One of the most successful mentalists of all time passed away in December 2024 at the age of 89. The Amazing Kreskin once humorously remarked that he would retire "exactly 10 days after I drop dead."
For over seven decades, Kreskin has been known for his oversized glasses, even larger smile, and enthusiastic handshake. A flamboyant character, Kreskin was wildly popular performing mentalism feats on late-night TV chat shows and in theatres across the globe. He blurred the line between what was real and what was a trick, yet as his retirement line proves, he never took himself too seriously.
Born and raised in New Jersey, his parents called him George Kresge Jr., but The Hollywood Reporter called him “the world’s most famous mentalist.”
Kreskin accepted the description of a mentalist but sought a better way to describe his work. In his book, The Amazing World of Kreskin, he suggests that he achieved his feats through mere suggestion.
Nonverbally, I direct them [people] to a single name in a phone book. Out of the thousands, they select it correctly. Through a kind of telepathy, I am often successful at thought perception.
Mentalist, "Thought Perceptor," or whatever people called the things he did, Kreskin was very successful at them.
Following his passing, everyone from Derren Brown and Meir Yedid to former WWE wrestler Chris Jericho paid homage to the legend.
