We caught wind earlier this morning that the 5th Annual Andy Kaufman Award showcase will be hosted by none other than longtime Kaufman rival, Tony Clifton.
Clifton, who was originally discovered by Kaufman in 1969 while performing in a seedy lounge in Las Vegas was revealed to be a character performed by both Andy Kaufman and on occasion by his long time friend and writer Bob Zmuda, according to Zmuda’s book Andy Kaufman: Revealed! and again by the bio-pic Man on the Moon.
When we asked today why he would agree to host an event honoring his long time legal foe, Clifton simply told us, “because those sheeny bastards are paying me.”
The 5th Annual Andy Kaufman Award hosted by Tony Clifton takes place next Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 2 and 3 at Carolines in New York City. Go to TheAndyKaufmanAward.com for details. Twenty-five of the best alternative comics in the U.S. compete for the prestigious award. Also on display will be an Andy memorabilia exhibit including his famous Elvis costume and Conga drum.
