On December 10, 2024, the magic and entertainment world lost The Amazing Kreskin (George Joseph Kresge, Jr.) just one month shy of his 90th birthday. I lost a good friend, and I realized that my right arm would now feel a little less sore.
Kreskin was born in Montclair, New Jersey, on January 12, 1935, to Italian and Polish parents. He was very proud of that heritage and lived near his childhood home for his entire life. As a child, he started performing traditional magic but—thanks to the cartoon character, Mandrake, and the work of Joseph Dunninger—took an early interest in mentalism. Kreskin’s career was defined by over 1,000 television appearances. From 1972 to 1977, he hosted The Amazing World of Kreskin and The New Kreskin Show, which were broadcast in Canada and aired in syndication in the U.S. The series led to over 80 appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and hundreds of other television spots, including with Merv Griffin and Mike Douglas. Kreskin became a household name and synonymous with predicting the future (“Doing a Kreskin”). He was an A-list celebrity.
Kreskin toured extensively. His live shows were old-school in the best possible way, and included magic, card effects, piano playing, hypnosis, and mentalism, all with minimal props. Famously, Kreskin always closed his show with his Check Location routine: Finding his paycheck, which had been hidden somewhere in the audience. It was manic and fun. He usually succeeded, but did miss the paycheck 12 times.
When he was home, Kreskin enjoyed working with law enforcement; his brother was a police officer. He performed benefit shows for them, consulted on cases, and taught training courses. Kreskin was also a prolific writer who penned over 20 books and pamphlets, and he partnered with Milton Bradley to produce a Kreskin board game.
In 2007, Kreskin became aware of a script for a movie based on him. He was initially furious, but ultimately had a change of heart. The Great Buck Howard was released in 2008, and John Malkovich brilliantly portrayed Kreskin, even replicating the mentalist’s signature violent handshake, which left sore shoulders, including mine, all over the world.
Kreskin attended the film’s premiere and assisted with promotion. It revitalized his career, leading to guest spots on contemporary talk shows with David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Howard Stern, and many others. He continued to tour, and in 2018, he enjoyed a successful off-Broadway run. He was also an annual fixture on news programs on New Year’s Eve, making predictions for the upcoming year. Recently, Kreskin started doing smaller private shows, and he retired in 2023.
Privately, Kreskin was a voracious reader with an enormous personal library. He was intellectually curious and could converse about any topic. He was an avid long-distance runner and cyclist. He was a cancer survivor.
Kreskin also loved animals. He always owned multiple cats, fed the deer in his neighborhood, and supported local animal rescue organizations, including performing benefit shows for them.
He was a devoted friend to many, and a very kind man. He treated everyone like family. Many social media posts following his death said, “I never met Kreskin, but I feel like I knew him.” His friends were honored to know this private side.
He was amazing.