There are certain moments in life that still don’t quite feel real, even after they happen.
For me, walking onto the stage of Penn & Teller: Fool Us was one of those moments.
Growing up in Mississippi, I loved magic from a young age. Like a lot of magicians, I spent countless hours practicing sleight of hand, watching performances, studying old routines, and dreaming about one day performing on bigger stages.
But honestly, I never imagined that dream would eventually lead to national television.
As of May 2026, I’m proud to say I’m still the only magician from Mississippi to appear on Penn & Teller: Fool Us.
And even typing that feels surreal.
What People Don’t See About Television Magic
When people watch a magic performance on TV, it looks effortless.
What they don’t see is the amount of preparation, pressure, and work happening behind the scenes.
Every second matters.
Every camera angle matters.
Every word matters.
And unlike performing at a live theater show where moments can breathe naturally, television moves fast. You’re performing not only for the audience in the room, but also for cameras, producers, timing restrictions, lighting, and millions of viewers at home.
It’s exciting… but it’s also one of the most nerve-wracking environments I’ve ever performed in.
The funny thing is, even after performing magic for years, there’s still something intimidating about walking onto a stage knowing two legendary magicians are about to analyze every move you make.
Representing Mississippi on a National Stage
One thing that made the experience especially meaningful to me was representing Mississippi.
Sometimes people underestimate how much talent comes from smaller towns and southern states. But Mississippi has always produced creative people, performers, musicians, storytellers, and artists who make a big impact far beyond where they started.
So being able to walk onto that stage carrying my home state with me meant a lot.
I’ve always tried to approach magic in a way that feels modern, interactive, and different from the old stereotypes people sometimes associate with magicians.
I didn’t want to become a copy of somebody else.
I wanted audiences to experience something that felt real, personal, and impossible all at the same time.
Getting the opportunity to share that style of magic on national television was something I’ll always be grateful for.
The Pressure Before Walking on Stage
One thing people always ask me is:
“Were you nervous?”
Absolutely.
More nervous than I expected to be, honestly.
There’s this strange moment before you walk onstage where everything suddenly becomes very real. You realize years of practice, performances, failures, improvements, travel, and work have all somehow led to this exact moment.
And then suddenly… it’s time.
The curtain opens.
The lights hit.
And there’s no pause button anymore.
Oddly enough, once the performance actually started, a lot of the nerves disappeared. That’s usually how live performing works for me. The anticipation beforehand is often scarier than the actual performance itself.
What the Experience Taught Me
One of the biggest things appearing on Penn & Teller: Fool Us taught me is that impossible things sometimes become possible very slowly.
Not overnight.
Not through one lucky break.
But through years of continuing to work even when nobody’s watching.
Magic is interesting that way.
People see the final effect, but they rarely see the thousands of hours behind it.
The failures.
The bad performances.
The ideas that didn’t work.
The long drives.
The tiny crowds.
The constant adjustments.
That experience reminded me how important consistency is — not just in magic, but in any creative field.
Why Live Magic Still Matters
Even now, in a world filled with social media, streaming, and endless digital entertainment, there’s still something different about experiencing something impossible live.
That feeling never really goes away.
Whether I’m performing for a theater audience, a college crowd, or a corporate event, my goal is always the same:
to create moments people genuinely remember.
Not just because they were fooled.
But because, for a second, something felt impossible again.
And honestly, I think we could all use a little more wonder like that.
You can learn more about me on my about me page!
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