Penn Jillette Reveals He Cannot Explain How Some Psychic Tricks Work
"You've just described a trick. You just happened to have described a trick that's trivial, that is easy. But there are other ones that are harder. Easy? How do you do it? Well, I don't know. First of all, I wouldn't necessarily be right. And that's what makes me hesitant."
About this episode
Bill Maher sits down with Penn Jillette, the magician and professional skeptic, for a wide-ranging conversation that touches on religion, psychics, parenting, politics, and their shared histories in comedy. The episode reveals surprising personal details about both men, including Penn's two-year stint living homeless while emulating a fabricated Bob Dylan biography, hopping trains and sleeping in alleys while calling his parents collect daily. The conversation takes a fascinating turn when Maher challenges Penn on psychic phenomena, pressing him about a mentalist he saw perform with Barbra Streisand. Despite his career debunking supernatural claims alongside Amazing Randi, Penn admits there are some tricks he cannot fully explain, though he maintains they are likely sophisticated deceptions rather than genuine supernatural abilities. The two bond over their atheism, with Penn revealing Johnny Carson privately identified as an atheist and was a devoted fan of Penn's debunking show Bullshit. Penn shares the bittersweet story of being invited to screen The Aristocrats privately for Carson, only to have the comedy legend die the morning after their Sundance premiere. He also recounts turning down The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson over creative differences about leaving Teller seemingly dead before a commercial break, choosing artistic integrity over a career-defining appearance. On a lighter note, Penn discusses his 23-year run as the longest-tenured headliner in Vegas history, his evolution to veganism after losing 120 pounds, and his philosophy on parenting, arguing that parents have far less influence than commonly believed since immigrants' children don't develop their parents' accents. The conversation exemplifies the nonpartisan, intellectually curious approach that has defined Maher's career resurgence.
Key takeaways
- Penn Jillette admits he cannot explain certain psychic tricks despite his career as a professional skeptic and debunker of supernatural claims.
- Jillette reveals he lived homeless for two years trying to emulate Bob Dylan's fabricated hobo origin story, hopping trains and sleeping in alleys while surviving on street juggling money.
- Penn and Teller turned down appearing on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson because he insisted they change their trick to show Teller alive before commercial break.
- Johnny Carson privately told Penn Jillette he was an atheist and was planning to host a private screening of The Aristocrats before he died.
- Penn Jillette has maintained a 23-year residency at the Rio, making him the longest-running headliner in Las Vegas history, performing different material regularly.
- Jillette lost 120 pounds and became a strict vegan nine years ago, initially for health reasons before embracing the animal rights philosophy.
- Penn argues parents have less influence on children than commonly believed, pointing out that immigrants' children do not develop their parents' accents despite learning language from them.