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." Pranks and elaborate ruses were major elements of his career. His body of work maintains a cult following and he continues to be respected for his original material, performance style, and unflinching commitment to character.

Biography

Kaufman never married. He met his partner Lynne Margulies on the set of My Breakfast With Blassie in 1982, and they were together until Kaufman's death in 1984. Margulies is a film editor and producer who resides in Los Angeles. She wrote the introduction to Bob Zmuda's book, Dear Andy Kaufman, I Hate Your Guts!

He was survived by his father and a daughter, Maria Bellu-Colonna, who was born in 1969 out of wedlock to a high-school girlfriend and placed for adoption. Bellu-Colonna learned in 1992 that she was Kaufman's daughter when she traced her biological roots by winning a petition of the state of New York for her biological mother's surname. She soon reunited with her mother, grandfather, uncle, and aunt; later she married New York insurance salesman Joe Colonna.

On December 5, 1969, Kaufman learned Transcendental Meditation at college. According to a BBC article, Kaufman used transcendental meditation 'to build confidence and take his act to comedy clubs'. For the rest of his life, Kaufman meditated and performed yoga three hours a day." He trained as a teacher of transcendental meditation in Majorca, Spain, from February to June 1971.