Traditional hand puppets

A puppet is an inanimate object or representational figure animated or manipulated by an entertainer, who is called a puppeteer. It is used in puppetry, a play or a presentation that is a very ancient form of theatre.

There are many different varieties of puppets, and they are made of a wide range of materials, depending on their form and intended use. They can be extremely complex or very simple in their construction. They may even be found objects.

Origins[link]

Aristotle (384 BC – 322 BC) discusses puppets in On the Motion of Animals.

The movements of animals may be compared with those of automatic puppets, which are set going on the occasion of a tiny movement; the levers are released, and strike the twisted strings against one another.^[1]

Types of puppetry[link]

Puppetry by its nature is a flexible and inventive medium, and many puppet companies work with combinations of puppet forms, and incorporate real objects into their performances. They might, for example, incorporate "performing objects" such as torn paper for snow, or a sign board with words as narrative devices within a production. The following are, alphabetically, the basic and conventional forms of puppet:

Black light puppet[link]

A form of puppetry where the puppets are operated on a stage lit only with ultraviolet lighting, which both hides the puppeteer and accentuates the colours of the puppet. The puppeteers perform dressed in black against a black background, with the background and costume normally made of black velvet. The puppeteers manipulate the puppets under the light, while they position themselves unseen against the black unlit background. Controlling what the audience sees is a major responsibility of any puppeteer, and blacklight lighting provides a new way of accomplishing this. Puppets of all sizes and types are able to be used, and glow in a powerful and magical way. The original concept of this form of puppetry can be traced to Bunraku puppetry.

Bunraku puppet[link]

Bunraku puppets are a type of wood-carved puppet originally made to stand out through torch illumination. Developed in Japan over a thousand years ago and formalised and combined with shamisen music at the end of the 16th century, the puppeteers dress to remain neutral against a black background, although their presence as kind of 'shadow' figures adds a mysterious power to the puppet. Bunraku traditionally uses three puppeteers to operate a puppet that is 2/3 life size.^[2]

Carnival or body puppet[link]

Carnival or body puppets are usually designed to be part of a large spectacle. These are often used in parades (such as the May day parade in Minneapolis, USA) and demonstrations, and are at least the size of a human and often much larger. One or more performers are required to move the body and limbs. In parades, the appearance and personality of the person inside is not relevant to the spectator. These puppets are particularly associated with large scale entertainment, such as the nightly parades at various Disney complexes around the world. Similar puppets were designed by Julie Taymor for The Lion King.

• 

  Carnival Puppet featuring two puppeteers - Minneapolis, USA: May Day Parade

• 

  Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez - human carnival puppet

Finger Puppet[link]

Finger puppet - An extremely simple puppet variant which fits onto a single finger. Finger puppets normally have no moving parts, and consist primarily of a hollow cylinder shape to cover the finger. This form of puppet has limited application, and is used mainly in pre-schools or kindergartens for storytelling with young children.

• Finger puppet 001.jpg

  Finger puppets

• 

  Finger puppets

Sock Puppet[link]

Sock Puppet - A puppet formed from a sock and operated by inserting ones hand inside the sock. One then moves his hand up and down to give the impression of speaking. Sometimes eyes and other factors are added to the sock in order to make the puppet more realistic. Sock Puppets are also popular in many puppet performances, as they are simple to make and easy to use. They are mostly used in satirical or childish works, as they are not very professional.

Hand Puppet or Glove Puppet[link]

Hand or glove puppet - These are puppets controlled by one hand which occupies the interior of the puppet. Punch and Judy puppets are familiar examples of hand puppets. Larger varieties of hand puppets place the puppeteer's hand in just the puppet's head, controlling the mouth and head, and the puppet's body then hangs over the entire arm. Other parts of the puppet (mainly arms, but special variants exist with eyelids which can be manipulated; the mouth may also open and close) are usually not much larger than the hand itself. A sock puppet is a particularly simple type of hand puppet made from a sock.^[3]

• 

  British traditional hand or glove puppets, Punch and Judy

• 

  Simple sock puppets

• 

  Hand or glove puppet dog

Human-arm puppet[link]

Also called a "two-man puppet" or a "Live-hand puppet"; it is similar to a hand puppet but is larger and requires two puppeteers. One puppeteer places a hand inside the puppet's head and operates its head and mouth, while the other puppeteer wears gloves and special sleeves attached to the puppet in order to become the puppet's arms, so that the puppet can perform arbitrary hand gestures. This is a form of glove or hand puppetry and rod puppetry.

