Celebrity Biographies
ricky jay
He enjoyed enormous popularity as an illusionist in the United States, filling the stages. But he had time to participate as an actor in films about the world of magic, and was a regular at David Mamet’s cinema. Ricky Jay died on November 24, 2018, at the age of 72, at his residence in Los Angeles, “of natural causes”, according to Winston Simone, his representative, reveals in Variety.
It is speculated that Richard Jay Potash (his real name) was born on June 26, 1946, although the date is not at all clear, because he hid his age, and throughout his life he avoided talking about his childhood. He only ever detailed in interviews that he had a mischievous character and that his grandfather, Max Katz, an accountant, was fond of magic, taught him his first tricks and awakened his vocation. At the age of seven he surprised his relatives with his executions, to the point that he appeared on “Time For Pets”, a popular program, becoming the youngest magician ever to appear on television in the United States. .
Although he studied hotel management in New York, he soon succeeded in hotel and small bar settings, dazzling the public with his expertise. Even the other conjurers recognized that he was the best at handling cards, to the point that he appears in the Guinness Book of Records for his ability to throw cards at more than 140 kilometers per hour. He could embed the letter in a watermelon by throwing it from a distance of ten meters.
Ricky Jay became famous after appearing on television shows, such as “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” or “Saturday Night Live”. He ended up lining up at theaters, especially on Broadway, where his show “Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants” made history. He wrote several books on various topics, such as “Many mysteries unraveled: conjuring literature in America 1786-1874”, “Learned pigs and fireproof women”, “Jay’s journal of anomalies” and “Dice: deception, fate & rotten luck”, although none It has come to be translated into Spanish.
Among his great fans was the prestigious playwright David Mamet , who did not hesitate to recruit him as an actor for his first film, the notable House of Games , where he played George, a Las Vegas poker player. The director was so enthusiastic about his work that he would sign him again for Homicide , The Plot , State & Main , The Last Hit and Red Belt . He also worked with Gus Van Sant , as a detective in Last Days , and with Christopher Nolan , in The Final Trick (The Prestige) ., where in addition to embodying a veteran of magic who gave work to the characters of Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman , he also served as a consultant on the world of sleight of hand.
His talent was also noticed by Paul Thomas Anderson . In Boogie Nights she signed him to represent a camera operator, from the sad world of the pornographic industry. In Magnolia , the film that made him famous, he served as narrator and master of ceremonies. He also had time to play a technoterrorist, in a James Bond film, Tomorrow Never Dies , and a card player, in the HBO series Deadwood , which he borrowed from classic westerns.
He is survived by his wife, producer Chrisann Verges.