Man on the Moon 1999 (ENG.SUB) Jim Carrey, Danny DeVito, Gerry Becker

Andy Kaufman is a struggling performer whose act fails in nightclubs because, while the audience wants comedy, he sings children's songs and refuses to tell conventional jokes. As the audience begins to believe that Kaufman may have no real talent, his previously timid "foreign man" character puts on a rhinestone jacket and does a dead-on Elvis impersonation. The audience bursts into applause, realizing Kaufman had tricked them. Kaufman catches the eye of talent agent George Shapiro, who signs him as a client and immediately lands him a network television series, Taxi, much to Kaufman's dismay, since he dislikes sitcoms. Because of the money, visibility, and a promise that he can do his own television special, Kaufman accepts the role, turning his foreign man into a mechanic named Latka Gravas. Secretly he hates doing the show and expresses a desire to quit. Invited to catch a different act at a nightclub, Shapiro witnesses a performance by a rude, loud-mouthed lounge singer, Tony Clifton, whom Kaufman wants to guest-star on Taxi. Clifton's bad attitude is matched by his horrible appearance and demeanor. But backstage, when he meets Shapiro in person, Clifton takes off his sunglasses and reveals that he is actually Kaufman. Clifton is a "villain character" created by Kaufman and his creative partner, Bob Zmuda. Once again, the gag is on the audience. Kaufman's profile increases with appearances on Saturday Night Live, but he has problems with his newfound fame. When performing live, audiences dislike his strange anti-humor and demand that he perform as Latka. At one show, he deliberately antagonizes attendees by reading The Great Gatsby aloud from start to finish. Kaufman shows up on the Taxi set as Clifton and proceeds to cause chaos until he is removed from the set. He relates to Shapiro that he never knows exactly how to entertain an audience "short of faking my own death or setting the theater on fire." ........ Directed by Miloš Forman Written by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski Produced by Danny DeVito Michael Shamberg Stacey Sher Starring Jim Carrey Danny DeVito Courtney Love Paul Giamatti Cinematography Anastas N. Michos Edited by Adam Boome Lynzee Klingman Christopher Tellefsen Music by R.E.M. im Carrey as Andy Kaufman / Tony Clifton / Latka Gravas Danny DeVito as George Shapiro Courtney Love as Lynne Margulies Paul Giamatti as Bob Zmuda / Tony Clifton Gerry Becker as Stanley Kaufman Leslie Lyles as Janice Kaufman George Shapiro as Mr. Besserman Richard Belzer as Himself Patton Oswalt as Blue Collar Guy Melanie Vesey as Carol Kaufman Michael Kelly as Michael Kaufman Vincent Schiavelli as Maynard Smith Peter Bonerz as Ed Weinberger Michael Villani as Merv Griffin Bob Zmuda as Jack Burns Tracey Walter as National Enquirer Editor Several original members of the cast of Taxi, including Marilu Henner, Judd Hirsch, Christopher Lloyd, Carol Kane, and Jeff Conaway make cameos, playing themselves. Danny DeVito, who was also in the cast of Taxi, co-starred in the film but did not appear as himself. Many of Kaufman's other real-life friends and co-stars also appear in the film (although not all as themselves), including Zmuda, Shapiro, Margulies, David Letterman, Paul Shaffer, professional wrestler Jerry Lawler, wrestling announcers Jim Ross and Lance Russell, The Improv founder Budd Friedman, Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels, and actors Vincent Schiavelli and Chad Whitson.Michael Richards is played by Norm Macdonald in a recreation of the Fridays show skit. According to Jerry Lawler's autobiography It's Good to be the King ... sometimes, WCW wrestler Glenn Gilbertti, better known to wrestling fans as Disco Inferno, was considered for the role of Lawler. Kevin Spacey, Edward Norton, John Cusack and Hank Azaria auditioned for the role of Andy Kaufman.