Comic Andy Kaufman’s 4-F deferment for the draft concluded that Kaufman lived in a fantasy world, disconnected from reality, and if put in the military would “lose his mind”. He loved the letter and proudly displayed it as he had purposely treated his psych eval as a high-stakes joke.

The Tragic Real-Life Story Of Andy Kaufman

While Andy Kaufman was one of the most venerated comedians of the 20th century, it should be noted that he certainly never would have seen himself that way. As far as Kaufman was concerned, actually, he wasn’t a comedian at all. Comedians told jokes, which Kaufman argued he didn’t, preferring to classify himself as an “entertainer.”

One thing is for sure, though: Andy Kaufman was a true original, and while he inspired a generation of comics, there has never been anyone else like him. Whether you were introduced to Kaufman through stand-up, his performance as Latka Gravas on Taxi, or Jim Carrey’s loving depiction of him on Man in the Moon, there’s no disputing that the self-proclaimed entertainer was a raw onion that only got weirder the… Continue Reading (12 minute read)