All Ricky Jay Quotes
- If it sounds too good to be true, it always is. Good
- I grew up like Athena—covered with playing cards instead of armor—and, at the age of seven, materialized on a TV show, doing magic. Age
- The pain is bad magicians ripping off good ones, doing magic badly, and making a mockery of the art. Art
- Magic is a powerful art that can support a weak performer. Art
- I love amazing people. I love dazzling them. That's why I think performing magic is one of the greatest things a person can do. Amazing
- I always read what I write out loud, and I did that long before any radio thing. My editor finds that unusual. Always Read
- For me, the most exciting thing is to create good magic that's entertaining for an audience, and it would be lovely if a magician was… Audience
- I know absolutely nothing about the 20th Century. Absolutely
- I started doing radio pieces with no clear, preconceived idea, except that I have a tendency to be theatrical. Clear
- I think a lot of people just assumed I came to L.A. to do more television and get into show business. Assumed
- Unlike other Jewish families, we didn't go out for Chinese food on Sundays, but we spent our time in a world of baking powder biscuits… Baking
- I'm probably the only kid in history whose parents made him stop taking music lessons. They made me stop studying the accordion. Accordion
- That's one of the ways language evolved, by some very obscure form becoming common usage. And I must say that I'm very intrigued by use… Becoming
- Theft annoys me more than anything else. The purloining of effects from another magician. Some people think it's massive to steal the secrets of nuclear… Annoying
- Dai Vernon, the greatest sleight of hand figure in the history of the art, rarely performed. But he invented magic and had an enormous influence… Art
- Every acting gig isn't the same, every writing job isn't the same, every live performance isn't the same - the challenge is the level of… Acting
- Not only do I lie, I take real pleasure in lying, in the transmission of magic effects. Effects
- Writing is the only thing in my life that doesn't get easier. It just doesn't. Easier
- My father was the Formica King of Long Island, and my mother was the daughter of a Bengal Lancer in India. Bengal
- I certainly was performing before my writing was published, because I was performing when I was very young. And the thing is I'm very comfortable… Act
- I suppose that if I could only do one thing, a solid card effect would be pretty high on the list. That's the root of… All
- I think the toughest thing about being an actor in a film is to be with a director who doesn't know what they want. And… Actor
- In the winters, I enrolled in the hotel management program at Cornell University. I naively thought that I knew something about sleight-of-hand, entertainment and food,… All
- I never talk much about my family, but my grandfather was friendly with these guys, with magicians and ventriloquists on the highest levels, and I… Family
- The book says we may be through with the past but the past ain't through with us. Book