You call your style 'Close-Up Magic' because the camera doesn't move from your hands when you do card tricks. You've obviously dedicated your whole life to magic- your sleight of hand is incredible. When did you start performing?

I first picked up a pack of cards when I was four. It just felt so right in my hands. I knew then there was something special going on.

But you can't just do magic straight away can you? Surely you had to read up on it?

Yeah, I read a few books. Uri Geller, Orson Welles and Jesus Christ are all people I admire for their magic. Geller is great - a genuine miracle worker. So he gets the odd prediction wrong or occasionally his magic doesn't work but hey, nobody can be 100% right all the time.

And Jesus Christ - he was a magician?

Of course, He was a great prophet, too, but he was also one of the greatest magicians. I too try to practice magic with morality - some people misuse their abilities, but not me. Not anymore anyway. Back when I was a kid I'd go into department stores like Macy's and steal clothes then give them out in the ghetto, like a modern Robin Hood. I wasn't invisible, I was just not visible - store detectives' eyes just slid over me. It's a skill I pick up quite early in life.

And now you're a multi-millionaire magician, like David Copperfield. What do you think of him?

I don't. I do my own thing and David Copperfield doesn't figure in that

And Paul Daniels?

Who?

Ha ha. Precisely. Let's move on. What about when it comes to the opposite sex? Your magic hands must prove pretty useful.

Yeah, Doing some magic at parties helps break the ice. I've always got a pack of cards in my hands. I don't think it makes me anymore attractive to women, though.

So what do you reckon people think when they first meet you?

Who's that f**king weirdo with the cards? [Laughs]

How'd you deal with those annoying people who always say, "I know how he's doin it?"

That doesn't matter. Anyone who see's me will become a believer - they're just thinking "what?" not "how?"
No-one ever asked me anyway because although they're intrigued, they've also got respect. Magician's are secretive you see. We spend so much time working on something that we don't want to tell everyone how it's done.

Leonardo DiCaprio certainly seems to respects you. You hang out together don't you?

Yeah, when he's in town we get together. Leo's a good guy. He understands where I'm coming from. I don't do magic to be famous though. Fame and movie stars do nothing for me - my magic is for everyone, from street kids right up to the president.

You showed Clinton some moves?

Oh yeah, he was into it. Totally. That was a good reaction but not everyone feels the same way about magic. I had some bad experiences as a kid - one girl had an asthma attack when I levitated and he buddy started shouting "He's the devil!". It didn't faze me though, I wasn't a particularly emotional child. Another time, when I was 16, I showed this drunk guy some magic and he thought I was making fun of him, saying he's stupid, you know. But he's an undercover cop right? So he sticks his gun in my mouth and tells me to get ready to die. I was lucky to get out of that one.

Any other unusual reactions?

One girl pissed her pants, that was kinda funny. That one's on the TV special actually, if you watch it you'll see her. Man, she looked like she was about to have a heart attack. Black people tend to dance around alot when they see magic, white people just look startled. I showed some stuff to a pro football team once. Boy, those guys were spooked - half the team ran away from me after one trick.

Besides the card tricks, what else is in David Blaine's repertoire?

There's a cool little thing I do with coins. Give me a coin and I'll bite a chunk out of it then regenerate it. I can also twist my arm through 1080 degrees, although that does hurt a little. Mainly it's the cards though, they've been an integral part of my life for so long that alot of my magic revolves around them.

Let's talk about the levitation because I understand that it's most people's favorite trick. You rise six inces off the floor. Er, how the hell do you do it?

I learned how to do it when I was four. A homeless guy showed me and I just understood the principle immediately. I felt it, I knew it.

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David Blaine- Interview
Always wanted to know what David thinks of his talents and how he got started??? Read this interview to find out.