• 

  "Briegel der Busch" puppet and puppeteer Jan Mixsa, autographing at "Erstes Fantreffen von Bernd das Brot"

• 

  "Chili das Schaf" puppet and creators Tommy Krappweis and Erik Haffner, taken at "Erstes Fantreffen von Bernd das Brot"

Light curtain puppet[link]

Light Curtain puppet presentations use specifically focused light to highlight small areas of a performance, allowing the puppet to be seen while the manipulators remain invisible. The puppets stand on a stage divided into an unlit background and a well-lit foreground, meeting to form a "curtain" of light. The puppeteer dresses in black and remains hidden in the unlit background of the stage while the puppet is held across the light curtain in the lit foreground of the stage. "Light curtain puppet" is an umbrella term, and any puppet which is extended into a well-lit area where its handler remains separated from the puppet by a division of light may be called a light curtain puppet.^{[citation needed]}

Marionette[link]

Marionette or "string puppet" - These puppets are suspended and controlled by a number of strings, plus sometimes a central rod attached to a control bar held from above by the puppeteer. The control bar can be either a horizontal or vertical one. Basic strings for operation are usually attached to the head, back, hands (to control the arms) and just above the knee (to control the legs).^[4] This form of puppetry is complex and sophisticated to operate, requiring greater manipulative control than a finger, glove or rod puppet. The puppet play performed by the Von Trapp children with Maria in The Sound of Music is a marionette show.

• 

  A puppeteer manipulating a Marionette

• Close-Up Puppets 3.JPG

  Marionettes from the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre, New York, USA production of "Cinderella Samba"

• 

  A puppeteer manipulating a Marionette in Prague, Czech Republic

• 

  Puppeteer performing in New Orleans, Louisiana

• 

  "The Giglet Sisters" posed on puppet theatre stage

• 

  "Uncle Rastus" an elderly man playing a banjo

• 

  "Mrs Garbage" and " Mrs Guppy", charwomen

Marotte[link]

A simplified rod puppet that is just a head and/or body on a stick. In a marotte à main prenante, the puppeteer's other arm emerges from the body (which is just a cloth drape) to act as the puppet's arm. Some marottes have a small string running through the stick attached to a handle at the bottom. When the handle is squeezed, the mouth opens.

Pull String puppet[link]

Pull String Puppet is a puppet consisting of a cloth body where in the puppeteer puts his/her arm into a slot in the back and pulls rings on strings that do certain tasks such as waving or moving the mouth.

Push puppet[link]

A push puppet consists of a segmented character on a base which is kept under tension until the button on the bottom is pressed. The puppet wiggles, slumps and then collapses, and is usually used as a novelty toy.

Toy Theatre[link]

Push-in or Paper puppet, or Toy Theatre - A puppet cut out of paper and stuck onto card. It is fixed at its base to a stick and operated by pushing it in from the side of the puppet theatre. Sheets were produced for puppets and scenery from the 19th century for children's use.

Rod puppet[link]

Rod Puppet - A puppet constructed around a central rod secured to the head. A large glove covers the rod and is attached to the neck of the puppet. A rod puppet is controlled by the puppeteer moving the metal rods attached to the hands of the puppet and by turning the central rod secured to the head.

• 

  Preparing a rod puppet for a performance of Town Musicians of Bremen, Sibiu, Romania, 2002.

• 

  Rod puppets from the Horse and Bamboo Theatre production 'Harvest of Ghosts' 1997

• 

  Rod puppet "Bleeckie", meeting an owl, 2011.

Shadow puppet[link]

A Shadow puppet is a cut-out figure held between a source of light and a translucent screen. Shadow puppets can form solid silhouettes or be decorated with various amounts of cut-out details. Colour can be introduced into the cut-out shapes to provide a different dimension and different effects can be achieved by moving the puppet (or light source) out of focus. Japanese shadow puppets (Wayang Kulit) are the classic example of this.^[5]

• 

  Shadow Puppets, Jakarta, Indonesia

Supermarionation[link]

Supermarionation is a method invented by Gerry Anderson which assisted in his television series Thunderbirds in electronically moving the mouths of marionettes to allow for lip-synchronised speech. The marionettes were still controlled by human manipulators with strings.

Ticklebug[link]

A ticklebug is a type of hand puppet created from a human hand to have four legs, where the puppet features are drawn on the hand itself. The middle finger is lifted as a head, and the thumb and forefinger serve as a first set of two legs on one side, while the ring finger and little finger serve as a second set of two legs on the opposite side.^{[citation needed]}

Table Top puppets[link]

Table Top Puppets - A puppet usually operated by rod or direct contact from behind, on a surface similar to a table top (hence the name). Shares many characteristics with Bunraku.

Ventriloquism dummy[link]

Ventriloquist dummy - A puppet operated by a ventriloquist performer to focus the audience's attention from the performer's activities and heighten the illusions. They are called dummies because they do not speak on their own. The ventriloquist dummy is controlled by the one hand of the ventriloquist. Such acts aren't always performed with a traditional dummy, occasionally using other forms of puppetry.

• 

  Edgar Bergen, seen with Charlie McCarthy, is one of America's best known puppeteers.

