Criss Angel: New look, ‘Trick’d Up’ debuts on A&E, Hollywood Walk of Fame star
“Mindfreak Live!” at The Luxor superstar Criss Angel is to be honored with a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame in recognition of him performing more hours of magic on television than any other illusionist in TV history. He revealed the news in advance of his new one-hour primetime special “Trick’d Up” that airs on A&E tonight.
“I’ve never done anything as exciting as this show tonight,” said Criss, who will perform 40 amazing magic demonstrations on the special. In one segment, he levitates for Michael Jackson’s daughter, Paris Jackson, and in another turns himself into a human shish kabob in full view of restaurant diners when a sword from a meat rack goes through his body and he spins on top of it.
Tonight’s special takes the cast of his touring show “The Supernaturalists” on the road with stars including Gary Oldman, Andrew Dice Clay, Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell, Frank Mir, Miles Brown (ABC’s “Black-ish”) and DJ Steve Aoki.
It’s an incredible stunt with UFC fighter Paige VanZant that is the rawest, in-your-face magic he’s ever performed when he rips her apart in two pieces to reveal her stomach innards. After she is returned to normal, she shows off her UFC skills punching Criss in the chest in a re-creation of the stunt that killed Harry Houdini on Halloween in 1926.
The real magic of Criss took place last weekend when he made three $100,000 donations to the St. Baldrick’s and Circus Couture children’s cancer fundraisers. His 2-year-old son, Johnny Crisstopher, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia last October.
“Cancer is the No. 1 killer of children by disease and because of Johnny I believe it’s now for me to be the greater good for children, to be a voice for this cause. It’s become my life passion and why I was put on Earth.”
Criss’s one-man crusade against cancer has changed not only his life, but also his look. I interviewed him about the new Criss Angel for the October cover of our sister magazine Luxury Las Vegas.