The job of a magician is to make tricks that are often complicated seem so easy that they appear to be, well, magic! It takes a stupendous amount of talent, dedication, and passion to make it as a professional magician. Enthusiasm alone will not suffice. It takes even more effort and talent to be one of the top magicians. Most famous magicians have also developed a persona as part of their act such as being haughty, boastful, silent, edgy, or a prankster.
Harry Houdini, who we've already talked about, is perhaps one of the most iconic magicians of all time. Born in Hungary in 1874, Houdini was a master of escapology. He rose to critical acclaim due to his ability to escape almost anything. Houdini's escapes were often met with skepticism by his spectators but that didn't diminish his desire to keep performing. He adored honest magic and despised magicians who were phony.
Houdini died in 1926 and the notoriety of his death often overshadows his great escapes. He was repeatedly punched in the stomach to prove a point. He began feeling ill and was later diagnosed with appendicitis. No one knows if the punches caused the illness but many think it did.
One of the most successful magicians in history is David Copperfield. He is not only a stage performer, but the illusionist has also had several successful television specials. He has earned a plethora of Emmy Award nominations (38 to be exact) with 21 wins. He also has 11 Guinness World Records including one for "the largest illusion ever staged." This involved him making the Statue of Liberty disappear!
For this illusion Copperfield used the real Statue of Liberty and made it disappear in front of a live audience. He then made it materialize in front of the audience. The audience sat mystified as the statue disappeared and reappeared in front of their very eyes. No camera tricks were used for this illusion so how did they manage to make a giant statue disappear? He simply moved the audience so that their viewpoint changed during the trick.
Copperfield placed two giant towers in front of the statue with a curtain hung between the towers. He then raised the curtain and when the curtain was lowered Lady Liberty was actually hidden behind one of the towers holding the curtain up. The platform the audience was on was being slowly moved during this time. The audience was not aware of their seats moving as it was all done very slowly with lots of music playing to distract them. The illusion was performed in 1983, and it remains a record to this day.
For a long time, the professional world of illusionists was dominated by men. Although the industry is still largely male-dominated, more and more women are making careers for themselves as professional illusionists.
Dorothy Dietrich is one of the most famous magicians in the world. When she was only a teenager, she was already dubbed the 'First Lady of Magic'. Dietrich is well-known for her exploits as an escapologist. She gained prominence throughout her career for her daring escapes, earning her the nickname Female Houdini. She has duplicated many of Houdini's original escapes, as well as several of her own inventions.
Dietrich accomplished the Jinxed Bullet Catch Stunt, which even Houdini himself gave up on. It's no wonder Dietrich has been named as one of the top four escape artists in history. To this day, she is the first and only woman to have performed the bullet catch trick.
Penn and Teller are modern-day magicians, and illusionists who are known for their unique approach to magic. Penn does the majority of the talking in the act while Teller remains mostly silent. Their shows involve a lot of comedy and are really funny to watch.
They had a show where they spent time being "scientific skeptics." They believe in science and like to debunk claims from psychics or others practicing pseudoscience. They eschew the frauds and highlight the good.
Houdini, Copperfield, Dietrich, and Penn and Teller are just a handful of the famous magicians out there. Who else do you know of?