Magician, Actor, Writer, and Musician. Known professionally as Ricky Jay, he was called "perhaps the most gifted sleight-of-hand artist alive." He was known for his prestidigitation, card tricks, card throwing, memory feats, and stage banter. Born into a middle-class Jewish family, he grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey; his grandfather, an amateur magician, introduced Jay to magic. Debuting in public at age seven, he is most likely the youngest magician to perform a full magic act on TV, the first magician to ever play comedy clubs, and probably the first magician to open for a rock and roll band; at New York's The Electric Circus in the 1960s, he performed on a bill between Ike and Tina Turner and Timothy Leary, who lectured about LSD. Playwright David Mamet cast Jay in a number of his films, including "House of Games", "The Spanish Prisoner" and "Heist", and directed Jay's one-man stage shows including "Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants" (1994). Jay also appeared in "Boogie Nights". "Magnolia". "Mystery Men", and the James Bond film "Tomorrow Never Dies", as well as "The Prestige". Jay is the subject of the 2012 feature documentary "Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay." He was a frequently sought consultant on public deceptions and frauds, and his company Deceptive Practices created illusions for Hollywood, as seen in the movies "Leap of Faith," "Forrest Gump" and "Ocean's Thirteen." On television, he was a frequent late-night talk show guest and cast member of the western drama "Deadwood." Jay was listed in the Guinness Book of Records for throwing a playing card 190 ft at 90 miles per hour. He contributed to several projects in the music world, most notably the CD/DVD "Ricky Jay Plays Poker" and appearances in music videos for Bob Dylan and Jerry Garcia. A student of all facets of magic, prestidigitation and trickery, Jay maintained a large library of historical works. He was himself a prolific writer and lecturer at museums and universities on the history of magic con games, sensual perception and illusions. In a 2013 interview, he stated "You wouldn't want to live in a world where you couldn't be conned. Because it would mean you're living in a world where you never trusted anyone or anything." He is survived by his wife, Chrisann Verges.
Magician, Actor, Writer, and Musician. Known professionally as Ricky Jay, he was called "perhaps the most gifted sleight-of-hand artist alive." He was known for his prestidigitation, card tricks, card throwing, memory feats, and stage banter. Born into a middle-class Jewish family, he grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey; his grandfather, an amateur magician, introduced Jay to magic. Debuting in public at age seven, he is most likely the youngest magician to perform a full magic act on TV, the first magician to ever play comedy clubs, and probably the first magician to open for a rock and roll band; at New York's The Electric Circus in the 1960s, he performed on a bill between Ike and Tina Turner and Timothy Leary, who lectured about LSD. Playwright David Mamet cast Jay in a number of his films, including "House of Games", "The Spanish Prisoner" and "Heist", and directed Jay's one-man stage shows including "Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants" (1994). Jay also appeared in "Boogie Nights". "Magnolia". "Mystery Men", and the James Bond film "Tomorrow Never Dies", as well as "The Prestige". Jay is the subject of the 2012 feature documentary "Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay." He was a frequently sought consultant on public deceptions and frauds, and his company Deceptive Practices created illusions for Hollywood, as seen in the movies "Leap of Faith," "Forrest Gump" and "Ocean's Thirteen." On television, he was a frequent late-night talk show guest and cast member of the western drama "Deadwood." Jay was listed in the Guinness Book of Records for throwing a playing card 190 ft at 90 miles per hour. He contributed to several projects in the music world, most notably the CD/DVD "Ricky Jay Plays Poker" and appearances in music videos for Bob Dylan and Jerry Garcia. A student of all facets of magic, prestidigitation and trickery, Jay maintained a large library of historical works. He was himself a prolific writer and lecturer at museums and universities on the history of magic con games, sensual perception and illusions. In a 2013 interview, he stated "You wouldn't want to live in a world where you couldn't be conned. Because it would mean you're living in a world where you never trusted anyone or anything." He is survived by his wife, Chrisann Verges.
Bio by: RAy&Jay
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