Ricky Jay People Quotations

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

Theft annoys me more than anything else. The purloining of effects from another magician. Some people think it's massive to steal the secrets of nuclear reactors, but to steal a card move is trivial. They're wrong.

I love amazing people. I love dazzling them. That's why I think performing magic is one of the greatest things a person can do.

I wasn't obsessed by magic. People say, 'How you can you claim you practiced eight hours a day and weren't obsessed?' Well, people go to a job they don't even like for eight hours a day; it's not obsessive if it's something you like.

I do think deception... There's something kind of odd about tricking people for a living, but ultimately, it's a remarkably honest profession, when you think about it. If you violate that code, and you say you're not using camera tricks, and then you do, I actually think that's a kind of serious moral issue.

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