David Copperfield
David Copperfield is an American magician, illusionist, and hypnotist born on September 16, 1956, in Metuchen, New Jersey. His career has also taken him into film and television acting, stunt performance, and writing, making him one of the more versatile performers to emerge from the world of stage illusion.
Copperfield attended Metuchen High School before going on to study at Fordham University. Over the course of his career he has worked across multiple entertainment disciplines, appearing as both a film and television actor in addition to his work as a performing magician and illusionist. His range of activity — spanning live performance, screen work, and the written word — reflects the breadth of occupations he has pursued throughout his professional life.
The honors he has received span several countries and institutions. France awarded him the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres, a distinction recognizing contributions to the arts, while the Mandrake d'Or recognized his work specifically within the magic community. In the United States, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was named a Living Legend by the Library of Congress. That last designation, granted by one of the country's foremost cultural institutions, speaks to the sustained presence he has maintained across the fields of magic, illusion, and performance more broadly.
Quotes by David Copperfield
David Copperfield's insights on:
Magic is the only profession where it’s easy to lie about your talent. If you do a trick and you can learn it very quickly, you can fool somebody into thinking you’re a great magician.
I’m really trying hard not to do anything that has been done before. So knowing everything I can about the legacy of magic challenges my team and I to invent new illusions.
I discovered something amazing, which has caused a lot of controversy – the fountain of youth. I have to keep it a secret!
What I’ve tried to do in my stage magic is to take a trick and give it an emotional hook.
Magic came very easy for me when I was a kid. When I was 8 years old I started doing it, and by the time I was 12, I was already published in magic books.