 Kaufman and Lawler kept claiming that their hatred and actions were real, but they were later revealed to have been a staged "work", as the two were actually friends.The truth about it being a work was kept secret for more than 10 years after Kaufman's death until the Emmy nominated documentary "A Comedy Salute to Andy Kaufman" aired on NBC in 1995.In a 1997 interview with the "Memphis Flyer", Lawler claimed he had improvised during their first match and the Letterman incident.