• RamdasPadhye.jpg

  Ventriloquist Ramdas Padhye has been performing in India for over 40 years.

• 

  After popular American performer Sheri Lewis died, daughter Mallory continued performing Lamb Chop.

• 

  Performers like Jeff Dunham, here with Achmed the Dead Terrorist, have revived interest in North America.

• 

  German Jörg Jará's puppet, Olga.

• Satyajitphoto.JPG

  Satyajit Padhye is a 3rd-generation ventriloquist and puppeteer, and son of Ramdas Padhye.

Vietnamese water puppets

Water puppet[link]

A Water Puppet is a Vietnamese puppet form, the "Múa rối nước". Múa rối nước literally means "puppets that dance on water", an ancient tradition that dates back to the 10th century. The puppets are built out of wood and the shows are performed in a waist-deep pool. A large rod supports the puppet under the water and is used by the puppeteers to control them. The appearance is of the puppets moving over the water. When the rice fields would flood, the villagers would entertain each other using this puppet form.

Object Puppet of Nikolai Zykov Theatre, Russia.

Not all forms of puppetry need specially created items to puppet. Señor Wences was a Spanish ventriloquist who became popular through his appearances on the American program The Ed Sullivan Show. His characters included Johnny, a face drawn on his hand, and Pedro, a gruff head in a box, who would talk when Wences opened the box. Similarly, chinface puppetry involves puppet features drawn or attached onto an upside-down chin.

Object puppets can be created with found, everyday objects, either assembled in advance or during performance.

See also[link]

Look up puppet in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Animation or digital puppet. Animation is a related but essentially different process from puppetry. Animating puppets in time-based media such as film or video is a simulation of movement created by displaying a series of pictures, or frames, whereas puppetry is the live manipulation of figures. Puppet animation, or "puppetoon", can refer either to Stop motion filming, where the movements of the puppets are created frame-by-frame; or "Supermarionation (see above)

An explanation of Puppet Shows

• Karakuri ningyō - Mechanized puppets or automata from Japan.
• Lübeck Museum of Theatre Puppets
• Pelham puppets - A type of factory-made puppet created by Bob Pelham famous for making mainly string puppets (Marionettes) In the UK from 1947 to 1993. In 2008 the Pelham Puppet company was revived by a former employee of the original factory and now produces a new line of Pelham Puppets some echoing former styles.
• Persian theatre
• Puppetry - for the cultural and theatrical history of puppet theatre
• Punch and Judy
• Rajasthani Puppet - String marionettes originating from the state of Rajasthan in India
• Das Spielhaus, East German television variety show
• Thai hand puppets - A variety of hand puppets from Thailand

Non-puppetry related usages of the word[link]

The word puppet can mean a political leader installed, supported and controlled by more powerful forces, without legitimacy in the country itself. In modern times, this usually implies no democratic mandate from the country's electorate; in earlier times, it could have meant a monarch imposed from outside, who was not a member of a country's established ruling dynasty, and/or unrecognised by its nobility. "Puppet government", "puppet regime" and "puppet state" are derogatory terms for a government which is in charge of a region or country, but only through being installed, supported and controlled by a more powerful outside government (see Quisling).

In a more general sense, a puppet is any person who is controlled by another by reasons of (for instance) undue influence, intellectual deficiency, or lack of character or charisma. Science fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein's novel The Puppet Masters depicts alien parasites who attach themselves to human beings and control their actions.

Poppet, a word that sounds similar, is sometimes a term of endearment, similar to "love", "pet", "doll" or "dear". It alludes to folk-magic and witchcraft, where a poppet is a special doll created to represent a person for the purpose of casting healing, fertility, or binding spells.

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Ghosh, S. and Banerjee, Utpal Kumar, Indian Puppets, Abhinav Publications, 2006. ISBN 81-7017-435-X.
• Bell, John, Strings, Hands, Shadows: A Modern Puppet History, Wayne State University Press, 2000. ISBN 0-89558-156-6.

Books and articles[link]

