Bob Zmuda is an American writer, comedian, producer and director best known as the sidekick, co-writer and friend of cult personality Andy Kaufman. Bob Zmuda occasionally portrayed Kaufman's Tony Clifton character on stage and for television appearances. In a 2006 interview, Zmuda told the Opie and Anthony Show that it was him as Tony Clifton with David Letterman, and that Letterman did not find out until years after. In 1986, Zmuda founded the American version of Comic Relief, an annual event that raises money to help the homeless in the United States. The event was televised on HBO, and was hosted by comedians Robin Williams, Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg. In 1999, Zmuda wrote a book about Kaufman's life, entitled Andy Kaufman Revealed!, which purported to unveil many tricks and hoaxes that the two pulled off in front of audiences and television cameras in the 1980s. One critic praised the book as "the ultimate insider's look at Kaufman's life," while some of Kaufman's fans and members of Kaufman's family criticized it for inaccuracies about Kaufman. Later that year, Miloš Forman directed Man on the Moon, the story of Kaufman's life. Zmuda created the "Tony Clifton" makeup for the film, and made a brief appearance portraying comedian Jack Burns, one of the producers, who gets into a brawl on stage during one of Kaufman's appearances on the 1980-82 ABC Fridays. Zmuda was also Man on the Moon's co-executive producer. On camera, the character of Bob Zmuda was played by Paul Giamatti. Stanley Kaufman, Andy's father, criticized Zmuda's influence on the film shortly after its release, writing in the form of Andy speaking from beyond the grave.
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Biography from TMDB.
- December 12, 1949 (76)
- Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Actor, producer and writer
- 11 on MovieCove · 20 credits in all
What are Bob Zmuda's films like?
Across their 5 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
Ironic 1 · Wry 0 · Earnest 4
Light 3 · Serious 2 · Dark 0
Grounded 5 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 0
Gentle 4 · Charged 1 · Intense 0
Steady 3 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 0 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 3
Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 1 · Relentless 0
Casual 3 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 5 · Affecting 0 · Heavy 0
Resolved 1 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 2
Moods and endings
- Happy1
- Bittersweet1
- Ambiguous3
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 Bob Zmuda's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 8 of their 11 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.
Subscription and free streaming for Bob Zmuda'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
20 credits, 11 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Thank You Very Much(2023)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all filmsKaufmania! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
Saint Bernard (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)
The Number 23(2007)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
Comic Relief 2006 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)
Stormy Justice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
Man on the Moon(1999)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Batman Forever(1995)
Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all filmsComic Relief '90 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
Comic Relief III (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
Punchline(1988)
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
Airwolf(1984)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all shows
D.C. Cab(1983)
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Andy Kaufman: The Andy Kaufman Show: Soundstage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Andy Kaufman Plays Carnegie Hall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)
Andy's Funhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)
Saturday Night Live(1975)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows
Career shape
Star power in the 55th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 18 titles from 1975 to 2020; peak year 2007.
Biggest box office
Thank You Very Much (2023)
Highest rated
Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond (2017)
Most popular right now
I'm from Hollywood (1989)
Film career
Peak 2007 · 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.
- 1983Screen debut· D.C. Cab
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.
Awards
3 major nominations and no wins, 1992–1995.
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program (Special)
Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.
How do Bob Zmuda's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 72nd percentile, the median of all 9; across their 5 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 81st percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up4
- 50th to 74th3
- 25th to 49th3
- Below 25th1
Shape of the crowd
6 of their 11 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved1
- Crowd Pleaser6
- Broadly Agreed3
- Mixed1
Reviewers score the acting 74/100 in their films, across 3 reviewed titles; fans 80, detractors 30. 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 Bob Zmuda work with?
People who share at least 2 of Bob Zmuda's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Andy Kaufman shares the most, 3.
Actors
- Andy KaufmanShared titles: Thank You Very Much (2023), I'm from Hollywood (1989), My Breakfast with Blassie (1983)See all 3 shared titles with Andy Kaufman
- Marilu HennerShared titles: Thank You Very Much (2023), Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond (2017), I'm from Hollywood (1989)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
- Tony DanzaShared titles: Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond (2017), I'm from Hollywood (1989)See all 2 shared titles with Tony Danza
