Carrey On Kaufman

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By Newsweek Editors

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NEWSWEEK: Was Kaufman a hero during your standup days?
CARREY: Absolutely. He was one of the guys that showed me that comedy doesn't have to be How about those roasted peanuts on the plane? How do you get those damn things open? It doesn't even have to be funny. It can be ironic and weird. He wanted people to lose their veneer--to get angry or incredibly happy or just be fascinated by the car wreck... People said that Andy had selective schizophrenia. He knew what he was doing but he'd commit so far that it'd become worrisome.

This year you did what seemed like a Kaufman-inspired bit when you accepted an MTV award dressed as a biker. You were totally unrecognizable. I noticed your costar Courtney Love was laughing her head off.
Well, I was basically ogling her all night as this guy, and she had no idea who I was. I tried to pick her up backstage. She'd pull out a cigarette, and I'd light it for her, going, "There you go, babydoll." Staring her up and down. That kind of thing. She asked the person she was with, "Who the f--k is that?" She thought I was somebody she slept with in the '70s. Then they announced me, and I hit the stage and she realized. Sam Jackson came up to me after the show, too, because I'd talked to him for 15 minutes backstage. It was hilarious. He came up and he said, "Man, why'd you play me like that?"

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