Andy Kaufman created the character Tony Clifton as a fictional alter ego.
Clifton was presented as an abrasive, untalented lounge singer who insulted audiences and other performers. Kaufman used the character as part of his deliberately uncertain approach to performance, leaving people unsure whether Clifton was a separate person or Kaufman in disguise.
The character became closely associated with Kaufman’s experiments in audience manipulation and performance art. Kaufman sometimes appeared as Clifton, while other performers also portrayed the character, further blurring the boundary between identity and act.
Tony Clifton is often linked to the 1999 biographical film Man on the Moon, in which Jim Carrey portrayed Kaufman. The character was not created by Carrey or by the film; Clifton originated in Kaufman’s own performances during his lifetime.