• Baird, Bil (1966). The Art of the Puppet. Plays. ISBN 0-8238-0067-9. 
• Beaton, Mabel; Les Beaton (1948). Marionettes: A Hobby for Everyone. New York. 
• Bell, John (2000). Strings, Hands, Shadows: A Modern Puppet History. Detroit, USA: Detroit Institute of Art. ISBN 0-89558-156-6. 
• Binyon, Helen (1966). Puppetry Today. London: Studio Vista Limited. 
• Choe, Sang-su (1961). A Study of the Korean Puppet Play. The Korean Books Publishing Company Ltd.. 
• Currell, David (1985). The Complete Book of Puppetry. London: A & C Black (Publishers) Ltd.. ISBN 0-7136-2429-9. 
• Currell, David (1992). An Introduction to Puppets and Puppetmaking. London: New Burlington Books, Quintet Publishing Limited. ISBN 1-85348-389-3. 
• Dubska, Alice; Jan Novak, Nina Malikova, Marie Zdenkova (2006). Czech Puppet Theatre. Prague: Theatre Institute. ISBN 80-7008-199-6. 
• Dugan, E.A. (1990). Emotions in Motion. Montreal, Canada: Galerie Amrad. ISBN 0-9693081-5-9. 
• Feeney, John (1999). Puppet. Saudi Aramco World. 
• Flower, Cedric; Alan Fortney (1983). Puppets: Methods and Materials. Worcester, Massachusetts: Davis Publications, Inc. 
• Latshaw, George (2000). The Complete Book of Puppetry. London: Dover Publications. ISBN 978-0-486-40952-8. 
• Lindsay, Hilaire (1976). The First Puppet Book. Leichardt, NSW, Australia: Ansay Pty Ltd. ISBN 0 909245. 
• Mulholland, John (1961). Practical Puppetry. London: Herbert Jenkins Ltd.. 
• Richmond, Arthur (1950). Remo Bufano's Book of Puppetry. New York: The Macmillan Company. 
• Robinson, Stuart; Patricia Robertson (1967). Exploring Puppetry. London: Mills & Boon Limited. 
• Rump, Nan (1996). Puppets and Masks: Stagecraft and Storytelling. Worcester, Massachusetts: Davis Publications. 
• Sinclair, Anita (1995). The Puppetry Handbook. Richmond, Victoria, Australia: Richard Lee Publishing. ISBN 0-646-39063-5. 
• Shellstein, Sheldon; Sheldon T. Shellstein (April 2006). "The Rise Of Shoop: the meteoric rise of Sheldon". Kid Time Press. 
• Suib, Leonard; Muriel Broadman (1975). Marionettes Onstage!. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers. ISBN 0-06-014166-2. 
• Stephenson, Will (2012). Dr. Puppet and the Puppeetos. Peppler. ISBN 11234566748. 

hindi:hindi

Paul Daniels, born Newton Edward Daniels on 6 April 1938, is a British magician and television performer.^[1] He achieved international fame through his television series The Paul Daniels Magic Show, which ran on the BBC from 1979 to 1994.

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

Daniels was born at 51 North Street in South Bank, Redcar & Cleveland,the son of Handel Newton Daniels and Nancy Lloyd.^[2] Handel (known as Hugh) was a cinema projectionist at the Hippodrome Theatre and a former worker at Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) Wilton.^{[citation needed]}

During World War II, Daniels was evacuated to the Helmsley area. After Sir William Turners Grammar School on Coatham Road in Coatham, Redcar (now the Redcar & Cleveland College Connections Campus on Corporation Road) and his first job as a junior clerk in the treasurer's office of Eston council, Daniels served as a conscript in the 1st Battalion, The Green Howards, during his National Service and was posted to the British garrison in Hong Kong, before training as an accountant in the Civil Service. Even at this early age he had thinning hair which he claimed to be an act of 'magic'. Daniels later sported a wig for much of his television career.^[3] After working as a junior clerk and then as an auditor in local government Daniels joined his parents in the grocery business they were running at the time.^{[citation needed]} He later set up his own shop – at one point a mobile shop – but eventually gave this up in favour of his growing career as a magician.

Showbusiness career[link]

Daniels' interest in magic began at the age of 11 when, during a holiday, he read a book called How To Entertain At Parties. He has stated that: "From that moment, I can safely say that all I ever wanted to do in life was to become a professional magician". He began performing magic as a hobby, occasionally entertaining at parties and youth clubs and later doing shows for fellow servicemen during his national service.^[4] After returning to civilian life he continued to develop his magic by performing in clubs in the evenings while working at his grocery business during the day. At one point he worked with his first wife Jackie under the name of 'The Eldanis', an anagram of Daniels. It was while working the clubs that he developed what would become his long running catchphrase, "You'll like this...not a lot, but you'll like it." He has stated that he first came up with the line at a club in Bradford as a way to deal with a heckler.^[5]

A major turning point in Daniels' career came in 1969 when he was offered a summer season at Newquay. He decided to sell his grocery business and try magic as a full time career. He made his television debut on the long-running talent show Opportunity Knocks in 1970, and came second. Television producer Johnnie Hamp saw Daniels in that show and later gave him a regular spot on a show compèred by Bernard Manning The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club for Granada Television.^[6]

His first series for the BBC was For My Next Trick, where Daniels appeared with several other magicians and singer Faith Brown. This led to Daniels presenting his own television series, The Paul Daniels Magic Show, on BBC1 from 1979 until 1994. As well as featuring tricks and illusions for pure entertainment, he also included a regular segment (the "Bunko Booth") in which he exposed the confidence tricks of street charlatans. He also replicated the kind of results that have impressed researchers of the paranormal and parapsychologists in a segment called Under Laboratory Conditions, thereby demonstrating his skepticism about claims made in these fields.

