Criss Angel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Criss Angel
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Angel in 2010
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| Born |
Christopher Nicholas Sarantakos
December 19, 1967 |
| Occupation | Magician, entertainer, musician, TV personality |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Spouse(s) |
JoAnn Winkhart
(m. 2002–2005) |
| Partner(s) | Shaunyl Benson (2012–present) |
| Children | 3 |
Christopher Nicholas Sarantakos (born December 19, 1967), known as Criss Angel, is a famous American magician, illusionist, and musician. He is known as one of the world's most successful illusionists, bringing in over $150 million in tourism money for Las Vegas in just one year.
Angel started his career in New York City before moving to Las Vegas. He is famous for his TV show Criss Angel Mindfreak and his stage show Criss Angel MINDFREAK LIVE! (which used to be Criss Angel Believe) at the Luxor casino in Las Vegas. After performing at The Luxor for ten years, Angel opened his new MINDFREAK show at the Criss Angel Theater in Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas. He has also produced and starred in other TV shows like Criss Angel's Magic with the Stars on CW, Criss Angel BeLIEve on Spike TV, and Phenomenon on NBC.
He holds many world records for his magic tricks. He was named "Magician of the Decade" in 2009 and "Magician of the Century" in 2010 by the International Magicians Society. In 2017, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Vanish magazine gave him the "Greatest of All Time" award in 2019. Besides magic, Angel was also the lead singer for his band Angeldust, which released five albums. He also wrote a book called Mindfreak: Secret Revelations.
Becoming a Magician: Criss Angel's Early Life
Criss Angel was born on December 19, 1967, in Hempstead, New York. His family is from Greece. He grew up in Elmont, New York and then East Meadow, New York. His father owned a restaurant and a doughnut shop.
Criss became interested in magic when he was seven years old. He was inspired by the famous illusionist Harry Houdini. After practicing for five years, Criss performed his first magic show for an audience at age 12 and earned $10. By age 14, he was performing in restaurants. His first big illusion was making his mother float in their living room! Early in his career, an animal trainer named Marc Morrone helped him find and train doves for his act.
After high school, Criss decided to become a professional magician instead of going to college, even though his parents wanted him to. He traveled and performed, learning about the history of magic in libraries. He also studied mysticism, music, martial arts, and dance.
Criss Angel's First Steps in Magic
Criss Angel once said he stayed away from other magicians when he was young so he could create his own unique style. His first TV appearance was in 1994 on a special called Secrets. The famous horror director Clive Barker was one of Criss's early supporters. In 1995, Barker asked Angel to work with him on his movie Lord of Illusions. Barker even recorded the introduction for Angel's music album.
In 1995, Criss also started a band called Angeldust with musician Klayton, combining magic with music. They released their first album in 1998. That same year, Angel performed 60 shows a day at a magic conference in Madison Square Garden.
Angel also appeared in TV movies like The Science of Magic (1997) and its sequel (2003). His stage show, Criss Angel Mindfreak, started off-Broadway in 2001 and ran for over 600 shows. During this time, he set a world record by staying submerged in a tank of water for 24 hours.
Criss Angel also speaks out against people who claim to talk to the dead. He believes it's for entertainment, but if someone claims to truly communicate with the dead, he will expose them.
The Water Torture Cell in Times Square (2002)
In August 2002, Criss Angel spent 24 hours underwater in a phone booth-sized water torture cell in Times Square, New York. This act was inspired by Harry Houdini. To get ready, he practiced in a swimming pool. Before the performance, he had only managed to stay underwater for 12 hours. He used 16 oxygen tanks during the trick.
After 24 hours, he had to remove his own shackles and chains before coming out of the water. His skin became very wrinkled, and his eyes were red. He was taken to the hospital for severe dehydration. He later said he felt very hot, his jaw hurt, and he was partly unconscious while in the tank.
TV Shows and Special Appearances (2002–2005)
On October 20, 2002, Criss Angel starred in an ABC Family TV special called Criss Angel Mindfreak: Postmodern Illusionist. This hour-long show was a tribute to Harry Houdini. In the show, Criss walked the streets of New York, hypnotizing people, turning coffee into cockroaches, and hanging from the ceiling with hooks in his back. The main part was his attempt to stay in a water tank for 24 hours.
On October 31, 2003, the Sci-Fi Channel aired Supernatural starring Angel. In this special, Angel crawled up buildings, made a quarter go through his skin, and made a tarantula appear from a soda can. Criss creates, directs, and produces his TV specials, even writing the music for them. In 2003, he was also featured in a TBS special called Made in Japan.
In early 2003, Angel performed at an event for Miller Lite beer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was suspended ten stories high and escaped from a straitjacket. He also performed at Ozzfest in 2005. During this time, he also sold signed merchandise, sometimes earning up to $50,000 a day.
Criss Angel Mindfreak TV Series
In 2005, Criss Angel created, directed, and produced the A&E Network show Criss Angel Mindfreak. The first two seasons were filmed at The Aladdin in Las Vegas, and Season 3 was at the Luxor Las Vegas. The show started on July 20, 2005. Some of his amazing illusions included walking on water, floating in the air, walking up the side of the Luxor Hotel, making a Lamborghini disappear, surviving an exploding crate, cutting himself in half, and being run over by a steamroller.
