# Andy Kaufmen and the mystery of Tony Clifton **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 5, 2004, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufmen-and-the-mystery-of-tony-clifton/227685 "2004-02-05T17:10:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![john\_lodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6a8cbe/32.png) [@john\_lodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/john_lodge)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2004, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufmen-and-the-mystery-of-tony-clifton/227685/1 "2004-02-05T17:10:25Z")
So recently I was watching VH1 “When Comic Ruled the World” They had several comedians come on there and talk about comedy. One of those artists on there was Tony Clifton A.K.A. Andy Kaufmen’s psedo personality. I thought that kaufmen died in 1984 of lung cancer even though everybody thought he faked his death which pre-911 wouldn’t be to terrible challenging. Who is Tony Clifton? Can anybody help solve this mystery with legitament documentation or insite? ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2004, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufmen-and-the-mystery-of-tony-clifton/227685/2 "2004-02-05T17:15:42Z")
I believe Andy originally play Tony; but later Bob Zmuda took over the role. In fact, [imdb](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0957474/) says Bob is sometimes credited as Tony. ---
**Author:** ![john\_lodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6a8cbe/32.png) [@john\_lodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/john_lodge)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2004, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufmen-and-the-mystery-of-tony-clifton/227685/3 "2004-02-05T17:24:18Z")
I realize that Kaufmen would often encourage Zmunda to play Clifton. That still doesn’t explain why Clifton was on VH1’s “When Comics Ruled the World”. At the end they asked if he was Kaufmen and Clifton got mad and left. Why would Zmunda dress as Clifton and then appear? ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2004, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufmen-and-the-mystery-of-tony-clifton/227685/4 "2004-02-05T17:24:18Z")
Here’saninterview with Bob Zmuda about Andy, Tony, and Jim: [Link](http://www.gettingit.com/article/247) ---
**Author:** ![Wumpus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8c91f0/32.png) [@Wumpus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wumpus)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2004, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufmen-and-the-mystery-of-tony-clifton/227685/5 "2004-02-05T17:33:55Z")
“Why would Zmunda dress as Clifton and then appear?” Um, because it’s funny? And because it leads people to post messages like yours, thus keeping the Kaufman mythos alive? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2004, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufmen-and-the-mystery-of-tony-clifton/227685/6 "2004-02-05T18:32:21Z")
It might have been Jim Carrey acting like Kaufman dressed up as Clifton. Jim Carrey acting like Zmuda acting like Kaufman dressed up as Clifton. Or Zmuda acting like…well, you get the idea. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Matrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/34f0e0/32.png) [@Red\_Matrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Matrix)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2004, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufmen-and-the-mystery-of-tony-clifton/227685/7 "2004-02-05T20:35:32Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > It might have been Jim Carrey \ acting like Zmuda acting like Kaufman dressed up as Clifton.\ Now THAT’S funny! ---
**Author:** ![john\_lodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6a8cbe/32.png) [@john\_lodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/john_lodge)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2004, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufmen-and-the-mystery-of-tony-clifton/227685/8 "2004-02-05T22:36:20Z")
Even Zmunda himself said if anybody were going to fake there own death it would be Kaufmen. I am just intrigued by the Tony Clifton character that he still exists by some mystery performer. I also find it amazing the reaction that he had on VH1’s show when asked if he was Kaufmen. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2004, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufmen-and-the-mystery-of-tony-clifton/227685/9 "2004-02-05T23:46:06Z")
I think the continued existence of Tony Clifton is more Andy faking his own _life_-getting people to say “isn’t he dead?” Are you asking if it’s possible that this has all been a big, elaborate hoax all along and that he’s still alive? It’s very [improbable](http://andykaufman.jvlnet.com/death.htm). People faking theirown deaths don’t generally do it in the cancer ward of Cedars Sinai Medical Center. I think the point is, it’s exactly the sort of thing he would have done, and even if he didn’t it’s funny either way. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufmen-and-the-mystery-of-tony-clifton/227685/10 "2004-02-06T00:22:34Z")
Andy Kaufman … what a tiresome individual. ---
**Author:** ![HoldenCaulfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/22d042/32.png) [@HoldenCaulfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoldenCaulfield)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufmen-and-the-mystery-of-tony-clifton/227685/11 "2004-02-06T08:19:03Z")
Andy’s brother also played Clifton on occasion. Most post-death appearances have been Zmuda AFAIK ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufmen-and-the-mystery-of-tony-clifton/227685/12 "2004-02-06T13:50:46Z")
> [@Snooooopy](#): > > Andy Kaufman … what a tiresome individual. Amen. I never found anything even remotely funny about him. ---
