Criss Angel

Criss Angel (born Christopher N. Sarantakos on December 19, 1967 in East Meadow, New York) is a musician, magician, illusionist, escapologist, stunt performer, and the creator and director of the Criss Angel Mindfreak television series on A&E Network.

Criss Angel was in an industrial band called Angeldust, which he started with Klay Scott (now known as Klayton of Celldweller) after Klayton's previous band Circle of Dust broke up. Angeldust released an album called Magical Conjurings from the World of Illusion in 1998 and performed in Madison Square Garden. He has since dropped the name Angeldust and released several more CD's as Criss Angel.

Angel has been doing his Mindfreak performances since 2001; his television show debuted on July 20, 2005. Yet, his skills showcased on TV were developed through stage magic and conjuring in clubs. He also did a television special in 2003 called Supernatural. His brothers and mother are also regulars on the Mindfreak television series.

Among the stunts Angel has performed for television audiences are being towed 80 feet into the air while handcuffed inside a barrel filled with water, then releasing the barrel after Angel had taken off the handcuffs and tied himself to a safety rope; and laying on top of a bed of nails and having a Hummer drive on top of him, levitating himself and strangers off the street, also being hung from fish hooks into his back while being dangled from a helicopter. People who are not professional magicians are strongly discouraged from performing these stunts.

Angel won the Merlin Award from the International Society of Magicians in 2001, 2004 and now in 2005; he is the only two-time, and three-time winner of that award.

He was named 2005 Magician of the Year by The Academy of Magical Arts (AMA) at a press event at Hollywood’s Magic Castle.