Daniels starred in his own stage show, It's Magic, at the Prince of Wales Theatre from 10 December 1980 until 6 February 1982. At that time, the show was one of the longest-running magic shows ever staged in London. By this point he was already working with his future wife, Debbie McGee, whose role as his assistant would become a major feature of his act. She had first worked with him on his summer season show in Great Yarmouth in 1979.

In addition to his magic shows he hosted a number of other television series during the 1980s and 1990s, including three BBC1 quiz shows: Odd One Out, Every Second Counts and Wipeout, and the children's television programme Wizbit (also for the BBC), about a magician called Wizbit and a rabbit called Woolly, who lived in Puzzleopolis.

On the magic circuit, Daniels' appeal diminished as the 1980s drew to a close, and in the 1990s the ratings for his TV show slumped. A 1995 magic show for the BBC entitled Secrets, set in a variety club, failed to catch on and was not renewed.^[2] He has, however, made several guest appearances on television, though this has often been as the unsuspecting butt of the joke on satirical comedy shows, such as the Chris Morris show, Brass Eye. Daniels and McGee were the focus of one of the episodes of the 2001 BBC documentary series When Louis Met…, presented by Louis Theroux, with Daniels additionally appearing on Da Ali G Show in an Ali G costume, interviewed by Caroline Hook in her guise as Mrs Merton. In 2004, he and Debbie appeared in the Channel 5 reality TV show, The Farm, and in 2006, they appeared in the ITV show The X Factor: Battle Of The Stars. They were the first act voted off the show, after singing Let Me Entertain You by Robbie Williams. Daniels and McGee also made a guest appearance in the Wife Swap series in early 2007, with McGee changing places with journalist and presenter Vanessa Feltz. In 2008 Daniels was part of Dec's team in the Ant v Dec segment of Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, but was eliminated by Dec after the team lost the Bobsleigh challenge in show 3 (of 6).

Daniels still tours doing live magic and recently presented a show about magician 'Max Malini'. He currently owns a magic and fancy dress shop in Wigan town centre and also has an online shop selling items for magician and fancy dress outfits. He has stated he has an ambition to star in a Hollywood film.^[2]

During 2009 he toured a number of more intimate venues, performing for audiences of around 200.^{[citation needed]}

In September 2010 it was announced Daniels would be participating in the eighth series of Strictly Come Dancing. His dancing partner was Ola Jordan. They were the second couple to be voted off on 17 October.

On New Year's Day 2012 the magician cut off his left index finger and the tip of his ring finger, in an accident with a circular saw, in a shed at his Wargrave home, while building props for his act.^[7] The saw was not one used by Daniels in his act. The index finger has been re-attached.^[8]

Paul is a past President of Hospital Radio Bedside, a radio station that broadcasts to hospitals in Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch and Wimborne, UK.^{[citation needed]}

Strictly Come Dancing performances[link]

Awards[link]

Daniels was awarded the prestigious "Magician of the Year’" Award by the Hollywood Academy of Magical Arts in 1983, and was the first magician from outside the US to receive it.^{[citation needed]} An Easter special of The Paul Daniels Magic Show won the Golden Rose of Montreux Award at the International TV Festival in Switzerland in 1985.

Daniels was the first recipient of The Maskelyne, awarded for services to British Magic by The Magic Circle in 1988.^[9]

More recently he was named "World's Greatest Magician" by students at Boston Spa School, Yorkshire. Daniels turned up to the ceremony and gave an impromptu show.^[10]

Outspoken views[link]

Daniels is known for being outspoken on a range of matters, including politics and current affairs as well as magic, entertainment and fellow celebrities.

Daniels is a supporter of the Conservative Party.^[11]

On the subject of criminal justice, he has stated: "...make them afraid of the punishment...when I heard Ian Huntley had tried to commit suicide – I’d have helped him. There are no ifs or buts about Huntley. With him, I wouldn’t even have told him the result of the trial, he'd just have gone to sleep and never woken up".^[12]

Daniels has stated that he has very little sympathy with the homeless since, in his words, "I was always trying to be best, to get ahead of the other guy. And I can't say why, I just knew I could...I saw Peter Stringfellow on TV one time, and we both have a little, but not very much, sympathy for the homeless, because both of us came from very poor backgrounds, got off our arses, and grafted".^[2]

Daniels now refuses to attend magic conferences in the UK since they "...were ruined for me by bitchiness and jealousy...now I only go to foreign conventions where, to be honest, I am greeted with respect and civility AND I have tons of ‘foreign’ magician friends."^[13]

He is dismissive of modern illusionists. He has described David Blaine as "not very original".^[2]

He is also dismissive of modern impressionists – "I don't think much to modern impressionists either. Forget Alistair McGowan."^[14]

On journalism – "I don't really understand why journalism has to be so nasty, so sarcastic and intrusive".^[14] Daniels has often remarked that for his final trick he would like to make "The Sun disappear", a reference to the British tabloid newspaper.