Criss Angel Mindfreak became A&E's top-rated show, with over 1.5 million viewers. In 2006, he promoted the show by escaping from a concrete cube suspended above Times Square before it crashed. A magic effects creator said that year, "Criss Angel is the biggest name in magic since Houdini... He has changed the image of magic and made it cool." The show became very popular in parts of Asia, like China.
This TV show helped bring magic back into the spotlight in the mid-2000s. Criss Angel Mindfreak was the first weekly magic TV show in 40 years. The show ran from 2005 to 2010. Criss Angel has been featured for more hours on prime time television than any other magician in history. He also performed séances and other tricks to teach his audience about con artists and how to avoid scams.
In July 2008, Angel escaped from a beachside hotel just before it was demolished, in front of about 50,000 people. This illusion was also shown on his TV program. After the trick, Angel showed the audience how he did it step-by-step.
Criss Angel Believe
The Stage Show
In 2006, Criss Angel teamed up with Cirque du Soleil to create the stage show Criss Angel Believe (also known as "Criss Angel BeLIEve"). It opened at the Luxor Las Vegas on September 26, 2008. It quickly became the best-selling live magic show in the world. The show's name was inspired by Harry Houdini, who chose "believe" as a secret word for communicating after his death.
The show had some mixed reviews at first, but it improved over time. By 2010, critics said Believe had gotten better by focusing more on the magic. In 2011, the Toronto Star called it "the most exciting thing now on stage in Vegas!" That year, the show earned an estimated $150 million in ticket sales. The show ran until 2019 and was the top-selling magic show in Las Vegas.
In 2019, Criss Angel started his new show, "Mindfreak Live," at Planet Hollywood, where he still performs five nights a week.
The TV Series
In October 2013, a TV series based on the stage show, called Criss Angel BeLIEve, aired on Spike TV. The first season had 11 episodes and featured 118 different illusions. Famous guests like Ludacris, Ice-T, Randy Couture, and Shaquille O'Neal appeared on the show.
Criss Angel explained that he took a break from TV to focus on making the live Cirque show perfect. Once the live show was successful, he felt ready to return to television. The show became the "most-watched new original series" on Spike TV.
In one episode called "Lord of Illusions — Death Premonition," Angel honored Clive Barker. He performed a dangerous stunt from Barker's movie, where he lay beneath falling swords and predicted the correct order to avoid being stabbed. Criss Angel is the only magician allowed to recreate this stunt from the film.
For another episode filmed in New York City, the police asked him not to announce the performance beforehand because his shows often drew huge crowds. In this trick, Angel hung by his feet, bound with two straitjackets and a noose around his neck attached to metal weights. He succeeded, but he tore his shoulder muscles and needed surgery in January 2014. This caused the Believe stage show to close temporarily while he recovered. Clips from the show also became the most-watched magic videos on YouTube, with over 15 million views.
In the show, Angel sometimes revealed the secrets behind his illusions. For example, he showed that for the "Lord of Illusions" trick, he had the swords in a specific order to avoid them.
Phenomenon TV Show
Starting in October 2007, Criss Angel was a judge on the TV show Phenomenon with Uri Geller. In an interview, Criss told Larry King that he doesn't believe anyone has supernatural or psychic abilities, or can talk to the dead. He said he would expose anyone on the show who claimed to have such powers.
On one episode, a performer named Jim Callahan claimed to summon a deceased author. While fellow judge Uri Geller praised it, Angel called it "comical." Angel then challenged both Callahan and Geller to guess the contents of two envelopes he had, offering a million dollars of his own money. This led to an argument. Angel later revealed one envelope contained the numbers "911" for September 11, 2001, explaining that if someone could have predicted that event, they could have saved lives.
Criss Angel's Stage Shows
Criss Angel Magicjam
While Criss Angel was recovering from surgery, a temporary show called Criss Angel Magicjam was performed in the same Luxor theater. This show featured other talented magicians like Nathan Burton, Banachek (a mentalist), and Krystyn Lambert. Criss Angel wrote and directed the show, and also performed some of his own illusions for about 40 minutes. Critics praised Magicjam as a high-energy show with amazing magic. In January 2014, Angel announced plans to take Criss Angel Magicjam on a tour across North America.
Criss Angel Mindfreak Touring Show
In 2014, Angel started his touring stage show called Mindfreak LIVE!. This show features illusions developed in Angel's special illusion laboratory in Las Vegas, a huge 60,000 square foot warehouse. This was the first time Angel had toured with his show in about six years. The first performance was at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut in November 2014.
Planet Hollywood Residency
After the success of his touring show, Angel announced that his Mindfreak stage show would become a permanent show at the Planet Hollywood Hotel in Las Vegas. The show runs Wednesdays through Sundays in a showroom named the Criss Angel Theater. It officially opened in January 2019. Critics said the new show "recast what a magic show is supposed to feel like" because of its amazing special effects, pyrotechnics, and technology. The show is still running today.
