Magic is the only profession where it's easy to lie about your talent. If you do a trick and you can learn it very quickly, you can fool somebody into thinking you're a great magician. David Copperfield More Quotes by David Copperfield More Quotes From David Copperfield I learned that there were two ways I could live my life: following my dreams or doing something else. Dreams aren't a matter of chance, but a matter of choice. When I dream, I believe I am rehearsing my future. David Copperfield encouraging motivation dream You lose your sense of wonder the more you learn, right? When you go to film school and learn about moviemaking, you go to see movies and then only see where the lights are, where the cuts are, watching it from a technical basis, nodding your head, "Oh, that was good." The feeling of surprise, the feeling of being transported is further away. David Copperfield cutting light school The audience likes to be taken on new journeys. David Copperfield likes taken journey I have always looked to movies and theatre for inspiration. David Copperfield theatre inspiration Magicians lose the opportunity to experience a sense of wonder. David Copperfield magic wonder opportunity No self-respecting gay guy would have ever made some of the hair and clothing choices I am still trying to live down. David Copperfield gay self hair I need a form of escape even when I'm working really hard. David Copperfield working-really-hard form needs When I am on the road and heading to my next venue, I think about my audience. David Copperfield venues next thinking Ride on! Rough-shod if need be, smooth-shod if that will do, but ride on! Ride on over all obstacles, and win the race! David Copperfield race winning inspirational It's really hard to think of one kind of magic as a favorite. I've been really fortunate in that I've been able to perform such a diverse range of things. David Copperfield magic able thinking I really did sneak into Broadway shows, starting when I was 12. David Copperfield broadway starting shows No, I think marriage is a great thing. David Copperfield great-things thinking All of the [Bob] Fosse-esque movements and point of view informed years and years of what I would do. David Copperfield movement views years Performing my show is something I constantly think about. David Copperfield performing shows thinking I have a bunch of islands in the Bahamas that we made into this amazing, magical place. And we have these birds; they're trained to do certain things on the island, which is awesome. These toucans had a baby toucan, and the baby toucan, every hour that you'd look at this toucan, he would change. David Copperfield islands bird baby There were really a bunch of old, old magic hobbyists at the time, some of them who actually had known [Harry] Houdini. You had to be 14 to go to these meetings, and he snuck me in at 12. It was glorious. David Copperfield houdini magic bunch A few years later, when I was still going to these meetings, I was also "second-acting" every Broadway show [walking in with the crowd after intermission]. I snuck in to see Grease with John Travolta in kind of a secondary part and Adrienne Barbeau playing Rizzo, into Pippin, hung out with Ben Vereen and Bob Fosse. It was an amazing time for a teenager. David Copperfield grease teenager years I started as a ventriloquist, a very bad ventriloquist. And people saw my lips moving and it was ridiculous, so finally I decided I'd better change my occupation. David Copperfield occupation people moving Usually, about two years of work go into each illusion, whether it's big or small. Two years of work on each five-minute piece. David Copperfield pieces two years Like in comedy, you know the names of the people who steal things that others work really hard on. It really sucks. And, in magic, it's not just the hard work of getting the words and attitude and point of view right; you're taking an actual invention, making something over three or four years, and somebody can just take it. David Copperfield hard-work views attitude
