53 Quotes by Ricky Jay

I was considered a comedy magician. And - how do I put this without sounding egotistical? - it didn't take me long to realize that comedy magicians usually couldn't do comedy or magic.

I wasn't obsessed by magic. People say, 'How you can you claim you practiced eight hours a day and weren't obsessed?' Well, people go to a job they don't even like for eight hours a day; it's not obsessive if it's something you like.

I'm probably the only kid in history whose parents made him stop taking music lessons. They made me stop studying the accordion.

I've been really lucky in terms of film projects with people, terrific actors and also writers and directors that I really respect.

My father was the Formica King of Long Island, and my mother was the daughter of a Bengal Lancer in India.

Writing is the only thing in my life that doesn't get easier. It just doesn't.

I certainly was performing before my writing was published, because I was performing when I was very young. And the thing is I'm very comfortable on stage, so a large portion of my act did come from ad-libs.

There are enormous dangers in thinking that the world online is the world as it exists, that what you get from your one stroke on the Internet is all there is to know.

I grew up like Athena - covered with playing cards instead of armor - and, at the age of seven, materialized on a TV show, doing magic.