**Author:** ![john\_lodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6a8cbe/32.png) [@john\_lodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/john_lodge)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufmen-and-the-mystery-of-tony-clifton/227685/13 "2004-02-06T14:43:27Z")
Oh yes I also find it quite amusing like the fact that on the death certificate it says an autopsy was never preformed therefore increasing the factor that he could have faked his own death. If he did then it would be the most elaborate greatest hoax of all time and he would be the person to pull it off. Why though are there still apperances of the person Tony Clifton? ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufmen-and-the-mystery-of-tony-clifton/227685/14 "2004-02-06T15:09:16Z")
Autopsies aren’t performed when the cause of death is known and there weren’t any unexplained complications. You’re more likely not to recieve an autopsy when you die than to receive one. There’d be no reason to perform an autopsy if he died of lung cancer. The sheer magnitude of the hoax is exactly the reason that it’s so extremely unlikely. He couldn’t have done it alone unless he had a stunt double that had lung cancer who looked, talked, and acted so convincingly like him that he fooled his friends, doctors, and parents. To pull it off he’d have to have the staff of Cedar Sinai Medical Center in on it, the county coroner, the funeral home, his parents, and everybody in attendance at the funeral who verified that it was him and that he was dead. Some of these people would be committing serious crimes falsifying records for his prank, and in all these years no reporter has ever figured it out, no nurse has ever said “Hey, nobody named Andy Kaufman was never in the hospital here” and none of the dozens of people in on it has ever talked. The CIA couldn’t pull that off! ---
**Author:** ![john\_lodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6a8cbe/32.png) [@john\_lodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/john_lodge)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufmen-and-the-mystery-of-tony-clifton/227685/15 "2004-02-06T16:11:31Z")
Well I am not going to go into specific details on how to fake a death I just know that people have done it in the past and it wouldn’t be that difficult. What ever happened to the love of his life? What ever happened to her? I just would like to know the specifications of his death like open casket, witnesses, etc. Does it not intrigue anybody else about Tony Clifton and that the joke if it is not Kaufmen still exist today? ---
**Author:** ![paperbackwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@paperbackwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paperbackwriter)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufmen-and-the-mystery-of-tony-clifton/227685/16 "2004-02-06T21:28:48Z")
> [@john lodge](#): > > Well I am not going to go into specific details on how to fake a death I just know that people have done it in the past and it wouldn’t be that difficult. \ Well, I don’t want to sound snide here, but, I gotta ask for a cite on that. I’ll start by offering a [counter-cite](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/010921.html), as it were. While there have been some legitimate insurance frauds where some-one (usually briefly) faked their death, I doubt anyone of Kaufman’s stature could succeed. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufmen-and-the-mystery-of-tony-clifton/227685/17 "2004-02-07T01:46:19Z")
> [@john lodge](#): > > Why though are there still appearances of the person Tony Clifton? Because Andy Kaufman liked to fuck with people’s heads, and he surrounded himself with friends who liked to do the same thing. Andy Kaufman is dead, now, but his friends are still around, and they’re still amused by the same sort of head games. Kaufman’s whole schtick was making the audience wonder what was part of the act and what was real-life. The Tony Clifton character was a guy who was so outrageously unfunny, obnoxious, and offensive, that no one ever knew if they were supposed to be angry or pissed. Once people started to get that Clifton was just a Kaufman character and not a real guy, he started getting his friends to do the character, so that people who thought Clifton was a Kaufman character would see the two of them together, and get confused all over again. After Kaufman died, the same people who had been in on the Kaufman/Clifton joke kept it up, because it both confused the issue of wether Clifton was a real person, or it confused the issue of wether or not Kaufman had really died. So, to sum up, Tony Clifton: fictious. Andy Kaufman: dead. You: whooshed hard. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufmen-and-the-mystery-of-tony-clifton/227685/18 "2004-02-07T13:17:13Z")
> [@](#): > > I just would like to know the specifications of his death like open casket, witnesses, etc. He was Jewish, at least nominally, which makes an open casket unlikely. At this point you’re looking at a lot of evidence that he’s dead, so what you really should be doing is trying to find any evidence he’s not. Good luck with that. Meanwhile, **Miller** is right about everything. ---
**Author:** ![greenphan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c37758/32.png) [@greenphan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/greenphan)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufmen-and-the-mystery-of-tony-clifton/227685/19 "2004-02-07T21:33:50Z")
Well, if a celebrity has been successful at faking their death, it’s not like we’d know about it… There’s Ambrose Bierce, who actually was probably killed in Mexico. There’s JD Salinger, who has been in hiding for years. That’s kind of close… Nazi war criminals, who, in a sick way, were kind of celebrities, escaped to various places and hid out, hoping the Allies thought they were died during the war. No one really successful at simply disappearing and having the world think they’re dead, I don’t think… ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufmen-and-the-mystery-of-tony-clifton/227685/20 "2004-02-07T21:55:18Z")
> [@greenphan](#): > > No one really successful at simply disappearing and having the world think they’re dead, I don’t think… If they were _really_ successful, none of us would know it. Right? That said, Andy is no longer with us. It’s a shame. He was a genius. Haj [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andy-kaufmen-and-the-mystery-of-tony-clifton/227685.md?page=2)