I never talk much about my family, but my grandfather was friendly with these guys, with magicians and ventriloquists on the highest levels, and I was just interested.

I think a lot of people just assumed I came to L.A. to do more television and get into show business.

The pain is bad magicians ripping off good ones, doing magic badly, and making a mockery of the art.

Magic is a powerful art that can support a weak performer.

I certainly was performing before my writing was published, because I was performing when I was very young. And the thing is I'm very comfortable on stage, so a large portion of my act did come from ad-libs.

I'm pretty fortunate that I'm in the films I'm in largely because the directors have asked me to be in them. I'd love to do more of them, but the writing and historical stuff I'll probably always do.

If it sounds too good to be true, it always is.