Man On The Moon (film)

Man On The Moon (film)

Man on the Moon is a 1999 American biographical comedy-drama film about the American entertainer Andy Kaufman, starring Jim Carrey. The film was directed by Miloš Forman and also features Courtney Love, Paul Giamatti and Danny DeVito. DeVito worked with Kaufman on the Taxi television series, and other members of that show's cast, including Marilu Henner, Judd Hirsch, Christopher Lloyd and Jeff Conaway, make cameo appearances in the film, playing themselves.

The story traces Kaufman's steps from childhood through the comedy clubs, and television appearances that made him famous, including his memorable appearances on Saturday Night Live, Late Night with David Letterman, Fridays, and his role as "Latka Gravas" on the Taxi sitcom, which was popular for viewers but disruptive for Kaufman's co-stars. The film pays particular attention to the various inside jokes, scams, put-ons, and happenings for which Kaufman was famous, most significantly his long-running "feud" with wrestler Jerry "The King" Lawler and his portrayal of the bawdy lounge singer Tony Clifton.

Carrey received critical acclaim for his chameleonic performance and won a Golden Globe—his second win in a row after receiving an award for The Truman Show previously. He was nominated in the Musical/Comedy category for Man on the Moon, and remarked in his acceptance speech that he thought the film was a drama at heart, an opinion shared by others, but also a reference to how Kaufman saw himself as a "song and dance man".