Teller
Birthday: 14 February 1948, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Birth Name: Raymond Joseph Teller
Height: 173 cm
Teller was born on February 14, 1948 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA as Raymond Joseph Teller. He is a writer and producer, known for Penn & Teller: Bullshit! (2003), Fantasia 2000 (1999) a ...Show More
As a kid, I was a Hitchcock lover; I cared about the dark side of things.
As a kid, I was a Hitchcock lover; I cared about the dark side of things.
Magic's about understanding - and then manipulating - how viewers digest the sensory information.
Magic's about understanding - and then manipulating - how viewers digest the sensory information.
People do not come to a Penn & Teller show to see a magic show. They just don't. They come to see we Show more
People do not come to a Penn & Teller show to see a magic show. They just don't. They come to see weird stuff that they can see no place else, that will make them laugh and make the little hairs stand up on the backs of their necks. Hide
Magic is the art of creating false (but funny or beautiful) cause-and-effect relationships. That's o Show more
Magic is the art of creating false (but funny or beautiful) cause-and-effect relationships. That's our area of expertise. When we do it on a stage, the audience is fooled, but only for the moment, only in the theater. They know they're watching a show. They know it's all tricks. They do not go home and try to float in the air or catch bullets in their teeth. [But] When we see scam artists peddling false cause-and-effect as reality; when we see the tools of theater and poetry used to victimize the vulnerable; when we sick people submitting to "medical procedures" that belong in a Three Stooges movie; all this enrages us. Hide
Magicians have done controlled testing in human perception for thousands of years.
Magicians have done controlled testing in human perception for thousands of years.
Generally, magicians don't know what to say, so they say stupid and redundant crap like,'Here I am h Show more
Generally, magicians don't know what to say, so they say stupid and redundant crap like,'Here I am holding a red ball.' Hide
Sometimes, magic is just someone spending more time on something than anyone else might reasonably e Show more
Sometimes, magic is just someone spending more time on something than anyone else might reasonably expect. Hide
To most people who have a point of view, merely being on TV is an intrinsic good.
To most people who have a point of view, merely being on TV is an intrinsic good.
Indian street magic tends to be very gory, blood and guts. One trick is for a magician to take a kni Show more
Indian street magic tends to be very gory, blood and guts. One trick is for a magician to take a knife and appear to cut his kid's head almost off. The magician then says to the crowd, 'Well I can continue to cut off my son's head or you can all give me some money.' Then he wanders around and takes 10 rupees from everyone and restores his son. Hide
Doing beautiful things is its own reward.
Doing beautiful things is its own reward.
The silent thing onstage allows for a kind of intimacy that no conversation can have. If I just shut Show more
The silent thing onstage allows for a kind of intimacy that no conversation can have. If I just shut up, we're forced to look at each other and really confront that moment. Hide
I'm more apt to cry at something beautiful than at something sad.
I'm more apt to cry at something beautiful than at something sad.
People take reality for granted.
People take reality for granted.
Reality seems so simple. We just open our eyes and there it is. But that doesn't mean it is simple.
Reality seems so simple. We just open our eyes and there it is. But that doesn't mean it is simple.
When a magician lets you notice something on your own, his lie becomes impenetrable.
When a magician lets you notice something on your own, his lie becomes impenetrable.
If you read Shakespeare's stage directions, all the gore and violence is right in there.
If you read Shakespeare's stage directions, all the gore and violence is right in there.
Onstage, I find absolutely nothing but exhilaration in not talking.
Onstage, I find absolutely nothing but exhilaration in not talking.
The place we want to explore unpleasantness in the real world is in art.
The place we want to explore unpleasantness in the real world is in art.
If there existed even one psychic who had predicted that disaster, we'd be very, very interested. Bu Show more
If there existed even one psychic who had predicted that disaster, we'd be very, very interested. But, nope. What haunts me about 9/11 is the horrible knowledge that those who did the deed did it to further the divine will. Whenever we hear a politician bless killing, we should think twice. Hide
Neuroscientists are novices at deception.
Neuroscientists are novices at deception.
I'm a lazy sod.
I'm a lazy sod.
Nothing fools you better than the lie you tell yourself.
Nothing fools you better than the lie you tell yourself.
If you do something that you're proud of, that someone else understands, that is a thing of beauty t Show more
If you do something that you're proud of, that someone else understands, that is a thing of beauty that wasn't there before - you can't beat that. Hide
If there isn't at least the threat of violence in art, it tends to be kind of tiresome.
If there isn't at least the threat of violence in art, it tends to be kind of tiresome.
People come up to me on the street and make some little joke - like they'll say, 'Excuse me, sir, wh Show more
People come up to me on the street and make some little joke - like they'll say, 'Excuse me, sir, what time is it?' And I'll say, you know, '5:15,' and they'll say, 'Hey! Made you talk!' And that's merely a way of saying, 'I know your work and I like you.' Hide
In real life, the most important decision you ever make is, where does reality leave off and make-be Show more
In real life, the most important decision you ever make is, where does reality leave off and make-believe begin? If you make a mistake about that, you're dead. You know, you're out on the street corner. You think there's no bus coming. You step out, you're dead. Hide
Magic is an art form where you lie and tell people you are lying.
Magic is an art form where you lie and tell people you are lying.
The Boy Scouts of America is no longer entirely what people think it is. Essentially, it has been hi Show more
The Boy Scouts of America is no longer entirely what people think it is. Essentially, it has been hijacked by religious conservatives. Hide
Every time you perform a magic trick, you're engaging in experimental psychology. If the audience as Show more
Every time you perform a magic trick, you're engaging in experimental psychology. If the audience asks, 'How the hell did he do that?' then the experiment was successful. Hide
Nobody who is a Penn & Teller fan thinks of us first and foremost as magicians, but as a comedy team Show more
Nobody who is a Penn & Teller fan thinks of us first and foremost as magicians, but as a comedy team. Hide
In America, magic has never been an important part of peoples' lives.
In America, magic has never been an important part of peoples' lives.
Comedically, unpleasantness is great fun.
Comedically, unpleasantness is great fun.
Given my absolute druthers, I would certainly like to see that every part of my body is used for spa Show more
Given my absolute druthers, I would certainly like to see that every part of my body is used for spare parts for science. Hide
I believe in art.
I believe in art.
I always assumed I'd spend my life happily performing in artsy-fartsy little theaters.
I always assumed I'd spend my life happily performing in artsy-fartsy little theaters.
Teller's FILMOGRAPHY
All
as Actor (360)
as Director (1)
as Creator (2)
Teller'S roles
