David Blaine
David Blaine was born in Brooklyn New York. He started doing magic at the age of 4, with his first trick the pencil through card gizmo, he knew this was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. At the age of 10, his mother had remarried and moved the family to New Jersey. As a teen it seemed acting was what he loved. He travelled to Manhattan everyday to go to an acting school he attended. He made a few cameo appearances on soap operas and was in a few commercials. I guess it was his magic skills combined with his acting backround, that has made him into what he is today. His mother was very supportive with him and his magic but tragically she died in 1994 when David was 21. He became noticed when he entered the Hollywood scene doing magic for movie stars. That was when his skills caught the attention of Leonardo DiCaprio, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, to name a few. Leonardo and De Niro are now considered good friends of his. His next step was getting an agent, making a crude home video with a friend and sending it to ABC. They gave him an interview and did some magic for them. After becoming dumbfounded, they gave him a million dollar contract, creating the first special "Street Magic."
Many people were never into watching magic shows untill "Street Magic" began airing. They found other shows to be too glitzy and showy. But not David's show. His is so down to earth. For David to use his magic with ordinary people off the street is so refreshing.