You’ve probably never heard the voice of one of the world’s most famous magicians: Raymond Teller. Known as simply “Teller” on stage, he’s performed as the silent half of the duo Penn and Teller for more than 45 years. But why doesn’t he speak?
The Basics
In an interview with Google in 2018, Teller explained that as a child, he detested most “patter.” This refers to the words or scripting that accompany a magic trick. He found it redundant to say something like “I’m holding a red ball” when the audience could simply figure that out by themselves. Said Teller, “I thought it would be interesting to drop patter, so people would have to put together what they were looking at on their own.”
Likewise, Teller explained that the most convincing lie is the one you tell yourself. Forcing the audience to put the story together in their head also, according to Teller, makes the magic more convincing.
Has Teller Always Been Silent?
While he certainly spoke on stage in his very early career, by the time he met Penn in 1974, Teller was already performing silently. Ironically, in Teller’s own words, he finds it far more compelling to communicate via action and music than words.
