Criss Angel
Criss Angel | |
|---|---|
| Born | Christopher Sarantakos December 19, 1967 |
| Other names | Christopher Sarantos |
| Occupation(s) | magician, musician, mentalist, mystifier, hypnotist, escapologist, stunt performer, and actor |
| Height | 6' |
| Spouse | EX wife JoAnn Sarantakos |
| Relatives | Paris Hilton, Minnie Driver, Mary Riley, |
| Website | CrissAngel.com |
Criss Angel (born Christopher Nicolas Sarantakos on December 19, 1967), is an American magician, musician, mentalist, mystifier, hypnotist, escapologist, stunt performer, and actor.
Biography
Raised in East Meadow, New York, Angel grew up loving music (played drums), and always had interest in magic. Two of his biggest magic influences are Harry Houdini and Aldo Richiardi.
His father was also a big influence on him, especially after battling cancer before finally dying in 1998. As a teenager, Criss performed at birthday parties, night clubs, and private events doing magic. Criss played in a band called AngelDust with friend Klayton Scott who produced and helped arrange the music for his show, Mindfreak.
Criss Angel has been a lead singer in a heavy metal rock band. He co-produced the heavy metal theme song of his television show.
Magic career
Angel performed in World Of Illusion at Madison Square Garden in 1998. Criss then scored a show on Broadway titled "MINDFREAK" which ran up until January 6, 2003 with almost 600 shows performed.
Angel made his first television appearance as a magician on the ABC special, "Talents", in 1995. In 1998, he mounted "Criss Angel: World of Illusion" as the headline feature of Madison Square Garden's annual Halloween celebration. In October 2002, Angel debuted an hour-long television special, "Criss Angel Mindfreak", on the ABC Family channel. He has subsequently starred in several television specials. His Broadway production, "Criss Angel Mindfreak", ran for 600 1/2 performances at The World in the The World Underground Theater in Times Square, ending January 6, 2003.
Angel has become famous as the star and creator of the A&E Network show Criss Angel Mindfreak. Seasons 1 & 2 were filmed at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas, with Season 3 at the Luxor Hotel. First premiered on July 20, 2005, the illusions have included walking on water, floating between two buildings, and cutting himself in half in full view of an audience. Guests have included Celldweller, Korn's Jonathan Davis (who also co-produced the show's theme music), Rob Zombie, Carrot Top, the Amazing Johnathan, Vince Neil, Mandy Moore, Keith Sulzbach, Penn & Teller, Dog the Bounty Hunter, Lance Burton, and Ice Cube.
Criss will appear in a new illusion-based Cirque du Soleil production at the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas. The new show is expected to open in September 2008.[1] Criss has recently said that there are plans for this attraction to run for 10 years, including 4,600 shows.
Illusionist
Criss Angel won the Academy of Magical Arts' Magician of the Year award in 2005 and the IMS Magician of the year for 2007 and 2008. (Although the credibility of the IMS award could be questioned) [2] Angel often claims that several of the levitations, teleports and demonstrations of telekinesis he performs are done through the power of the mind, body and spirit attained through meditation.[citation needed].Many magicians have also shown how Angel performs his tricks. Angel has written a book titled Mindfreak: Secret Revelations, which was published April 24, 2007 and hit the Los Angeles Times The Best Sellers list the week of May 13th, 2007
During the second season, Criss Angel introduced a "Spectator's Point of View camera", a hand held video camera given to a random person in the audience to shoot the action in any way he or she wants. However, the camera has seemingly fallen out of favor as the second season continued, only showing up very sporadically. He has even revealed the methods for some of his tricks to viewers at home on TV and in Youtube videos (although the effects revealed are usually very simple such as making a toothpick disappear, or picking someone's pocket, or making a styrofoam cup float. Angel does more complicated things, such as levitating people, including himself; splitting people, including himself, in half; disappearing in air after a motorcycle jump; and stopping his pulse in five different areas in his body.)
In the first episode of season three of his series "MINDFREAK", Criss demonstrated his levitation skills at the Luxor Hotel, Las Vegas. In one scene, he levitated from the 26th floor inside the hotel, slowly descending through the hotel's atrium to the entrance lobby. Later, he apparently levitated above the 500-foot-high apex of the hotel at night, in the middle of the famous Luxor's spotlight which has an output of 42.2 billion candlepower.[3] This episode was viewed by almost 3 million viewers making it the most watched episode in series history and the number 1 show in its timeslot on cable television.
Other television apperances
Angel was the featured guest starred on CSI: NY on February 28, 2007 in an episode titled "Sleight Out of Hand" as a character named Luke Blade, a famous magician whose assistants die in unusual circumstances.[4] He performed three illusions (being sawed in half, being lit on fire, and a version of his "Submerged" illusion). Criss' most notable television appearances include but are not limited to the Oprah Winfrey Show, The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Late, Late Show with Craig Fergusen, The Ellen Degeneres show, as well as VH1's Rock Honors Awards performing and introducing legendary Honoree Ozzy Osbourne. In June 2007, Criss appears on the cover of the DUB magazine. On June 8, 2007, Criss stated on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson that Richiardi was one of his greatest influences.
Film
Criss is set to star in the film Mandrake, which will be released by Baldwin Entertainment Group and Hyde Park Entertainment in 2008. The film is based on Lee Falk's comic strip Mandrake the Magician.
Accomplishments and awards
The first two season DVDs for Angel's television show have been the #1 and #2 best selling DVDs in A&E’s history [citation needed]. A publishing house, Harper Entertainment, released Criss' first book, Criss Angel MINDFREAK: Secret Revelations in April 2007. He was named 2001, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008 Magician of the Year, making him the first five-time, back-to-back recipient ever to be awarded these accolades.[citation needed] Angel was also selected as the recipient of the 22nd Louie Award for outstanding achievement in the art of magic.
Trivia
- He is a Greek- American.
- He has two brothers- JD and Costa.
Personal life
Married to Joann Sarantakos 2002-2006 (divorced) dated Mary Riley from Benchwarmers , dated British Actress, Minnie Driver. Also seen with Paris Hilton. After performing an escapology trick from a locked concrete box 40 feet above Times Square in New York, Angel turned to the camera and said he loved Cameron Diaz.[5]. He has denied that they are dating, and says they are nothing but friends.
References
External links
- Official web sites
- Official Criss Angel website
- Official Criss Angel Mindfreak website at A&E
- Criss Angel Media Site
- [1]
- Media