1. Theatre, Film, and Television Biographies
2. Maurice Jarre to Lawrence N. Kasha

Ricky Jay Biography (1948-)

Originally, Jay was a middle name, legally changed to a surname; born 1948, in Brooklyn, New York, NY; grandson of Max Katz (a certified public accountant); married Chrisann Verges (a production manager and producer). Addresses: Agent: Creative Artists Agency, 9830 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90212.

Nationality

American

Gender

Female

Occupation

Actor, producer, magician, consultant, writer

Birth Details

1948

Brooklyn, New York, United States

Famous Works

• CREDITS
• Film Appearances
• George and Vegas man, House of Games, Orion, 1987
• Mr. Silver, Things Change, Columbia, 1988
• Aaron, Homicide, Triumph Releasing, 1991
• Kearns, Ring of the Musketeers (also known as Der Ring der Musketiere), Columbia/TriStar Home Video, 1994
• George Lang, The Spanish Prisoner, Sony Pictures Classics, 1997
• The Hat, Hacks (also known as Sink or Swim and The Big Twist), Rigorous Productions, 1997
• Kurt Longjohn, Boogie Nights, New Line Cinema, 1997
• Henry Gupta, Tomorrow Never Dies, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1997
• Vic Weems, Mystery Men, Universal, 1999
• Burt Ramsey, Magnolia (also known as mag-no'li-a), New LineCinema, 1999
• Jack, State and Main (also known as Sequences et consequences), New Line Cinema, 2000
• Himself, That Moment: Magnolia Diary (also known as That Moment: Magnolia Diary October 1998--March 2000), New Line Home Video, 2000
• Himself, Grateful Dawg, Sony Pictures Classics, 2000
• Dawson's auctioneer, Heartbreakers, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 2001
• Don "Pinky" Pincus, Heist (also known as Le vol), Warner Bros., 2001
• Film Work
• Technical advisor, The Escape Artist, Orion/Warner Bros., 1982
• Magic advisor, New Magic (short film), Showscan Film Corporation,1983
• Consultant for confidence games, House of Games, Orion, 1987
• Sleight of hand consultant, Sneakers, Universal, 1992
• Illusion wheelchair designer, Forrest Gump, Paramount, 1994
• Martini illusion, Congo, 1995
• Technical consultant: con games, Heartbreakers, 2001
• Television Appearances
• Movies
• Ratty inventor, "The Water Engine," TNT Screenworks, TNT, 1992
• Hawkes, The Ranger, the Cook and a Hole in the Sky (also known asHole in the Sky), ABC, 1995
• Specials
• Doug Henning's World of Magic, NBC, 1976
• Host, Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women, CBS, 1990
• Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants, HBO, 1996
• Host, The Story of Magic, Arts and Entertainment, 1997
• The Virtual Ed Sullivan Show, UPN, 1998
• Pilots
• Like Magic, CBS, 1981
• Lenny NiCastro, Civil Wars, ABC, 1991
• Episodic
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, NBC, 1977
• Bird, "Red Dog Blues," Simon & Simon, 1983
• Guest, Late Show with David Letterman, 1994
• Herman Pinchbeck, "The Amazing Maleeni," The X-Files, Fox, 2000
• Television Work
• Specials
• Producer, Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women, CBS, 1990
• Assistance, The Very Best of the Ed Sullivan Show, CBS, 1991
• Stage Appearances
• Philostrate, A Midsummer Night's Dream, New York Shakespeare Festival, New York City, 1982
• Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants (solo show), Second Stage Theatre,New York City, 1994, then U.S. cities, then London, 1999
• Ricky Jay and David Mamet: Two Hussies, Town Hall, New York City,2001
• Who Says It Can't Be a Musical?, Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers, NewYork City, 2001
• Ricky Jay: On the Stem, Second Stage Theatre, New York City, 2002
• Radio Appearances
• Weekly essayist on KCRW, the National Public Radio affiliate in Santa Monica, CA, 2003.
• WRITINGS
• Television Specials
• Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women, CBS, 1990
• Stage Shows
• Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants (solo show), produced at Second Stage Theatre, New York City, 1994
• Ricky Jay: On the Stem, produced at Second Stage Theatre, 2002
• Radio Shows
• Wrote weekly essays for KCRW, National Public Radio affiliate in Santa Monica, CA, 2003.
• Nonfiction
• Cards As Weapons, Darien House, 1977
• Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women: Unique, Eccentric, and Amazing Entertainers--Stone Eaters, Mind Readers, Poison Resisters, Daredevils, Singing Mice, Etc., Etc., Etc., Etc., Villard Books, 1986
• Jay's Journal of Anomalies, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2001
• Dice: Deception, Fate & Rotten Luck, Quantuck Lane, 2002
• Also wrote The Magic Magic Book, Writers and Artists Series, Whitney Museum of American Art; Many Mysteries Unraveled: Conjuring Literaturein America 1786-1874, American Antiquarian Society. Contributor to periodicals and books, including Cambridge Guide to American Theater and Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Books

• Newsmakers 1995, Issue 4, Gale Research, 1995

Periodicals

• Entertainment Weekly, June 21, 2002, p. 36
• Los Angeles Magazine, September, 2001, p. 54
• New Yorker, 1993
• Playbill, June 30, 2002, p. 36

Electronic

• Ricky Jay Official Site, http://www.rickyjay.com, October 28, 2003