As usual, I have a strong interested in how celebrities, performs, or other people I look up to get their start and for this Penn and Teller article I am not making an exception. For those that do not know, I am currently a full time magician. With Penn and Teller being the most famous magicians out there today (maybe behind Copperfield) I find it important to write something on them.
Teller was born 1948 inPhiladelphia,PA. He was interested in magic at an early age and performed throughout college including a show for one of his classes as a final project. It was doing shows at fraternity parties that Teller started performing silent. With drunk frat boys yelling and trying to talk over him, Teller found they paid closer attention if he refrained from speaking during his show. After college, Teller became a high school Latin teacher. After meeting Penn he quit his teaching job and vowed to make money only as an entertainer.
Penn Fraser Jillette was born in 1955 inGreenfield,Mass. Knowing at a young age he wanted to be in the entertainment industry. He attendedRinglingBrothersClownCollegeand trained as a juggler. Penn credits seeing James Randi (the magician) at the age of 18 as an influence to how the possibilities of what a magic show could be as opposed to the traditional forms of presenting magic.
These two met up in 1974 through a mutual friend, Penn was 19 and Teller 26. They started performing together as the Othmar Schoeck Memorial Society for the Preservation of Unusual and Disgusting Music, which later became the Asparagus Valley Culture Society. This was when they started their focus on gory tricks, debunking traditional magic in a comedic way, pranks, and the occasional magic trick.
By 1985 they were doing well in on off-Broadway show and the same year did their PBS Special Penn and Teller Go Public. Two years later, they were on Broadway, Penn was 32 and teller 39. From there they have a long list of accomplishments that you can read about in their book How to Play with Food (one of the many books they have put out), wikipedia, or their website (pennandteller.com)
