Top 29 Most Famous Ricky Jay Quotes (MAGIC)

Top 10 Most Famous Ricky Jay Quotes (BEST)

“Like every art form, there are jealousies and angers and competitiveness in magic. But there’s camaraderie among magicians, whether you perform it for a living or you’re an enthusiast.”
Ricky Jay

I love amazing people. I love dazzling them. That's why I think performing magic is one of the greatest things a person can do. — I love amazing people. I love dazzling them. That’s why I think performing magic is one of the greatest things a person can do.

It probably is harder to fool people when they know they're going to be fooled. — It probably is harder to fool people when they know they’re going to be fooled.

The pain is bad magicians ripping off good ones, doing magic badly, and making a mockery of the art.

I like being fooled. When I watch someone who does sleight-of-hand and fools me, it's a great feeling. — I like being fooled. When I watch someone who does sleight-of-hand and fools me, it’s a great feeling.

“To obfuscate the reconstruction of the effect – when a magician is fooled by another magician doing magic. In my career that’s not been the major passion, but it’s been the passion of a number of my mentors. The crowning achievement for them would be to create magic good enough to fool other magicians.”
Ricky Jay

If it sounds too good to be true, it always is.

For me, the most exciting thing is to create good magic that's entertaining for an audience, and it would be lovely if a magician was fooled as well. — For me, the most exciting thing is to create good magic that’s entertaining for an audience, and it would be lovely if a magician was fooled as well.

Magicians from the nineteenth century threw cards distances, but I think I'm the first one who made a thing about using them as weapons. — Magicians from the nineteenth century threw cards distances, but I think I’m the first one who made a thing about using them as weapons.

I grew up like Athena - covered with playing cards instead of armor - and, at the age of seven, materialized on a TV show, doing magic. — I grew up like Athena – covered with playing cards instead of armor – and, at the age of seven, materialized on a TV show, doing magic.

8 Ricky Jay Quotes About Life and Being a Magician

“Theft annoys me more than anything else. The purloining of effects from another magician. Some people think it’s massive to steal the secrets of nuclear reactors, but to steal a card move is trivial. They’re wrong.”
Ricky Jay

Magic is a powerful art that can support a weak performer.

“I never talk much about my family, but my grandfather was friendly with these guys, with magicians and ventriloquists on the highest levels, and I was just… interested.”
Ricky Jay

Not only do I lie, I take real pleasure in lying, in the transmission of magic effects.

“One of the reasons I don’t like to use the word ‘tricks,’ I do think of them as theatrical pieces, and as pretentious as that might sound, there’s a real reason for it. It’s not the idea of tricking you; it’s the idea of taking you along on this particular journey the way you would in any other theatrical situation. But, hopefully, you’re going to be fooled at the end.”
Ricky Jay

“I was considered a comedy magician. And – how do I put this without sounding egotistical? – it didn’t take me long to realize that comedy magicians usually couldn’t do comedy or magic.”
Ricky Jay

“I suppose that if I could only do one thing, a solid card effect would be pretty high on the list. That’s the root of it all, sleight-of-hand. It’s certainly the thing I feel most comfortable with.”
Ricky Jay

“There are people who try to figure things out. Often, magic is presented in a way that sets up a challenge that I actually find kind of appalling. You know, ‘I’m clever, I can do something, and you don’t know what it is.’ And that instills in the audience the idea that, ‘Yes, I do. You’re not that clever.'”
Ricky Jay

7 Ricky Jay Quotes on Books and Writing

“I certainly was performing before my writing was published, because I was performing when I was very young. And the thing is I’m very comfortable on stage, so a large portion of my act did come from ad-libs.”
Ricky Jay

Writing is the only thing in my life that doesn't get easier. It just doesn't. — **Writing** is the only thing in my life that doesn’t get easier. It just doesn’t.

“Maybe the the luxury of not having acting be my only profession is that I can be more selective about what I choose to be in. I’ve been really lucky in terms of film projects with people, terrific actors and also writers and directors that I really respect.”
Ricky Jay

I always read what I write out loud, and I did that long before any radio thing. My editor finds that unusual.

“I’m pretty fortunate that I’m in the films I’m in largely because the directors have asked me to be in them. I’d love to do more of them, but the writing and historical stuff I’ll probably always do.”
Ricky Jay

The book says we may be through with the past but the past ain't through with us. — The book says we may be through with the past but the past ain’t through with us.

“Every acting gig isn’t the same, every writing job isn’t the same, every live performance isn’t the same – the challenge is the level of difficulty or ease, and that may vary.”
Ricky Jay

4 Ricky Jay Quotes that Will Make You Think

“I wouldn’t want to try to make a living as an actor. I think actors… I give them a lot of credit for what they go through, but putting myself on the line like that would make me crazy.”
Ricky Jay