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‘AGT’ Season 9 winner Mat Franco: ‘I felt like David Copperfield for a moment’

‘AGT’ Season 9 winner Mat Franco: ‘I felt like David Copperfield for a moment’

By Robin Leach for the Las Vegas Sun

At 4 years old, Mat Franco dreamed of making it big in magic by starting to teach himself card tricks. At 12, he became the youngest student ever in Henderson magician Jeff McBride’s Magic Academy classes. One week ago, he made TV history as the first magician to win the $1 million “America’s Got Talent” prize on NBC.

This weekend, he headlines at Axis at Planet Hollywood, Britney Spears’ residency theater at Planet Hollywood. He’ll walk away from the two-night show with his fellow “AGT” Season 9 finalists with an offer to return for his own solo spotlight shows when Britney is on hiatus.

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America’s Got Talent Winner Mat Franco: I’m No Longer Embarrassed to Say I’m a Magician

America’s Got Talent Winner Mat Franco: I’m No Longer Embarrassed to Say I’m a Magician

By Jeff Nelson for PEOPLE

Just call it magic. 

Mat Franco made America’s Got Talent history Wednesday night as the first magician to win the NBC variety competition. 

“I couldn’t help but just be shocked and honored,” the Johnston, Rhode Island, native tells PEOPLE. “It’s great to be an inspiration to people. … The underlying message is following your passion. Whatever it is you like to do, do it: Dreams can come true." 

Making it big in the biz has been a dream of Franco’s since he was 4, when he started to teach himself card tricks. The season 9 winner used to record the pros on TV and watch them back in slow-motion, often with his grandma, Eleanor, who was one of his biggest cheerleaders during his AGT journey. 

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