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Penn and Teller are an American comedy magic duo who have been performing together since 1975. Penn Jillette, born in Massachusetts, is a magician, actor, comedian, musician, inventor, television presenter, and author. Teller, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a magician who rarely speaks during performances. While there is no clear indication of Penn's religious upbringing, Teller was raised a sort of half-assed Methodist. Both Penn and Teller have been accused of anti-Catholic sentiments, particularly in their season finale rant against the Vatican.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Teller's religion | Methodist |
| Penn's views | Atheism, scientific skepticism, libertarianism (disavowed in 2020) |
| Penn and Teller's views on the Vatican | Negative |
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What You'll Learn
Teller was raised Methodist
Teller, one half of the comedy magic duo Penn & Teller, was raised Methodist. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Teller's father was of Russian Jewish descent, while his mother was Methodist. She was from a farming family in Delaware.
Teller himself has described his upbringing as that of "a sort of half-assed Methodist". He attended Central High School in Philadelphia, graduating in 1965, and went on to Amherst College, graduating in 1969 with a Bachelor of Arts in Classics.
Teller met Penn Jillette in 1974, and they formed a three-person act with Weir Chrisemer called the Asparagus Valley Cultural Society. They performed at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival and in San Francisco. In 1981, Jillette and Teller began performing exclusively as a duo, Penn & Teller, and continue to do so to this day.
Teller rarely speaks while performing, a trademark that originated during his youth when he performed magic at college fraternity parties. He found that if he maintained silence, spectators would focus more on his performance. However, there have been some exceptions to his silent act, including when his face is covered or obscured, as in the series premiere of Penn & Teller: Bullshit!, and when he was interviewed in shadow for a History Channel documentary.
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Penn Jillette is an atheist
Penn Jillette is an American magician, actor, comedian, musician, inventor, television presenter, and author. He is best known for his work with fellow magician Teller as half of the team Penn & Teller. Jillette serves as the act's orator and raconteur. Jillette has published eight books, including the New York Times Bestseller, God, No!: Signs You May Already Be an Atheist and Other Magical Tales.
Jillette is known for his advocacy of atheism, scientific skepticism, and the First Amendment. He has also previously identified as a libertarian, a position he disavowed in 2020. Jillette was born in Greenfield, Massachusetts, to a father who worked at Greenfield's Franklin County Jail and a mother who was a secretary.
Jillette and Teller met in 1974 and, along with their mutual friend Weir Chrisemer, they became a three-person act called Asparagus Valley Cultural Society, which played its first act together at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival on August 19, 1975. In 1981, Jillette and Teller teamed up as Penn & Teller and went on to do a successful Off Broadway and later Broadway theatre show called "Penn & Teller" that toured nationally. Since 2001, Penn & Teller have performed in Las Vegas at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino.
Jillette hosted a weekday one-hour talk show on Infinity Broadcasting's Free FM radio network from January 3, 2006, to March 2, 2007, with cohost Michael Goudeau. Starting in 2003, Jillette, along with Teller, began producing and hosting the show Penn & Teller: Bullshit!, which took a skeptical look at psychics, religion, the pseudoscientific, conspiracy theories, and the paranormal.
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Penn and Teller criticised the Vatican
Penn and Teller are a comedy magic duo, with Penn Jillette as the talkative partner and Teller as the silent magician. While it is unclear whether Penn was raised Catholic, Teller was raised "a sort of half-assed Methodist". In a 2009 episode of their TV show, "Penn & Teller: Bullshit!", the duo criticised the Vatican, blaming the Catholic Church for "every evil in history".
During the episode, Jillette accused the Catholic Church of "intolerance, greed, paranoia, hypocrisy, and callous disregard for human suffering". He also lied about a 1962 Vatican document, falsely claiming it was a cover-up for sexual misconduct. Jillette further falsely implicated Pope Benedict XVI in overseeing cases of priestly sexual misconduct in the United States. The show also featured interviewees who twisted, distorted, and ridiculed Catholic teachings on sexuality.
