Master Magician Ricky Jay Passes Away At 72

The legendary close-up magician Ricky Jay has sadly passed away according to his partner Michael Weber in the Deceptive Practices consulting firm. Weber announced Jay's passing Saturday evening saying, "I am sorry to share that my remarkable friend, teacher, collaborator and co-conspirator is gone."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I am sorry to share that my remarkable friend, teacher, collaborator and coconspirator is gone.</p>&mdash; Michael Weber (@mwisme) <a href="https://twitter.com/mwisme/status/1066498573586464773?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2018</a></blockquote>

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The accomplished magician also became known for his cameos in the films "Boogie Nights", "Magnolia", "The Spanish Prisoner", and "Tomorrow Never Dies". Jay and Weber were partners in a consulting firm called Deceptive Practices which advises entertainment projects from film and television to theatrical productions. The firm's specialty was consulting on various illusions and magic secrets needed for productions.

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Jay and Weber's firm consulted on such successful films including "The Prestige" starring Christian Bale, "The Illusionist" starring Edward Norton, and "Oceans Thirteen". Jay is also credited with working with CGI specialists on the film "Forrest Gump" to create the illusion that Gary Sinise's wheelchair-bound character was a double-amputee. The work made Jay known as the "Illusion Wheelchair Designer".

Ricky Jay didn't just consult from behind the camera, he often made appearances of his own in films and television series including, "Deadwood", "Lie to Me", "Flashforward", and "The X-Files". He was known for his skill with sleight of hand magic and was an expert card technician. Jay also holds the Guinness Book of World Records for throwing the fastest playing card 190-feet at 90 mph. Friends and family soon began offering their condolences.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Master magician and historian Ricky Jay has passed away. The breadth of his knowledge and appreciation for magic and the allied arts was truly remarkable. Such sad news, such a profound loss. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RIP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RIP</a> <a href="https://t.co/VRYRxhkQKr">https://t.co/VRYRxhkQKr</a></p>&mdash; Neil Patrick Harris (@ActuallyNPH) <a href="https://twitter.com/ActuallyNPH/status/1066511798881402880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2018</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Awful news about Ricky Jay. One of a kind and now there&#39;s none. RIP, Ricky. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/irreplaceable?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#irreplaceable</a></p>&mdash; Michael McKean (@MJMcKean) <a href="https://twitter.com/MJMcKean/status/1066510341926842369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2018</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Very sorry to hear about the loss of the great <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RickyJay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RickyJay</a> <br>A true original… a true one of a kind.<br>Godspeed Ricky.<a href="https://t.co/yN2OBaz1pY">https://t.co/yN2OBaz1pY</a> via <a href="https://twitter.com/Variety?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@variety</a></p>&mdash; Billy Baldwin (@BillyBaldwin) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillyBaldwin/status/1066520122586742784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2018</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Oh no, Ricky Jay has died. He was such a brilliant magician. This is a terrible loss of an incredible craftsman.</p>&mdash; Ken Olin (@kenolin1) <a href="https://twitter.com/kenolin1/status/1066517482276417536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2018</a></blockquote>

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In 1993, Ricky Jay was profiled by The New Yorker in a classic article titled the "Secrets of the Magus". The article described the magician mastermind as "perhaps the most gifted sleight-of-hand artist alive." Jay's manager, Winston Simone, said in a statement to Variety, "He was one of a kind. We will never see the likes of him again".

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Source: https://www.thewrap.com/ricky-jay-boogie-nights-magnolia-actor-dies-72/