Andrew Geoffrey "Andy" Kaufman (January 17, 1949 – May 16, 1984) was an American entertainer, actor and performance artist. While often referred to as a comedian, Kaufman did not consider himself to be one. He disdained telling jokes and engaging in comedy as it was traditionally understood, referring to himself instead as a "song-and-dance man." Elaborate hoaxes and pranks were major elements of his career. His act maintains a cult following and he continues to be respected among comedians for his original material, performance style, and unflinching commitment to character.
Read moreShow less
Biography from TMDB.
- January 17, 1949
- May 16, 1984 (aged 35)
- New York City, New York, USA
- Actor and writer
- 6 on MovieCove · 18 credits in all
What are Andy Kaufman's films like?
Across their 7 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Morality.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
A split, not a type: Ironic 2 · Wry 0 · Earnest 4
Light 5 · Serious 1 · Dark 0
Grounded 4 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 1
Gentle 4 · Charged 2 · Intense 0
Steady 3 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 1 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 4
Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 1 · Relentless 0
Casual 5 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 6 · Affecting 0 · Heavy 0
Resolved 2 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 1
Roles they play
Usually the Trickster: 2 of 3 analyzed roles.
- Tricksteras Latka Gravas in Taxi (1978)
- Shadowas Armageddon T. Thunderbird in In God We Trust (or Gimme That Prime Time Religion) (1980)
- Tricksteras Andy Kaufman in My Breakfast with Blassie (1983)
Moods and endings
- Happy2
- Bittersweet3
- Ambiguous2
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Andy Kaufman's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 3 of their 6 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Prime Video (3).
Subscription and free streaming for Andy Kaufman's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
18 credits, 6 with a MovieCove page; 24 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
WWE Hall of Fame 2023 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)
The Demon: A Film About Andy Kaufman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)
Stormy Justice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
The Real Andy Kaufman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
"Tank You Vedy Much!" - The Many Faces of a Comic Legend (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)
I'm from Hollywood(1989)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Andy Kaufman: The Andy Kaufman Show: Soundstage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
The Fantastic Miss Piggy Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
Heartbeeps(1981)
Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
Andy's Funhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)
Cher... and Other Fantasies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)
Taxi(1978)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows
Stick Around (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)
Stick Around (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)
USWA Championship Wrestling (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)
God Told Me To(1976)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
Saturday Night Live(1975)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows
Career shape
Star power in the 78th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 17 titles from 1975 to 2023; peak year 1981.
Biggest box office
In God We Trust (or Gimme That Prime Time Religion) (1980)
Highest rated
Thank You Very Much (2023)
Most popular right now
Taxi (1978)
Film career
Peak 1981 · steadily prominent in film for years. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.
- 1976Screen debut· God Told Me To
- 1981First top-billed film· Heartbeeps
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.
How do Andy Kaufman's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 45th percentile, the median of all 4; across their 6 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 76th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up2
- 50th to 74th2
- 25th to 49th1
- Below 25th1
Shape of the crowd
2 of their 6 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved1
- Crowd Pleaser2
- Broadly Agreed1
- Mixed2
Reviewers score the acting 66/100 in their films, across 5 reviewed titles; fans 77, detractors 31. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Who does Andy Kaufman work with?
People who share at least 2 of Andy Kaufman's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Bob Zmuda shares the most, 3.
Actors
- Bob ZmudaShared titles: Thank You Very Much (2023), I'm from Hollywood (1989), My Breakfast with Blassie (1983)See all 3 shared titles with Bob Zmuda
- Marilu HennerShared titles: Thank You Very Much (2023), I'm from Hollywood (1989), Taxi (1978)See all 3 shared titles with Marilu Henner
- Lynne MarguliesShared titles: Thank You Very Much (2023), I'm from Hollywood (1989), My Breakfast with Blassie (1983)See all 3 shared titles with Lynne Margulies
- Danny DeVitoShared titles: Thank You Very Much (2023), Taxi (1978)See all 2 shared titles with Danny DeVito
Producers
- George ShapiroShared titles: Jerry Before Seinfeld (2017), In God We Trust (or Gimme That Prime Time Religion) (1980)See all 2 shared titles with George Shapiro
