Andrew Geoffrey Kaufman was an American entertainer, actor, writer, performance artist, and comedian. While often called a comedian, Kaufman described himself instead as a "song and dance man". He disdained telling jokes and engaging in comedy as it was traditionally understood, once saying in a rare introspective interview, "I am not a comic, I have never told a joke. ... The comedian's promise is that he will go out there and make you laugh with him... My only promise is that I will try to entertain you as best I can."