MAGICIANS from United States

Top 5

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary American Magicians of all time. This list of famous American Magicians is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.

1. David Copperfield (b. 1956)

With an HPI of 64.95, David Copperfield is the most famous American Magician.  His biography has been translated into 64 different languages on wikipedia.

David Seth Kotkin (born September 16, 1956), known professionally as David Copperfield, is an American magician, described by Forbes as the most commercially successful magician in history. Copperfield's television specials have been nominated for 38 Emmy Awards, winning 21. Known for his combination of storytelling and illusion, his performance, in a career spanning more than 40 years, have earned 11 Guinness World Records, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a knighthood by the French government. He has been named a Living Legend by the US Library of Congress. His illusions have included the disappearance of a Learjet aircraft (1981), the vanishing and reappearance of the Statue of Liberty (1983), levitating over the Grand Canyon (1984), walking through the Great Wall of China (1986), escaping from Alcatraz prison (1987), the disappearance of an Orient Express train dining car (1991) and flying on stage for several minutes (1992). As of 2006, he had sold 33 million tickets and grossed over US$4 billion, more than any other solo entertainer in history by a large margin. In 2015, Forbes listed his earnings at $63 million for the previous 12 months and ranked him the 20th highest-earning celebrity in the world. In 2006 he bought 11 resort islands in The Bahamas, which he renamed Musha Cay and the Islands of Copperfield Bay.

2. David Blaine (b. 1973)

With an HPI of 53.69, David Blaine is the 2nd most famous American Magician.  His biography has been translated into 30 different languages.

David Blaine (born David Blaine White; April 4, 1973) is an American magician, mentalist, and endurance performer. Born in New York City, Blaine became interested in magic at a very young age. He gained prominence in 1997, when his first television special, David Blaine: Street Magic, aired on ABC. That year, he also appeared in Magic Man. He later starred in the television specials David Blaine: Real or Magic (2013), Beyond Magic (2016), and The Magic Way (2020). Known for his dangerous stunts, in 2008 he attempted to break the Guinness World Record for breath holding. He succeeded in holding his breath for 17 minutes 4 seconds, setting a new world record for oxygen assisted static apnea. He is the author of Mysterious Stranger: A Book of Magic (2002), an autobiography and armchair treasure hunt with instructions on performing magic tricks.

3. Ricky Jay (1946 - 2018)

With an HPI of 45.65, Ricky Jay is the 3rd most famous American Magician.  Her biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Richard Jay Potash (June 26, 1946 – November 24, 2018) was an American stage magician, actor, and writer. In a 1993 profile for The New Yorker, Mark Singer called Jay "perhaps the most gifted sleight of hand artist alive". In addition to sleight of hand, he was known for his card tricks, card throwing, memory feats, and stage patter. He also wrote extensively on magic and its history. His acting credits include The Prestige, The Spanish Prisoner, Mystery Men, Heist, Boogie Nights, Tomorrow Never Dies, Heartbreakers, State and Main, House of Games, Magnolia, and Deadwood. In 2015, he was the subject of an episode of PBS's American Masters, the only magician ever profiled in the series.

4. Criss Angel (b. 1967)

With an HPI of 45.57, Criss Angel is the 4th most famous American Magician.  His biography has been translated into 40 different languages.

Christopher Nicholas Sarantakos (Greek: Χριστόφορος Νικόλαος Σαραντάκος; born December 19, 1967), known professionally as Criss Angel, is an American magician, illusionist and musician. He is often referred to as one of the world's most successful illusionists, generating in excess of $150 million in tourism revenue for Las Vegas in one year. Angel began his career in New York City, before moving his base of operations to the Las Vegas Valley. He is known for starring in the hit television show MINDFREAK and the stage show Criss Angel MINDFREAK LIVE! (previously Criss Angel Believe) at the Luxor casino in Las Vegas. Following his departure from The Luxor after a decade-long run, Angel opened the new MINDFREAK show in the Criss Angel Theater at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. He also produced and starred in the TV series Criss Angel's Magic with the Stars on CW, Criss Angel BeLIEve on Spike TV, a one-hour special Trick'd on A&E, and the reality competition show Phenomenon on NBC. He also holds multiple world records made during his magic performances, and was named Magician of the Decade in 2009, Magician of the Century in 2010 by the International Magicians Society. In 2017, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Vanish magazine awarded him the "Greatest of All Time" award in 2019. In addition to his career as an illusionist, Angel was the lead singer for his industrial band Angeldust, which released five albums. He also authored the book Mindfreak: Secret Revelations.

5. Penn Jillette (b. 1955)

With an HPI of 35.47, Penn Jillette is the 5th most famous American Magician.  Her biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Penn Fraser Jillette (born March 5, 1955) is an American magician, actor, musician, inventor, television presenter, and author, best known for his work with fellow magician Teller as half of the team Penn & Teller. The duo has been featured in numerous stage and television shows, such as Penn & Teller: Fool Us and Penn & Teller: Bullshit!, and is as of 2024 headlining in Las Vegas at The Rio. Jillette serves as the act's orator and raconteur. Jillette has published eight books, including the New York Times Bestseller, God, No!: Signs You May Already Be an Atheist and Other Magical Tales. He is also known for his advocacy of atheism, scientific skepticism, the First Amendment, as well as previously identifying as a libertarian, a position he disavowed in 2020.