HOLLYWOOD -- Jim Carrey is in need of an exorcism.

His latest role, as eccentric funnyman Andy Kaufman in director Milos Forman's Man on the Moon, completely consumed Carrey.

"Andy came back from the dead to do this movie. I felt like I was channelling him. It was as if he was in my body and that was not always comfortable for either of us," recalled a straight-faced, utterly serious Carrey in a recent interview. Man on the Moon opens on Wednesday.

Kaufman, who is probably best known as the wide-eyed mechanic Latka Gravas on the sitcom Taxi (1978-83), died of lung cancer in 1984.

Having researched Kaufman's life, Carrey believes "Andy opened his eyes each morning and the circus began. He was so committed to his performance art and the personas he created for himself that he didn't care whether people liked him or hated him.

"He just wanted them to react to him and they did. He was so committed that people thought he was insane."

Carrey spent hundreds of hours talking with people who knew Kaufman, and especially with Kaufman's father.

"Andy's dad was very forthcoming. He gave me endless reams of video footage. I went to his house and closeted myself in his old room. I even made up little shows for the wallpaper like he did."

Danny DeVito, who played Louis DePalma opposite Kaufman on Taxi and stars as the late comic's agent George Shapiro in the new film, says that while they were filming Man on the Moon, Carrey became Kaufman.

"Jim Carrey only came to our set once or twice and on those days he was very subdued. The rest of the time it was Andy who came to work. For me it was a revelation. Jim knew instinctively the kind of things Andy did.

"One day he came to the set driving an ice-cream truck. He made all of us sing songs before he'd give us an ice cream."

Carrey admits he lived as Kaufman 24 hours a day for almost four months.

"I went to bed as Andy. I woke up in the morning as Andy. It was a strange and wonderful experience. I felt this was the only way to attack the role.

"I had to let Andy come back. I honestly think he wanted to come back through me. We were both born on Jan. 17 and, anatomically, we're extremely close. He probably felt comfortable in my body.

"I appreciate what Andy did as a comedian but I don't want to be him forever. However while I was making the movie, the lines got blurred."

DeVito insists Carrey's rather eccentric approach to the role didn't worry his fellow actors.

"I worked with Andy for five years. I can tell you that through Jim, Andy came back for four months.

"Still, we never feared for Jim's sanity. He's an intelligent Canadian. We knew he could get rid of Andy any time wanted to."

Even after Carrey had finished filming Man on the Moon, he continued to emulate Kaufman's outlandish antics.

Carrey appeared at the MTV Awards in disguise, peppering his speech with a string of expletives. At the recent Los Angeles press event for Man on the Moon, Carrey got into a wild wrestling match with Kaufman's former writing partner, Bob Zmuda, who was disguised as Tony Clifton.

"The difference between Andy and I is that I tell people when it's a joke and when it isn't. Andy may not have always known what was real and what wasn't, but I do."

There is much speculation that Carrey will receive an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Kaufman.

"Making the movie was such a thrill that the Oscar is not necessary. If it does happen, it will be a wonderful finale.

"If I win the Oscar, I hope Andy rushes up on stage to grab it from me."


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