Xavier Mortimer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Xavier Mortimer
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Mortimer performing in his Las Vegas show
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| Born | June 20, 1980 Briançon, France
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| Nationality | French |
| Occupation | Magician |
Xavier Mortimer (born June 20, 1980) is a talented French magician. He is also a variety performer, meaning he does many different kinds of acts. Xavier has won many awards for his magic. You might have seen him on TV shows like Penn & Teller: Fool Us or America's Got Talent. He has also been on Masters of Illusion. Today, Xavier Mortimer lives in Las Vegas. He performs his own magic show there at the Strat hotel.
Contents
Xavier's Early Life and Magic Journey
Xavier grew up in a city called Briançon in France. He loved learning and studied at the Music and Dance Conservatory of La Rochelle. He also went to acting schools in London and Paris.
How Xavier Discovered Magic
Xavier first saw magic at a local restaurant. A magician was performing tricks there. This made Xavier very curious about magic. His father gave him a magic book, which Xavier read many times to learn secrets.
First Magic Tricks and Clubs
In the 1990s, Xavier sold flowers to earn money. He wanted to buy his first magic prop, a special handkerchief that could fly. When he was 15, Xavier joined a magic club in France. He also joined other clubs to watch live theater and street performers. As a teenager, he learned juggling, acrobatics, and how to play the accordion.
Xavier's Amazing Magic Career
When Xavier was 18, he teamed up with an acrobat named Thibaud De Premorel. They created an act called Les Fréres, which means "The Brothers." They performed at concerts and special events. In 2005, Xavier started his own one-man show in Paris. It was called L’Ombre Orchestre, meaning "The Shadow Orchestra."
Performing Around the World
Xavier toured his show to many famous places. He performed at the Crazy Horse in Paris and the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal. He also went to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2009. That's where Cirque du Soleil saw him perform.
Joining Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil offered Xavier a role in their show "Michael Jackson ONE." This show was in Las Vegas. Xavier performed in it for three years. While he was with Cirque, he spent his evenings creating new magic acts.
Creating His Own Las Vegas Show
A producer named Alex Goude saw Xavier's talent. Together, they created a new show called "Magical Dream." It opened on June 6, 2016, at the Planet Hollywood casino in Las Vegas. In January 2019, the show moved to Bally's casino. It was performed there every night.
Becoming an Online Star
In late 2019, Xavier started sharing his magic online. He worked with famous people like Jason Derulo and Justin Flom. They made videos together. Xavier's online videos have been watched over 2 billion times! In 2020, he gained more than 10 million followers online. His videos also got over 4 billion views.
Fooling Penn and Teller
In 2020, Xavier even managed to "fool" the famous magic duo Penn and Teller on their TV show Penn & Teller: Fool Us. This is a big achievement for any magician!
New Shows and YouTube Success
In 2021, Xavier opened a new, bigger show at The Strat Casino in Las Vegas. It was called "The Dream Maker." This show closed on December 30, 2022. In 2022, one of Xavier's videos, "Impossible Balance," became super popular. It was the second most-watched short video on YouTube ever, with 576 million views!
Awards and Achievements
Xavier Mortimer has won several important awards for his magic:
- 2003 International CMI meeting in Italy
- 2010 Mandrake d'or award
- 2018, 2020, 2021 Las Vegas Review Journal Best of Vegas awards: Gold Winner Best Magic Show
- 2019 Las Vegas Review Journal Best of Vegas awards: Bronze Winner Best Magic Show
- 2020 Penn and Teller: Fool Us: Fooler
