Oz Pearlman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Oz Pearlman
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Pearlman after a mind reading show
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| Born | July 19, 1982 Israel
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| Other names | Oz the Mentalist |
| Education | University of Michigan (BSE EE, 2003) |
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| Spouse(s) |
Elisa Rosen
(m. 2010) |
| Children | 5 |
Oz Pearlman (born July 19, 1982) is an American magician and athlete. He is best known as a mentalist, which is a type of performer who seems to have amazing mental abilities, like reading minds. He performs under the name "Oz the Mentalist."
Many people know him from the TV show America's Got Talent. In 2015, he finished in third place in the show's tenth season. Besides his magic, Pearlman is also a very talented long-distance runner. He has competed in many marathons and even longer races called ultramarathons.
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Personal Life and Career
From Engineering to Magic
Oz Pearlman was born in Israel and moved to the United States when he was three years old. He went to the University of Michigan and earned a degree in electrical engineering in 2003.
Even while studying engineering, Oz was already performing magic. He started doing magic shows at restaurants and parties when he was just 14. He has said that he carried a deck of cards with him everywhere from age 13 to 18.
After college, he worked at a company called Merrill Lynch. Magic was just a hobby at first. But after he performed a show for the company's managers, he decided to quit his job. He wanted to become a full-time entertainer, and he has been a professional mentalist ever since.
Amazing Running Achievements
Oz Pearlman is not just a mentalist; he is also an incredible athlete. He has won the New Jersey Marathon four times.
In 2015, he won the 50-mile Chicago Ultra Marathon. His time was an amazing 5 hours, 25 minutes, and 26 seconds. This made him one of the fastest 50-mile runners in the United States.
He has also completed some of the toughest races in the world, including:
- The Hawaii Ironman World Championship
- The Western States 100 Mile Run
- The Badwater 135 Mile Run, a race through Death Valley
Running for a Cause
On April 4, 2022, Oz set a new record in New York's Central Park. He ran over 116 miles in less than 18 hours. He did this to raise money to help people in Ukraine. Later that year, he ran 130 miles from Montauk to Manhattan in under 22 hours.
TV and Media Appearances
Oz Pearlman has been on television many times. His biggest appearance was on America's Got Talent in 2015, where he amazed the judges and audience to finish in third place. He returned in 2020 for America's Got Talent: The Champions.
His Own TV Show
In 2018, Oz had his own TV show called Oz Knows. In the show, he traveled to different places and performed his mind-reading acts. He even won an Emmy Award for it.
Guessing Secrets on TV and Radio
Oz has shocked many famous people with his skills. He has appeared on shows like The Ellen Show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and the Today Show. On one show, he correctly predicted the winner of the Super Bowl.
In 2023, he performed for the New York Jets football team on the HBO show Hard Knocks. He also appeared on ESPN and performed for the Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
One of his most famous moments was on The Howard Stern Show in 2024. Years earlier, actress Valerie Harper had told the host a secret word before she passed away. Oz correctly guessed the secret word, "curly," which stunned everyone.
Teaching Magic
Oz Pearlman has also helped other people learn magic. He created video tutorials for a magic company called Penguin Magic.
In 2003, he made a DVD called Born to Perform Card Magic. It teaches many card tricks and techniques. The DVD was very popular and sold over 100,000 copies.
