Editing Andy Kaufman (section)

===Latka===
{{Main|Latka Gravas}}
[[File:Andy Kaufman and Carol Kane 1982.jpg|thumb|alt=A black-and-white photo of Kaufman embracing Kane and the two looking toward the camera|Kaufman with [[Carol Kane]] in a promotional picture of ''[[Taxi (TV series)|Taxi]]'', 1982]]
The Foreign Man character was changed into Latka Gravas for [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]'s sitcom ''[[Taxi (TV series)|Taxi]]'', appearing in 79 of 114 episodes in 1978–83.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}} [[Bob Zmuda]] confirms this: "They basically were buying Andy's Foreign Man character for the ''Taxi'' character Latka."<ref name="oral">[http://www.bluedonut.com/ak.htm "Andy Kaufman Oral History"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061206215413/http://www.bluedonut.com/ak.htm |date=December 6, 2006 }}, interviews with Don Steinberg, originally published in short form in ''GQ Magazine'', December 1999.</ref> Kaufman's longtime manager [[George Shapiro]] encouraged him to take the gig.

Kaufman disliked sitcoms and was not happy with the idea of being in one, but Shapiro convinced him that it would quickly lead to stardom, which would earn him money he could then put into his own act.{{citation needed |date=June 2022}} Kaufman agreed to appear in 14 episodes per season, and he initially wanted four for Kaufman's alter ego [[Tony Clifton]]. After Kaufman deliberately sabotaged Clifton's appearance on the show, however, that part of his contract was dropped.<ref name="clifton">{{cite news |last=Shales |first=Tom |date=May 23, 1984 |title=Kaufman's many faces made him one of a kind |url= |access-date= |newspaper=[[The Milwaukee Journal]] |id=[[GenealogyBank]] [https://www.genealogybank.com/doc/newspapers/image/v2%3A1477BBDEA50EB75C%40GB3NEWS-160730C5D5B3ACAC%402445844-16072A146618F24B%4064-16072A146618F24B%40?h=1&lname=%22many%20faces%20made%20him%20one%20of%20a%20kind%22&rgfromDate=&rgtoDate=&formDate=&formDateFlex=exact&dateType=range&kwinc=&kwexc=&sid= v2:1477BBDEA50EB75C@GB3NEWS-160730C5D5B3ACAC@2445844-16072A146618F24B@64-16072A146618F24B@] (quasi-accessed November 28, 2024: [https://www.genealogybank.com/explore/newspapers/all/usa/wisconsin/milwaukee/milwaukee-journal?lname=%22many%20faces%20made%20him%20one%20of%20a%20kind%22&rgfromDate=&rgtoDate=&formDate=&formDateFlex=exact&dateType=range&kwinc=&kwexc= search query], [https://infoweb1.newsbank.com/maximus/cache/0/snippets/bitonal_tiff_g4/160730C5D5B3ACAC/16072A146618F24B/sn_highlight_FFFF00_16072A146618F24B_1141_275_2282_138_30_230_230.png preview image]). [[Google News Archive]] [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19840523&id=gWoaAAAAIBAJ&pg=7154,1748529&hl=en nid=1499&dat=19840523&id=gWoaAAAAIBAJ&pg=7154,1748529] (accessed July 13, 2016).}}</ref>

His character was given [[multiple personality disorder]], which allowed Kaufman to randomly portray other characters. In one episode of ''Taxi'', Kaufman's character came down with a condition that made him act like [[Alex Rieger]], the main character played by [[Judd Hirsch]]. Another such recurring character played by Kaufman was Latka's womanizing alter ego Vic Ferrari.<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0718495 ''Taxi'' (Season 3, Episode 20, "Latka the Playboy")], imdb.com; accessed January 28, 2017.</ref>

[[Sam Simon]], who early in his career was a writer and later [[showrunner]] for ''Taxi'', stated in a 2013 interview on Marc Maron's [[WTF with Marc Maron|''WTF'' podcast]] that the story of Kaufman having been generally disruptive on the show was "a complete fiction" largely created by Zmuda. Simon maintained that Zmuda has a vested interest in promoting an out-of-control image of Kaufman. In the interview Simon stated that Kaufman was "completely professional" and that he "told you Tony Clifton was him", but he also conceded that Kaufman would have "loved" Zmuda's version of events.<ref>[[Maron, Marc]] (May 16, 2013). [http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episodes/episode_389_-_sam_simon "Episode 389&nbsp;– Sam Simon"], WTFPod.com; accessed January 28, 2017.</ref>

Kaufman was nominated for the [[Golden Globe Award]] for [[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor&nbsp;– Series, Miniseries or Television Film|Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Limited Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television]] for ''Taxi'' in 1979 and 1981.<ref>{{cite web|title=Golden Globe Awards: Winners & Nominees|url=http://www.goldenglobes.com/person/andy-kaufman|publisher=GoldenGlobes.com|access-date=October 7, 2016}}</ref>