Magicians

Legendary magician Harry Houdini initially worked as a trapeze artist named “Ehrich, the Prince of the Air” and was later known for his iconic stunt of escaping from handcuffs, at times even under water and while buried alive. He died after a blow to the gut damaged his appendix.

David Blaine is a one of the most popular magicians and illusionists globally who fascinates others with his magic tricks, endurance stunts and extreme performances. His famous stunts include Frozen in Time and Above the Below. He started as a street performer and later began doing television shows.

American magician Penn Jillette is part of the magician duo Penn & Teller, which he formed with fellow magician Teller. A graduate of the Ringling Bros. clown college, he began his career with a Broadway touring show. He has been part of several TV shows and has penned the NYT bestseller God, No!

David Copperfield is a famous American magician. Such is his popularity that his TV specials have received 38 Emmy Award nominations, out of which they have won 21 awards. He also has 11 Guinness World Records under his belt. Also known for his charitable activities, Copperfield founded a rehabilitation program called Project Magic, which is used in over 1100 hospitals.

One half of the German-American entertainer duo Siegfried & Roy, Siegfried Fischbacher teamed up with his partner Roy Horn to perform awe-inspiring stunts with white tigers and lions. They hosted one of Las Vegas’s most visited shows, till Horn was severely injured after a tiger attacked Horn on stage.

Roy Horn was a German-American entertainer and magician. He was one half of the magician duo Siegfried & Roy. Horn and Siegfried were famous for appearing alongside tigers and lions. From 1990 to 2003, their show performed at The Mirage was considered the most-visited show in Las Vegas. Their act inspired the biographical movie Siegfried & Roy: The Magic Box.

Canadian-American magician Shin Lim became an international sensation after winning on America’s Got Talent. Originally an aspiring pianist, he quit music after being diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome. A sleight-of-hand master, he believes magic is more of an art than a trick. He is married to fellow performer Casey Thomas.

Criss Angel is an American illusionist, magician, and musician. He is best known for appearing in the popular reality television series, Criss Angel Mindfreak. He also holds numerous world records as a magician and was adjudged Magician of the Century by the International Magicians Society in 2010. Criss Angel also has a star on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Aleister Crowley was an occultist, writer, and ceremonial magician. He is credited with founding a religion called Thelema and promised his followers with guiding them into the Aeon of Horus, a time of self-realization. More than seven decades after his death, Crowley remains influential among those who revere counterculture and Western esotericism and is considered a prophet in Thelema.

Debbie McGee is an English radio, television, and stage performer. She is best known as the widow of magician Paul Daniels, with whom she often appeared on stage. A former ballet dancer, Debbie McGee worked as an artistic director for three years in her own ballet company. She then went on to achieve popularity as a TV and radio personality.  

British illusionist Derren Brown was first drawn to the world of magic after watching a hypnotism show at the University of Bristol. The star of the long-running show Mind Control, Brown has participated in stage shows and written books, mostly with the aim of debunking the claims of false psychics.

World renowned stage magician James Randi, better known by his stage name, The Amazing Randi, had been drawn to magic while recovering from a bicycle accident. He later dropped out of high school to become a road magician. He is also fond of debunking theories of paranormal activity.

Best known as the star of the hidden-camera reality series The Carbonaro Effect, Michael Carbonaro is a magician who has also delivered an award-winning performance in Another Gay Movie. Openly gay, he is married to American actor Peter Stickles. He has also appeared on shows such as Grey’s Anatomy and CSI Miami.

The grandson of Max Katz, who once headed the Society of American Magicians, Ricky Jay started his career as an opening act for prominent entertainers such as singer Tina Turner. He gradually established himself as the greatest sleight-of-hand artist of his time. He has also appeared in films such as Boogie Nights.

American magician Val Valentino soared to fame with his magic shows in Las Vegas. He also revealed the secrets behind several magic tricks on the 4-part special Breaking the Magician’s Code, disguised as the Masked Magician. He is a cancer survivor and is also famous in Brazil as Mister M.

American comic-magician John Edward Szeles, better known as The Amazing Johnathan, was known for his unique mix of stage magic and stand-up comedy. A regular at Las Vegas shows, he also appeared on several TV shows. He also penned a book on practical jokes, but sadly passed away due to a heart condition.

Chung Ling Soo was an American magician best remembered for his final act, a failed bullet catch trick, which ended his life. Born William Ellsworth Robinson, Soo assumed the identity of a Chinese man to perform his magic tricks. He even created a back story for himself and only a few knew about his real identity until his accidental death.

Carl Ballantine was an American magician, actor, and comedian. He is best remembered for his vaudeville-style comedy routine which involved his famous transparent magic tricks. Carl Ballantine is credited with creating comedy magic and was honored by the Academy of Magical Arts with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Fellowship in 2006. He has influenced magicians and comedians alike.

Lance Burton is an American retired stage magician who performed over 15,000 shows in Las Vegas alone. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Burton entertained over five million people with various tricks. Lance Burton is the recipient of several prestigious awards such as the Blackstone Theatre Award and the David Devant Award.

Banachek is an English magician, mentalist, and mind reader. He is best known for his contribution to James Randi's Project Alpha experiment. Banachek is also known for testing the genuineness of numerous self-described psychics as part of the One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge organized by the James Randi Educational Foundation.

Ian Brackenbury Channell, who is popularly known as The Wizard of New Zealand, is an illusionist, comedian, educator, and politician. He is best known for his public speeches, especially in front of the famous Christchurch Cathedral. His life and career have inspired a couple of documentaries.  

Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin was a French watchmaker turned magician and illusionist. The son of a watchmaker, he followed in his father’s footsteps and had a successful career in this field. He ventured into magic by chance and ended up revolutionizing the field. He is today widely regarded as the father of the modern style of conjuring. 

Dai Vernon was a Canadian magician best remembered for his sleight of hand technique, which involves close-up magic and card tricks. Respected by fellow magicians, Vernon served as a mentor to his contemporaries and aspiring magicians. His life and career inspired a documentary film titled Dai Vernon: The Spirit of Magic, which released in 1999.

Cyril Takayama is an American magician best known for his performances around Japan and on the internet. He has also appeared on MTV and AXN, performing various magic tricks amidst unsuspecting victims. Cyril Takayama has also won several awards, including the Magic Woods Award.

Harry Blackstone Jr. was an American magician, television performer, and author. Apart from modernizing and developing the techniques and routines developed by his father, Harry Blackstone Jr. also created best-selling magic kits and appeared on popular TV shows like The Tonight Show. He was also one of the most decorated magicians at the time of his death in 1997.

One of the most popular magicians of his time, Howard Thurston was born to working-class parents and ran away from home as a child to join a circus. He popularized the floating woman illusion previously performed by Harry Kellar and was best known for his card tricks.

Popular magician and entertainer Bob McAllister started his entertainment career as a ventriloquist on the Today Show and soared to fame in the 1970s with his children’s show Wonderama. He also performed in the award-winning series Kids Are People Too and The Bob McAllister Show.

Harry Kellar was an American magician who performed extensively around the world. A predecessor of Harry Houdini, Kellar was nicknamed the Dean of American Magicians. Harry Kellar is best remembered for his levitation trick where he would make a girl levitate.

Harry Blackstone, Sr., or The Great Blackstone, was known for his illusions, which he performed mostly in silence, as an orchestra or an organist played along. His signature acts included the Vanishing Birdcage and the Dancing Handkerchief. He also performed extensively for the troops and was made a character of a comic book.