This article is printed in the
New York Resident Magazine's
October 2011 issue.
Matt Wayne: The Magic New Yorker
By Dorri Olds
Matt Wayne, aka Celebrity Magician, is a Renaissance man. He came to New York City with one month’s rent plus 600 dollars in his pocket, then forged a career á la Manhattan. The repertoire up his sleeve? Magician, actor, producer, TV personality and charitable fundraiser.
Does this man ever sleep?
Matt caught a break when he landed a stint on a reality dating show called “Wingman.” He was selected based on his pitch: “I’m a magician, have toured all over the world, but I can’t get a date.”
Through that show, he met his now girlfriend of three years, Karen Biehl, owner of Eli the Celebrity Chihuahua (of Milkbone Dog Biscuits box fame). Biehl said, “I’d always dreamed of a man who would give me white roses. On our first date, Matt made me a white rose from a cocktail napkin.”
Speaking of roses, Matt has since worked with ABC’s “The Bachelor” Prince Lorenzo Borghese raising funds for animal causes. “Matt, Karen, Eli and I all hit it off. Whenever I watch Matt perform magic, he’s exceptional. We’ve bonded over our shared love for animals and he’s like a historian on magic.”
Richard Pryor, Jr., son of the late comedian, is a fellow fundraiser and friend who described Matt as “a true artist in every aspect. He’s genuine and gives his all. You can feel his energy. It’s amazing how he always puts others first, not like your typical celeb.”
Through his multitude of work projects, Matt has rubbed elbows with the City’s rich and famous, i.e. Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, Loretta Swit, Al Pacino, James Earl Jones. His corporate clientele is a list of Who’s Who: Trump International, Citibank, Morgan Stanley, Coca-Cola.
Matt and I sat down at a café in Chelsea. His height, slender build and jet-black hair are disarming. He greeted me with a huge smile and, as we spoke, it was easy to see why he’s a celebrity. I was smitten.
New York Resident: You are an anomaly—magician, actor, producer, spokesman.
Matt Wayne: Many actors got started in magic—Billy Crystal, Steve Martin, Adrien Brody. My DVD “Got a Light?” was an overnight success and earned me instant notoriety in the magic community. It’s an instructional step-by-step tutorial of a modern version of the 3-shell game. Things just took off after that.
NYR: Can you tell me about your new movie, When the Devil Comes?
MW: I play a German priest involved in an exorcism that goes terribly wrong. It takes place in Germany, although it was shot here in New York. The premise is an outbreak of demonic possession. There’s a bunch of exorcisms and lots of cool special effects—like a girl walking on the ceiling. I felt lucky to work with the stellar up-and-coming cast. It stars Dechen Thurman, Uma’s brother, as one of the main priests and Sarah Bradford of The Adjustment Bureau. It’s a cross between Blair Witch Project and The Exorcist.
NYR: You produce an Off Broadway play too, correct?
MW: Yes. It’s in its fourth year now at the Soho Playhouse. It’s a comedy calledThe Complete Performer. One reviewer called it a ‘comedy extravaganza.’ It stars Late Show with David Letterman’s Emmy Award-winning writer Ted Greenberg. Ted is the son of Alan Greenberg, the billionaire and former chairman of Bear Sterns, who is a big teddy bear. I met Alan through my work as a magician for the rich and famous.
NYR: I’m very interested in hearing about your contributions to charities.
MW: I love animals. I’m like the Betty White of magic. I devote all my available time to helping animals. I was so moved by the tragic Tuscaloosa tornado this past May I created a relief effort called, “Operation Toto.” I contacted many friends including Loretta Swit, Bonnie Jill-Laflin, the NBA’s first female scout, actor Doug Jones from Hellboy movies and Richard Pryor, Jr. They all gladly participated. Loretta even agreed to host. I called the Alabama State Department to say I wanted to help and asked to be put in touch with animal shelters and the Humane Society down there. I turned my campaign into the only relief effort that came from the northeast. The New York Daily News did a write-up about it. Prince Lorenzo Borghese was one of many generous donors.
NYR: What can you tell me about the Prince?
MW: Most people know him from “The Bachelor,” but he’s also the founder and president of Royal Treatment Italian Pet Spa. His own black lab suffered from dry skin so, ten years ago, he created a special pet shampoo line. Because his family has been in cosmetics since the early ’50s he has tons of contacts. He made calls and did research to learn what ingredients were causing dry skin. Then he created a healthier shampoo made with organic formulas.
NYR: Did the media poke fun at him—a Prince with a pet spa?
MW: Oh yeah. He told me, ‘People think my family just sits around and plays croquet or something but we work, we give back.’ He’s really a great guy. This past June he used his celebrity to help raise money for the New Rochelle Humane Society at their 100th Anniversary.
NYR: Last September you launched a show called “Laff-a-Digitation.” How did that name come about?
MW: That’s my own play on words—prestidigitation is a fancy word for magic and the show is a combination of comedy and magic. I rounded up headlining comics like you’d see on Comedy Central. Last year’s went so well that I’ll make it even bigger this year.
NYR: You’ve done a lot of work for animal welfare organizations like Bideawee, right?
MW: Yes. I do everything I can. My life is targeted at helping animals and children. That’s what motivates my career. Richard Pryor, Jr. and I worked together at a Bideawee charity event for horses. I also do a lot of fundraising to help neglected children.
NYR: I’ve read that you’ve traveled far and wide to entertain U.S. troops.
MW: Yes, all over Asia—South Korea, Thailand, Japan. The reason I wanted to become a celebrity was to have a voice. I aim to grow my voice as loud and high as I can. Celebrities are so blessed and I hate it when they don’t use their fame to help others. There are so many important causes.
NYR: You have much to be proud of. Have I left anything out?
MW: [Grins] Yes, there’s more! In September 2010, YouTube launched their new Live Stream feature along with Howcast. I helped add magic to the “How To” videos. My live 30-minute magic tutorial was used to launch the live stream. The series has gotten close to 2 million views and my show was voted number one by Gizmodo. Also TouchTricks, the world’s first virtual magic kit for the iPhone and iPod touch, chose me as their official spokesperson.
NYR: Any last parting words about your multi-faceted career?
MW: My overall desire is to be helpful. Social media has been great. An 11-year-old who was going through radiation for a brain tumor found me online and tweeted. He said my hard work had inspired him. He said Matt Wayne would never give up, so neither would he.
Dorri Olds (DorriOlds.com) is a freelance writer and web designer.