He said that Anne Robinson has hated him ever since his 1987 Halloween special hoax performance.^[14]

On the radio presenter, Chris Morris he commented: "[He's] just nasty."^[14]

On the hereditary system in the House of Lords – "The hereditary peers, the real Lords, have the genetic knowledge so they know what to pass and what not to let through. I believe the gene carries more than physical characteristics. It's more than just education that makes the Lords better at making these kind of decisions than leaving it with the Commons. It's like an animal instinct. The aristocracy may act foolish, but in times of war and riots they have the knowledge and a belief and strength of leadership and instinct that coal miners just haven't got...".^[14]

On pornography – "Porn is fine when it's between consenting adults. The stuff with kids is wrong, but between consenting adults it's fine. There's a lot I like, although nothing weird. There's a group of people who are really into looking at pictures of women in guillotines. Not naked or anything. Just in guillotines. They have a page full of pictures of Debbie in guillotines – I have used guillotines in my routines. How strange is that as a fetish?".^[14]

Family and personal life[link]

Daniels married his first wife, Jacqueline Skipworth (born 1942), in 1960, when she was 17 and he was 21. He has three sons by her: Gary, Paul and Martin. Martin sometimes appeared on The Paul Daniels Magic Show, and Paul's father, Hughie, often made props for the show, such as wooden boxes for the Selbit Sawing illusion. Daniels' nephew James Phelan is a budding young magician.

Daniels married his second wife, long-time assistant Debbie McGee on 2 April 1988 in Buckinghamshire.^[15] The couple met in London in May 1979 during rehearsals for Daniels' summer season show in Great Yarmouth that year. At that time he was 40 and she was 20. McGee went on to work with Daniels in his 1980 summer show in Bournemouth and then his London stage show It's Magic before being offered the role of assistant in his long-running television series. Their relationship gradually became more established until he proposed in 1987. Early in their marriage they lived in a house in Denham, that once belonged to Roger Moore. In 1998 they moved to a house on the banks of the River Thames at Wargrave in Berkshire.^[16][17]

Daniels' autobiography, Under No Illusion, includes descriptions of his and McGee's joking life:

"I was writing and needed to concentrate, so I had a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on my back. Eventually I went to bed and Debbie was lying stark naked on the bed – eat your heart out fellas! She was wearing the sort of sleeping blindfold you get on long-haul flights. Printed on it was Do Not Disturb. But further down her body she had a sign that said Disturb!"^[2]

Daniels also claims in the book to have had, as of the year 2000, sexual relations with more than 300 women.^[2] This figure includes a Chinese girl he met on a Hong Kong ferry during his National Service, whom he recalls as being "rather throaty".^[18]

Daniels maintains a website that includes personal information, a detailed blog and records podcasts. The blog incorporates Daniels's diary entries and day-to-day musings and observations on a range of topics.^[19]

He has an Isuzu Trooper for hauling props and show material with the personalised registration plate that reads 'MAG1C'. He also drives a Toyota Prius for personal use. During his life he has also owned three Bentleys and a Ferrari.^[20]

In 2007 Daniels took part in the BBC Wales programme Coming Home about his Welsh family history.

In February 2009, Daniels and McGee appeared in Closer magazine in a picture recreating an image from an Armani advert that featured footballer David Beckham and his wife Victoria.^[21]

In January 2011, a wig belonging to Daniels was sold for charity on Ebay for £1,100.^[22]

Paul Daniels Magic Show transmission guide[link]

• Series 1: 4 editions from 9 June 1979 – 22 June 1979
• Series 2: 6 editions from 13 September 1980 – 18 October 1980
• Series 3: 6 editions from 26 September 1981 – 28 November 1981
• Series 4: 8 editions from 6 October 1982 – 20 November 1982
• Series 5: 8 editions from 15 October 1983 – 3 December 1983
• Series 6: 8 editions from 1 September 1984 – 20 October 1984
• Series 7: 10 editions from 7 September 1985 – 9 November 1985
• Series 8: 9 editions from 6 December 1986 – 14 February 1986
• Series 9: 9 editions from 2 January 1988 – 27 February 1988
• Series 10: 8 editions from 7 January 1989 – 25 February 1989
• Series 11: 8 editions from 6 January 1990 – 24 February 1990
• Series 12: 9 editions from 5 January 1991 – 2 March 1991
• Series 13: 9 editions from 11 January 1992 – 7 March 1992
• Series 14: 9 editions from 2 January 1993 – 27 February 1993
• Series 15: 9 editions from 2 April 1994 – 18 June 1994
• Specials

