Occupation Magician Nationality American Role Magician | Name Mat Franco Website matfranco.com | |
Residence Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Similar People Profiles |
BEST Magician Winner Mat Franco on America's Got Talent 2014 | Magicians Got Talent
Mat Franco (born May 10, 1988) is an American magician and the winner of the ninth season of America's Got Talent. Franco rose above hundreds of thousands of acts to become the first magician in history to win, including the $1 million prize. Best known for his personality-driven, sleight-of-hand style of magic, Mat Franco's TV specials marked the first time NBC produced a spin-off show around their AGT winner. Franco is currently headlining in at The LINQ Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
Contents
- BEST Magician Winner Mat Franco on Americas Got Talent 2014 Magicians Got Talent
- Mat franco self taught magician tells surprising story with cards america s got talent 2014
- Background
- Early career
- Americas Got Talent
- AGT appearances
- Reception
- Career
- References
Mat franco self taught magician tells surprising story with cards america s got talent 2014
Background

Franco was born in Johnston, Rhode Island. He has two older brothers, Ryan and Cory. After he saw magic on TV when he was four, he begged his parents to get him a magic set. He then began performing tricks in his kindergarten class. One of his greatest influences, and first assistant, was his grandmother, who used to read magic instructions to Mat when he was too young too read for himself. One of Mat's favorite memories is when he and his grandmother tried to figure out a way to make cards appear out of thin air, like a magician they had seen on television. They hung a black curtain in the livingroom and cut a hole in it. Mat's grandmother hid on the other side and passed cards through the curtain to Mat while his grandfather watched, playing along that "grandma must have stepped outside for a minute" and that he had no idea how the cards were appearing.

Franco continued studying magic as a child and performed any chance he could. When he was 12, he had saved enough money from local shows to fly to Las Vegas to study performance art with some of his idols, including Jeff McBride.

Franco graduated from Johnston High School in 2006, and was captain of the wrestling team his senior year. He would go on to study at the University of Rhode Island, receiving a degree in Business Administration with a minor in Communication Studies.
Early career

In 2003, at age 15, Franco was invited to perform onstage at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, as part of a show hosted by the Society of American Magicians called "Stars of Tomorrow".
After graduating from college in 2010, Franco performed his one-man show on college campuses throughout the U.S., touring six months out of the year, for four years. He was nominated for "Fastest Rising Star" in 2012, and in 2013 was awarded "Best College Performer" by Campus Activities Magazine (based in Prosperity, South Carolina) in their Reader's Choice Awards.
Franco was always encouraged by his grandmother, Eleanor Campellone, who told an interviewer, "His mother was always working and he couldn't show her everything -- look mom, look mom. So the grandma was there and I had all the time in the world. I'd spend hours watching his tricks."
America's Got Talent
In 2014/2015, Franco achieved mainstream success as the winner of America's Got Talent.
AGT appearances
At the conclusion of the finale, Franco was announced as the winner.
Reception
The Las Vegas Review-Journal wrote of Franco's stint on America's Got Talent: "Franco did a crafty job of customizing his prediction-based, sleight-of-hand magic to make maximum use of Talent judges Howard Stern and Mel B. And he displayed a personality and sense of humor that other magicians were not able to convey in their limited camera time."
It's been said that Franco "specializes in creating customized, interactive presentations for his audiences that allow for spontaneity and improvisation. For Mat, magic isn't about 'tricking' or 'fooling' the audience; it's about connecting with people and bringing smiles to their faces."
Career
Franco began headlining in Las Vegas at LINQ Hotel & Casino on August 5, 2015. The show is titled "Mat Franco: Magic Reinvented Nightly". By 2016 the show was named "Best Magic Show in Las Vegas" by the Las Vegas Review Journal.
Franco returned to Radio City Music Hall as the featured guest performer on America's Got Talent for the first live broadcast of the show's tenth season (August 12, 2015). He later returned for the season finale.
Franco starred in his own two-hour magic TV special titled Mat Franco's Got Magic that aired on NBC on September 17, and December 9, 2015.
Franco started to actively post his tricks on his YouTube channel in April 2015. He currently has over 200,000 subscribers to his channel.
In 2016, his Vegas show was awarded "Best Show" on the Las Vegas Strip in the "Las Vegas Weekly Readers' Choice Awards".
In February 2017, Mat Franco returned to his alma mater University of Rhode Island for a show celebrating the university's 125th anniversary.
On July 10th 2017, the LINQ officially renamed the theater the "Mat Franco Theater" and the city of Las Vegas presented Franco with a key to the Las Vegas Strip and declared July 10th officially "Mat Franco Day."