Justin Willman on Why Magic Is Better Kept a Mystery..
The comedian and magician demolishes all your stereotypes about magicians—including that they’re all lonely and miserable..
Justin Willman is not your typical magician–or, at least, he isn’t a stereotypical one. Willman pairs comedy with magic tricks in a way that takes the seriousness and pretension out of the art form. In his new Comedy Central special, Sleight of Mouth, airing tonight, Willman does tricks for stoned people in a Los Angeles dispensary and collaborates with Paul Scheer and Doug Benson. “It’s formatted like the old Chappelle’s Show,” Willman says. “We start in the studio, do some magic, some comedy, and then we have pre-taped video clips. Doing magic for high people is surprisingly easy.”
Willman started learning magic when he was 12 while recovering from a rollerblading accident and has since perfected some genuinely incredible tricks. He’s jovial and seemingly normal, which goes against some of the preconceived notions society has about magicians. We asked Willman to help dispel some of those ideas and give us the inside scoop on what it really means to practice magic for a living. Read more…
http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/interviews/a34164/justin-willman-magic/