• Special produced by Granada TV: 31 December 1977
• Christmas Special: 22 December 1979
• The Paul Daniels Magic Christmas Show: 25 December 1980
• Paul Daniels Magical Christmas: 25 December 1981
• The Paul Daniels Magic Christmas Show: 25 December 1982
• The Paul Daniels Magic Christmas Show: 26 December 1983
• The Paul Daniels Magic Christmas Show: 25 December 1984
• The Paul Daniels Magic Easter Show: 6 April 1985
• The Paul Daniels Magic Christmas Show: 26 December 1985
• The Paul Daniels Magic Christmas Show: 27 December 1986
• Paul Daniels Live at Hallowe'en: 31 October 1987
• The Paul Daniels Magic Christmas Show: 26 December 1987
• Paul Daniels Live at Hallowe'en: 31 October 1988
• The Paul Daniels Magic Christmas Show: 26 December 1988
• The Paul Daniels Magic Show: 26 December 1989
• The Paul Daniels Magic Show Christmas Edition: 24 December 1990
• The First Ten Years: 22 March 1991
• The Paul Daniels Magic Show Festive Edition: 28 December 1991
• The Paul Daniels Magic Show Festive Edition: 24 December 1992
• The Paul Daniels Christmas Magic Show: 28 December 1993
• Secrets Festive Special: 29 December 1994
• Compilations

• The Best of Paul Daniels 1981: 12 April 1982
• The Best of Paul Daniels 1982: 4 April 1983
• The Best of Paul Daniels: 3 April 1984
• Paul Daniels Magic Moments: Best of Series 6: 3 January 1985
• Paul Daniels Million Pound Magic: Best of Series 7: 5 May 1986

Paul Daniels Secrets Transmission Guide[link]

• Series 1: 8 editions from 15 November 1995 – 17 January 1996
• Secrets Festive Special: 29 December 1994

References[link]

Bibliography[link]

• Paul Daniels, Under No Illusion, Blake Publishing (May 2000), ISBN 1-85782-314-1

External links[link]

• Paul Daniels' homepage
• Paul Daniels' weblog
• Paul Daniels Magic Party Shop Online
• Paul Daniels' Ebay Transactions a blog about Paul Daniels' buying and selling activities on Ebay
• Paul Daniels on IMDb

Videoclips[link]

• Chimpanzee card trick
• Advertising Heineken
• Let Me Entertain You – Celebrity X Factor 2006

Neil Patrick Harris
Harris at a ceremony in September 2011 to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Born	(1973-06-15) June 15, 1973 (age 39)[1] Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, musician, director, magician
Years active	1988–present
Partner	David Burtka (2004–present)
Children	2

Neil Patrick Harris (born June 15, 1973) is an American actor, singer, director, and magician. He is best known for the title role in Doogie Howser, M.D., the womanizing Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother, a fictionalized version of himself in the Harold & Kumar series, and the title role in Joss Whedon's musical web series Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.

Harris was named as one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in 2010,^[2] and was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in September 2011.^[3]

Early life[link]

Harris was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico and grew up in Ruidoso, New Mexico. His parents, Sheila and Ron Harris, ran a restaurant.^[4] He attended La Cueva High School in Albuquerque, where he acted in school plays and musicals. Harris graduated as an honors student in 1991.

Career[link]

Harris at the 2008 Comic Con in San Diego, California

Film[link]

Harris began his career as a child actor and was discovered by playwright Mark Medoff at a drama camp in Las Cruces, New Mexico.^[5] Medoff later cast him in his 1988 film Clara's Heart, a drama starring Whoopi Goldberg based on the novel of the same name by Joseph Olshan. Clara's Heart won Harris a Golden Globe nomination. The same year, he starred in Purple People Eater, a children's fantasy.

His first film role as an adult was 1995's Animal Room, although he portrayed a teenager. His subsequent film work has included supporting roles in The Next Best Thing, Undercover Brother, and Starship Troopers. Harris plays a fictionalized version of himself in the Harold and Kumar stoner comedy films Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, and A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas.

In 2010, he provided voice acting for the role of the adult Dick Grayson (Nightwing) in the animated film Batman: Under the Red Hood, and the beagle Lou in the film Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore. The same year, he played the lead in the indie comedy The Best and the Brightest.^[6]

On March 7, 2010, he made a surprise appearance at the 82nd Academy Awards, delivering the opening musical number.

