Alan Funt was the first hidden-camera magician. It was the playful nature of the way he worked that really inspired me. A lot of prank shows and hidden-camera shows can be a little mean-spirited. Funt was never like that. Michael Carbonaro Read Quote
I was certain when I was about 10 years old that I was going to be a special effects artist or a make-up man. I loved that stuff and pursued it for quite some time, actually. Michael Carbonaro Read Quote
I don’t want to be ‘the magician’; I want to be an innocent bystander along with the magical moment. Michael Carbonaro Read Quote
Growing up, I loved magic, I loved acting, I loved comedy. I really didn’t know what direction I was going. I was trying a whole bunch of stuff. Michael Carbonaro Read Quote
I first started doing hidden-camera segments on ‘The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.’ He was the coolest guy in the world to work for because he understands the creative process, and he had total trust. And he just let me make up whatever I wanted; I experimented and tried and played. We had a lot of fun over there. Michael Carbonaro Read Quote
My goal is to get people to really believe that the impossible is real, and not that I’m responsible for it. I want them to believe that they’re having the most unusual, magical and bizarre days of their lives. Michael Carbonaro Read Quote
A lot of people have experimented with hidden cameras and magic before. What I do, which I think is different from any other style of prank or hidden camera, is that it’s all fun. It’s back to that kind of fun that ‘Candid Camera’ was. It’s not mean-spirited at all. It’s a joyful kind of play with people. Michael Carbonaro Read Quote
