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 BBC Bristol by Miles Warde.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2017.
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Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Presenter | Matthew Parris |
| Interviewed Guest | Iain Lee |
| Interviewed Guest | Oliver Double |
| Producer | Miles Warde |
Broadcasts
Tue 30 May 201716:30BBC Radio 4- Fri 2 Jun 201723:00BBC Radio 4
- Thu 7 Oct 202118:30BBC Radio 4 Extra
- Fri 8 Oct 202100:30BBC Radio 4 Extra
- Sat 9 Oct 202107:30BBC Radio 4 Extra
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Biographical series in which guests choose someone who has inspired their lives.
