippines.
Because he kept the true nature of his health a secret -- almost until the day he died -- fans have, over the years, doubted Kaufman's death, thinking that he staged it as the ultimate Andy Kaufman stunt. Rumors that Kaufman was still alive go as far back as May 17, 1984 (the day after he died), when a caller phoned the Howard Stern radio show on WNBC in New York to announce that Kaufman's death was a hoax. Friends and family said that Andy never smoked, didn't drink regularly, and was also a vegetarian. At the time, lung cancer was considered very rare for non-smokers to contract, and it is also rare in people under 50. Kaufman himself even said that if he were to fake his death, he would return 20 years later. On May 16, 2004, his surviving friends threw a 'Welcome Home Andy' party for him.
It was only after Kaufman's death that it was revealed he had a daughter, Maria, who was given up for adoption. She never knew her biological father.
There are many such rumors involving Andy's "hoax" death, and the 1999 Jim Carrey film Man on the Moon even references these rumors by including an open ending in which Andy may or may not still be alive. Bob Zmuda has acknowledged "death hoax" rumors over the years quite tongue-in-cheek, admitting that Andy and he had discussed faking his death at times and that Andy seemed "obsessed with the idea," but he maintains the opinion that Andy truly did die and his death was not faked. Zmuda claims he doesn't think Andy would be cruel enough to go this long without making contact with his family if he were still alive. But he also acknowledged the idea that Kaufman could have faked his death in 1984 and died later of some other cause.
An example of the kind of hoax or joke that has been perpetuated regarding Andy Kaufman's death is a blog that surfaced in 2004, supposedly chronicling Kaufman's return[17]. The blog's author was revealed to be Steve Rocco (previously suggested by the OC Weekly to be Kaufman himself[18]) when a press release claiming to have been issued by Andy's friends and family - among them, Bob Zmuda - was apparently issued by Rocco. Rocco, who manages numerous websites affiliated with Kaufman, and uses numerous aliases on these sites, claims to be in possession of evidence proving once and for all that Kaufman is alive. He has posted some of this evidence - including personal photographs from Kaufman's family album - online. This has led some fans to believe that Rocco is working for Bob Zmuda (who could have some of Kaufman's personal items) and that the website AndyKaufmanLives.com is a "game" of sorts set up to honor Andy and provide his fans with a source of entertainment and as an elaborate gag in honor of the practical jokes he used to play. There are many other clues and "in-jokes" on AndyKaufmanLives.com, some of which are detailed on the OC Weekly website.[19]
Yes, I agree with you in regards to the man's sheer comedic genius. Although he didn't have a singing career he could sing very well.

Answer 5

Unfortunately I dont think he did. he was a very funny man and I think Jim carrey did a great job in Man on the Moon

Answer 6

I think Jim Carrey really IS Andy.

Answer 7

No, he did not. He loved being the center of attention, he could never have remained silent for this long. His work was his life.

Answer 8

He did not fake his own death. It amazed me how he handled it, came out and said he was dying, and people laughed.