The Supernaturalists
The Supernaturalists opened in June 2015 at the Foxwoods Resort Casino. Criss Angel created, directed, and produced this show. It features a team of talented performers, including illusionist Landon Swank, magician Krystyn Lambert, escape artist Spencer Horsman, and mentalist Banachek. Angel said this show was the result of ten years of development and was meant to be a global touring show, introducing new illusions from each magician.
Other Appearances and Projects
Criss Angel has made many special TV appearances. He has been on WWE Raw, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Larry King Live, America's Got Talent, and many other talk shows. He also had guest acting roles on shows like CSI: NY and Las Vegas. In 2011, he appeared in an Orville Redenbacher popcorn commercial. In 2020, Angel even voiced himself in an episode of American Dad.
In May 2005, Angel introduced Ozzy Osbourne at the VH1 Rock Honors awards, performing a trick with a bat as a tribute to Osbourne. At the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, Angel performed an illusion with Britney Spears for her opening act. He was also hired as the illusionist for Michael Jackson's planned 2009 concerts before Jackson's passing. In 2013, Angel had a small role in the movie The Incredible Burt Wonderstone. There is a wax statue of Criss Angel at the Madame Tussauds wax museum in Las Vegas.
Music Career
Criss Angel has a strong passion for music and says he was a musician even before he was a magician. In 1989, he led a heavy metal band called Angel. Later, in 1995, he formed the industrial rock band Angeldust with Klay Scott. Angeldust released their first album in 1998. He also released other albums like System 1, System 2, System 3, and Supernatural. His music style is heavy metal, but he also includes electronic and orchestral parts. He produced soundtracks for his Mindfreak TV series, working with members of bands like Korn and Godsmack.
Books
Criss Angel wrote the book Mindfreak: Secret Revelations, which was published in 2007. It appeared on the Los Angeles Times bestseller list. The book shares details about his early career, memorable illusions from his TV show, and his personal thoughts. It also includes pictures and step-by-step instructions for 40 of his basic "Mindfreaks." The book covers his journey as a performer, magician, and musician, starting from age 6.
Internet Presence
Criss Angel is the most-watched magician in Internet history. His video "Walk on Water" had over 39 million views by 2010 and more than 46 million by 2013. By early 2013, his videos had over 200 million views in total. Another popular video, "Rip Bodies Apart," from the premiere of BeLIEve, had over twelve million views in just one month.
Merchandise
In 2010, Angel partnered with IdeaVillage to release the Criss Angel Magic Collection. This kit included instructions for six Mindfreak Magic Tricks, 250 other tricks, and a magic kit for children.
Criss Angel's Magic with the Stars
Criss Angel's Magic with the Stars started airing weekly episodes on The CW in late 2022. Many celebrities appeared in the first season, including Donny Osmond, Randy Couture, and Michael Ian Black. Each week, two celebrities compete after being trained by Angel. They perform in front of a live audience and are judged by Angel, Loni Love, and Lance Burton.
Awards and Recognition
Criss Angel has won many awards for his magic. He won the International Magician Society's Magician of the Year award multiple times: in 2001, 2004, 2005, 2007, and 2008. He was also named "Magician of the Decade" in 2009 and "Magician of the Century" in 2010. He received the Louie Award for outstanding achievement in magic. In 2008, he was nominated for the Harry Houdini Award.
Angel is the youngest magician ever to be added to the International Magician Society's Magic Hall of Fame. He is also the only person to win the Merlin Magician of the Year award twice, in 2001 and 2004. In 2011, he received the World Magic Legacy Awards' Living Legend award. On July 20, 2017, Criss Angel received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, right next to the star of his childhood hero, Harry Houdini. In July 2018, the International Brotherhood of Magicians gave him a Lifetime Achievement Award, making him only the sixth illusionist to receive it. In 2022, Vanish Magic magazine awarded Angel "The Greatest of All Time" illusionist award.
World Records Held by Criss Angel
Longest Body Suspension (2002-2008)
In February 2002, Criss Angel broke the world record for the longest body suspension. He stayed suspended for 5 hours and 42 minutes in Times Square, New York, hanging by eight fishhooks in his body. He held this record until 2008.
Other Records
He set the fastest time to perform the "Metamorphosis" illusion, doing it in less than one second. He also holds the Guinness World Record for "The most people to disappear in an illusion." He made 100 people disappear on May 26, 2010, during a performance of Believe at the Luxor.
Criss Angel's Personal Life
Criss Angel has been involved in philanthropy. He created the Believe Foundation 'Believe Anything is Possible'. He received the Make-A-Wish Foundation award for most supportive celebrity in 2010 and the Chris Greicius Celebrity Award in 2007. His business ventures earned about $70 million in revenue each year as of 2016.
Criss Angel has a passion for motorcycles. As of 2010, Big Bear Choppers had made seven custom motorcycles for him, and he featured the designers on his show. He also had a Harley Davidson motorcycle built by Orange County Choppers, which he rode in the intro for Criss Angel Mindfreak.
Images for kids
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Angel in 2007
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See also
In Spanish: Criss Angel para niños