He starred in the 2011 movie The Smurfs

Stage[link]

Harris has worked on Broadway in both musical and dramatic roles. He played Tobias Ragg in the 2001 concert performances of Sweeney Todd. In 2002, he performed beside Anne Heche in Proof. In 2003, he took the role of the Emcee in Cabaret alongside Deborah Gibson and Tom Bosley. As a result of his critically acclaimed performance in Cabaret, Harris was named the top-drawing headliner in the role of the Emcee by GuestStarCasting.com, topping fellow celebrity stars John Stamos and Alan Cumming.^[7] In 2004, he performed a dual role of the Balladeer and Lee Harvey Oswald on Broadway, in the controversial musical revival of Stephen Sondheim's Assassins. He also sang the role of Charles (first played by Anthony Perkins) on the Nonesuch recording of Sondheim's Evening Primrose, and has portrayed Mark Cohen in the touring company of the musical Rent, a role he mockingly reprised on the January 10, 2009, episode of Saturday Night Live, which he hosted.

In 2010, he directed a production of the rock musical Rent at the Hollywood Bowl; he cast his Beastly co-star Vanessa Hudgens as Mimi.^[8] In 2011, Harris played the lead role of Bobby in Stephen Sondheim's Company, with the New York Philharmonic in concert opposite Patti LuPone and others.^[9] The same year, he directed The Expert at the Card Table at Broad Stage's Edye in Santa Monica, California.^[10]

Harris hosted the 63rd Tony Awards on June 7, 2009,^[11] and the 65th Tony Awards on June 12, 2011.

Television[link]

In 1989, Harris won the lead role in Doogie Howser, M.D., for which he was again nominated for a Golden Globe. After the show's four-season run ended in 1993, Harris played a number of guest roles on television series, such as Murder She Wrote. From 1999 to 2000, Harris starred with Tony Shalhoub in the NBC sitcom Stark Raving Mad, which lasted 22 episodes. He has taken lead roles in a number of made-for-television features including Snowbound: The Jim and Jennifer Stolpa Story in 1994, My Ántonia in 1995, The Christmas Wish in 1998, Joan of Arc in 1999, The Wedding Dress in 2001, and The Christmas Blessing in 2005.

In 2008, he guest-starred on Sesame Street as the Sesame Street Fairy Shoe Person.^[12][13][14] In 2009, Harris hosted the 7th Annual TV Land Awards and appeared as a guest judge on Season 9 of American Idol.^[15]

He also hosted the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards on September 20 of the same year. On August 21, 2010, he won two Emmy Awards at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremony, one of which was for his guest performance in the television series Glee.^[16]

After a highly successful preview at the San Diego Comic-Con, a musical episode of Batman: The Brave and the Bold, featuring Harris as the villainous Music Meister, premiered on October 23, 2009 on Cartoon Network. As a character who could make anyone do his bidding by singing, he spent most of the episode singing several original songs.^[17]

Since 2005, Harris has played Barney Stinson, a serial womanizer, in the CBS ensemble sitcom How I Met Your Mother. The role earned him Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series nominations every year from 2007 to 2010.

Other media[link]

In 2007, Harris worked with Mike Nelson on an audio commentary for RiffTrax. The two "riffed" on the film Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory. Harris is a big fan of the cult TV series Nelson worked on, Mystery Science Theater 3000. He was interviewed for a 1992 Comedy Central special hosted by Penn Jillette about the series This Is MST3K and its fans.^[18] In 2008, Harris played the title role in Joss Whedon's musical web series Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog alongside Nathan Fillion and Felicia Day. The first episode of the series debuted July 15, 2008.^[19] He has also provided his voice for the Disney California Adventure Park attraction California Screamin'.^[20]

On December 11, 2010, Harris hosted the Spike Video Game Awards.

Personal life[link]

Harris with his partner David Burtka in September 2011

Harris is openly gay, confirming this in November 2006 by saying "I am happy to dispel any rumors or misconceptions and am quite proud to say that I am a very content gay man living my life to the fullest and feel most fortunate to be working with wonderful people in the business I love."^[21]

Harris attended the Emmy awards in September 2007 with his partner David Burtka, later confirming the relationship, which he said began in 2004 in an interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.^[22] On August 14, 2010, Harris announced that he and Burtka were expecting twins via a surrogate mother.^[23][24] The fraternal twins Gideon Scott, a boy, and Harper Grace, a girl, were born on October 12, 2010.^[25][26]

Following the passage of the Marriage Equality Act in New York on June 24, 2011, Harris and Burtka announced their engagement via Twitter,^[27] stating that they had proposed to each other five years ago but kept the engagement secret until same-sex marriage became legal.^[28]

Harris is a fan of magic, like his character on How I Met Your Mother. He serves as the President of the Board of Directors of Hollywood's Magic Castle.^[29] Harris won the Tannen's Magic Louis Award in 2006 and hosted the 2008 World Magic Awards on October 11, 2008. Additionally, Harris and Burtka were guests of honor for a Top Chef Masters episode which took place at the Magic Castle. Harris also performed magic in his Emmy-winning performance on Glee.

Discography[link]

Cast recordings[link]

Singles[link]

Filmography[link]

Films[link]

Television[link]

Theater[link]

Web television[link]

Video games[link]