Val Valentino
Val Valentino (born June 14, 1956 in Los Angeles ; actually Leonard Montano ) is an American magician, illusionist and actor. He is best known for his appearances as "The Masked Magician" on the television program The Tricks of the Greatest Magician . In it he shows large and small magic tricks and illusions, which are then revealed and explained.
biography
He made his first experiences with magic at the age of five with a trick that he had learned from his father. As a teenager, Valentino performed on an "International Cultural Awareness Program" serving millions of students across the United States. Part of these shows was also the unveiling of magic tricks in order to get others excited about this art.
In the late 1980s to early 1990s, Valentino was drawn to Las Vegas again and again , where he put on his own magic shows in various casinos.
Role as The Masked Magician
While working in Las Vegas, Valentino was hired by the American television station FOX . The TV broadcaster's idea was to produce a show in which a magician would reveal his tricks. As a result, a list of possible magicians was drawn up, including Valentino. At first, he agreed to reveal some old illusions, but later more modern ones were added.
Between 1997 and 1998 the program Breaking the Magician's Code: Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed was produced , which was first broadcast in the USA on November 24, 1997. In Germany, the format was first released on May 21, 1998 under the title Aus der Magic - The secret tricks of the great magicians broadcast on Sat.1 . Since 2003, RTL or Super RTL has been showing the program under the name Die Tricks der große Zauberer .
At the end of the first season of the show, Valentino unmasked himself on the show and revealed his identity. He addressed the television audience and told of his passion for magic and motivated young people to deal with the art of magic.
After the show's great success, Valentino made some appearances in various US films and television series. Partly in the role of the masked magician, but also as himself.
Web links
- Homepage of the "masked magician" (English) ( Memento of 5 April 2013, Internet Archive )
- Val Valentino in the Internet Movie Database (English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Valentino, Val |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Montano, Leonard (real name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American magician, illusionist, and actor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 14, 1956 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | los Angeles |