Penn Jillette and Teller are an American magician duo who have been performing together since 1975. Known for their witty, skeptical approach to magic and their commitment to "honest" magic (making it clear to audiences they're performing tricks), they have become icons of the modern magic industry.
Born March 5, 1955, in Greenfield, Massachusetts, Penn Jillette is the talker of the duo. His parents were Samuel Herbert Jillette (a guard at Franklin County Jail) and Valda Rudolph Jillette (a secretary).
After graduating from Greenfield High School in 1973, Penn attended Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College from 1973 to 1974.
As a teenager, Penn became an atheist after reading the Bible in a church youth group. He was initially a street-performing juggler, not a magician. After graduating from Clown College, he washed dishes at restaurants to supplement his income as a street performer.
At age 12-13, Penn was fooled by The Amazing Kreskin's ESP test on TV. When he later found the same trick explained in a magic book in the library, he felt "embarrassment... overwhelming." He later said, "I hated, hated, hated magic in high school" and thought "the idea of lying to people was repulsive."
He was influenced by James Randi's book "Flim-Flam! Psychics, ESP, Unicorns, and Other Delusions" - calling it life-changing. Randi taught him that magic could be done morally: "You had to make it very clear to the audience that you were doing tricks."
Penn describes their early days as "carny trash" - playing fairs, Renaissance festivals, and streets.
Born February 14, 1948, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Teller (Raymond Joseph Derickson Teller) is the silent partner of the duo. His father was Israel Max "Joseph" Teller, an advertising artist of Russian-Jewish descent, and his mother was Irene B. Teller from a Methodist farming family.
Teller graduated from Philadelphia's Central High School in 1965 and earned a BA in Classics from Amherst College in 1969.
Before becoming a magician, Teller was a high-school Latin teacher in New Jersey for six years. He also worked as a mime, performing magic tricks on the streets of Philadelphia.
Penn and Teller met through mutual friend Weir Chrisemer in 1974. Their first performance together was on August 19, 1975, at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival.
Originally, they performed as a trio with Chrisemer called "The Asparagus Valley Cultural Society" from 1975 to 1981. They lived in Trenton, New Jersey early in their career.
They made their Off-Broadway debut in 1985 and Broadway debut in 1987. In 2001, they began their Las Vegas residency at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, which became the longest-running headlining act in Vegas history.
Penn & Teller were famously banned from The Magic Circle in the UK for 50 years because they broke the organization's "cardinal rule" by revealing how their tricks work during their performances. They were finally inducted as honorary members of The Inner Magic Circle in September 2025 at the London Palladium during their 50th anniversary residency.
They received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2013 and have created several television shows, including "Penn & Teller: Fool Us" and "Penn & Teller: Bullshit!"
Penn & Teller host the TV show "Penn & Teller: Fool Us" (The CW), where magicians perform tricks trying to fool them. Winners get to appear in their Las Vegas show.
Cube Acts That Fooled Them:
Most Fooled Record:
Notable Original Act (Did Not Fool Them):
[2] IMDb - Penn Jillette Biography
[3] Wikipedia - Teller (magician)
[4] Taunton Gazette - Penn Jillette on Penn & Teller's New Jersey return
[5] Brisbane Times - Magicians Penn & Teller set to start Australian tour