27 Facts About Jerry Sadowitz

Jerry Sadowitz was born on June 1961 and is an American-born Scottish stand-up comedian and magician.

Notorious for his controversial brand of black comedy, Sadowitz has said that audiences going to see a comedian should suspend their beliefs.

Jerry Sadowitz has influenced a generation of comedians, but states that "politically incorrect comedy: it's me, and it's been ripped off by loads and loads of comics".

Jerry Sadowitz is widely acclaimed as one of the best close-up magicians in the world and an accomplished practitioner of sleight of hand, having written several books on magic and invented several conjuring innovations.

Jerry Sadowitz was born in June 1961 in New Jersey, the son of a Scottish-Jewish mother named Roslyn and a Jewish-American father who worked as a scrap metal merchant.

Jerry Sadowitz took an interest in magic at the age of nine, and by the age of 11 decided that he wanted to become a magician, acquiring books from Tam Shepherd's Magic and Joke Shop.

Jerry Sadowitz was encouraged by his mother to research magic at his local library, and he was once kicked out of a school exam after the examiner discovered his deck of cards and thought he was cheating.

Jerry Sadowitz made his comedy debut in 1983 at a Glasgow club and secured a regular stand-up slot at the Weavers Inn pub on London Road in Glasgow.

The pub was run by future comedian Janey Godley, and Jerry Sadowitz got the gig after her brother Jim begged her to put him on.

Jerry Sadowitz began travelling to London to perform at The Comedy Store every two weeks for two years, making the 400-mile journey via Stagecoach express coach.

Jerry Sadowitz moved to the city permanently in 1986, living with his mother in Hampstead until 2005.

Jerry Sadowitz has described Bernard Manning as "the good cop" to his bad.

In 1992, Jerry Sadowitz appeared in his own television show The Pall Bearer's Revue.

Jerry Sadowitz befriended Derren Brown, who he met while working the International Magic shop in Clerkenwell, London.

Jerry Sadowitz's final act was to strip naked and run across the stage, prompting a mixture of disgust and hilarity from the audience.

Jerry Sadowitz performed a similar series of shows at the Soho Theatre in London between December 2006 and January 2007.

In March 2008, as part of the Glasgow Comedy Festival, Jerry Sadowitz sold out the Theatre Royal.

Jerry Sadowitz performed the show "Comedian, Magician, Psychopath 2: Because I Still Have to Pay the Rent" at the Edinburgh Comedy Festival in 2008.

In December 2008, Jerry Sadowitz sold out the Queen Elizabeth Hall on the Southbank, London.

In 2008, Jerry Sadowitz published an open letter to reviewers asking them not to quote his material stating that "a very important element of comedy is surprise, and it can often make the difference between a show that works and one that does not".

Jerry Sadowitz protects his intellectual property, removing clips of himself from YouTube and torrent sites within hours of their appearance.

Since 2010, Jerry Sadowitz has performed several runs at the Leicester Square Theatre in London.

Jerry Sadowitz appeared in the 2012 Kathy Burke comedy-drama Walking and Talking on Sky Atlantic, playing the character Jimmy the Jew.

In 2016, Jerry Sadowitz launched the "Trick of the Month Club" in which he teaches a new card trick every month to paying subscribers.

In 2019, Jerry Sadowitz toured the UK with his show "Make Comedy Grate Again".

Jerry Sadowitz took his "Comedian, Magician, Psychopath 2019" show to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Jerry Sadowitz defended himself against those who made the decision, accusing them of "cheapening and simplifying" his act.