With Rey Mysterio and the Great Muta officially announced into this year’s WWE Hall of Fame, a fresh name has emerged to join these industry legends. Later this month, the late performer Andy Kaufman will be welcomed into the WWE Hall of Fame.

The ceremony on March 31 will commemorate the late-night talk show host and sketch comedian who passed away in 1984 at the age of 35. Who will be present to formally induct him is not yet known.

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Everything to know about Andy Kaufman:

Andy Kaufman Family

The eldest of three children, Kaufman was born on January 17, 1949, in New York City. He was raised in Great Neck, Long Island, by his middle-class Jewish family along with his younger brother Michael and sister Carol. His father, Stanley Kaufman, was a jewellery dealer, and his mother, Janice Kaufman, was a housewife and former model.

Andy Kaufman Relationship

Kaufman never got married. His daughter Maria Bellu-Colonna, who was born out of wedlock with a high school girlfriend, was given up for adoption. When Bellu-Colonna uncovered her biological ancestry in 1992, she discovered that she was Kaufman’s daughter. She was soon reconciled with her mother, grandfather, uncle, and aunt.

After meeting Kaufman while working on the movie My Breakfast with Blassie, Lynne Margulies dated him from 1982 until his passing in 1984.

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Andy Kaufman Career

Kaufman returned to New York City and started performing in comedy clubs after studying television in Boston. Over time, Kaufman created a one-of-a-kind act that combined stand-up comedy and performance art.

Kaufman immediately gained notoriety as a comedian in New York, which led to appearances on Saturday Night Live, including a renowned debut as Foreign Man that popularised his trademark “cringe humour” in America.

Later, he evolved Foreign Man into Latka Gravas in the sitcom Taxi. Nevertheless, aside from costarring in two feature films, In God We Trust and Heartbeeps, Kaufman did not capitalise on the additional visibility that came with starring in a hit television show.

Some years later, Kaufman began wrestling women within his act and dubbed himself “Inter-Gender Wrestling Champion of the World”. When Kaufman first proposed bringing his performance to the New York wrestling territory, Vince McMahon Sr., the chairman of the WWF—now WWE—rejected the notion. After much deliberation, Kaufman finally stepped into the ring. It was eventually discovered that the wrestling matches and feuds were staged.

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Andy Kaufman Death 

At the age of 35, Kaufman passed away from lung cancer on May 16, 1984. Kaufman was not a smoker, despite having large-cell carcinoma of the lung, a condition often linked to years of cigarette smoking. Rumors that his death was a ruse remained for decades after his passing, which is not surprising for someone who spent years pranking the public.