Penn Gillette
| Penn Jillette | |
|---|---|
Jillette speaking at the 2016 Young Americans for Liberty National Convention
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| Born |
Penn Fraser Jillette March 5, 1955 Greenfield, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Residence | Las Vegas Valley, Nevada, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College |
| Occupation | Magician/illusionist, writer, actor, inventor, juggler, comedian, musician |
| Years active | 1974–present |
| Known for | Half of the comedy magic duo known as Penn & Teller |
| Height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Political party | Libertarian |
| Spouse(s) | Emily Zolten Jillette |
| Children | Moxie CrimeFighter (b. 2005) Zolten Penn (b. 2006) |
| Website | www |
Penn Fraser Jillette (born March 5, 1955) is an American magician/illusionist, juggler, comedian, musician, inventor, actor, and best-selling author known for his work with fellow magician Teller as half of the team Penn & Teller. He is also known for his advocacy of atheism, scientific skepticism, libertarianism, and free-market capitalism.
Jillette was born in Greenfield, Massachusetts. His mother, Valda Rudolph Jillette (née Parks; 1909–2000), was a secretary, and his father, Samuel Herbert Jillette (1912–1999), worked at Greenfield's Franklin County Jail. Jillette became an atheist in his early teens after reading the Bible and was subsequently asked to leave the church after asking questions in a youth group that also made skeptics of his peers. Jillette became disenchanted with traditional illusionist acts that presented the craft as authentic magic, such as The Amazing Kreskin on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. At age eighteen, he saw a show by illusionist James Randi, and became enamored of his approach to magic that openly acknowledged deception as entertainment rather than a mysterious supernatural power. Jillette regularly acknowledges Randi as the one person on the planet he loves the most besides members of his family.
Jillette worked with high school classmate Michael Moschen in developing and performing a juggling act during the years immediately following their 1973 graduation. In 1974, Jillette graduated from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College. That same year, he was introduced to Teller by Weir Chrisemer, a mutual friend. The three then formed a three-person act called Asparagus Valley Cultural Society which played in Amherst and San Francisco. In 1981, he and Teller teamed up as Penn & Teller, and went on to do a successful Off Broadway and later Broadway theatre show called "Penn & Teller" that toured nationally.
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