One of the interviewees, Keith Porteous Wood, defended his participation in the programme, stating that Penn and Teller had said something long overdue—that the Vatican has a lot of answering to do for its corruption, greed, and cover-up of child abuse by its priests. Wood also criticised the Vatican for its opposition to contraception, which he argued was contributing to a population explosion, unnecessary deaths from AIDS, and increasing poverty.
The episode caused controversy, with the Catholic League claiming it was full of errors and lies. They specifically refuted Jillette's claim that the Vatican sought punitive measures against Italian comedian Sabina Guzzanti, who staged an assault on the pope in 2008. Despite the backlash, the episode showcases Penn and Teller's willingness to tackle controversial topics and criticise powerful institutions like the Vatican.
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They have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Penn and Teller are American magicians, entertainers, and scientific sceptics who have performed together since 1975. They are known for their act that combines elements of comedy with magic. The comedy magic duo met in 1974 and were introduced by a mutual friend, Weir Chrisemer. From 1975 to 1981, they performed magic and comedy as the Asparagus Valley Cultural Society, alongside Chrisemer.
On April 5, 2013, Penn and Teller were honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the live performance category. Their star, the 2,494th awarded, is near the star dedicated to Harry Houdini. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce selected a spot for the star at 7003 Hollywood Boulevard, just steps away from the star of Houdini and down the street from The Magic Castle. The Magic Castle honoured Penn and Teller the following day, on April 6, with the "Magicians of the Year" award.
Penn and Teller have had numerous television appearances, including on Late Night with David Letterman, Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and Today, among others. They have also made guest appearances on Babylon 5, The Drew Carey Show, Hollywood Squares, ABC's Muppets Tonight, and FOX's The Bernie Mac Show. In addition, they have performed in Las Vegas at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino since 2001 and have had national tours throughout the 1990s, gaining critical praise.
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They are known for their magic shows
Teller, born Raymond Joseph Teller on February 14, 1948, is an American magician. He is known for being part of the comedy magic duo Penn & Teller, along with Penn Jillette. Teller rarely speaks during performances, a trademark that originated during his youth when he performed magic at college fraternity parties. He found that if he maintained silence, spectators would refrain from heckling and focus more on his performance. However, there have been some exceptions to his silent act, such as when he provided the voice of "Mofo the psychic gorilla" in their early Broadway show and when he spoke while covered with a plastic sheet in the series premiere of Penn & Teller: Bullshit!.
Penn Jillette, born on March 5, 1955, is also an American magician and the other half of the Penn & Teller duo. He serves as the act's orator and raconteur. Jillette has had a diverse career, including acting, comedy, music, inventing, television presenting, and writing. He is known for his advocacy of atheism, scientific skepticism, and the First Amendment. Jillette and Teller have performed together since 1981 and have received numerous accolades, including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Magicians of the Year award. They have appeared on various television shows, such as Late Night with David Letterman, Saturday Night Live, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. They also hosted the Showtime television show Bullshit! from 2003 to 2010, which examined topics like psychics, religion, conspiracy theories, and the paranormal.
Together, Penn & Teller are known for their magic shows, which combine comedy and magic to create a unique and entertaining act. They have performed in Las Vegas at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino since 2001 and continue to headline there as of 2025. They have also written several books about magic, including Penn & Teller's Cruel Tricks For Dear Friends and Penn & Teller's How to Play in Traffic. In addition to their live performances, Penn & Teller have appeared in television shows and movies, such as Run-DMC's music video for "It's Tricky" and the film Penn & Teller Get Killed. They have also competed in season seven of The Masked Singer as "Hydra."
Penn & Teller credit magician and skeptical activist James Randi for their careers. In an interview, Penn stated that Randi's book Flim-Flam! was an early influence, and without Randi, "there would not be Penn & Teller as we are today." The duo has also faced criticism for their rants against the Vatican and the Catholic Church, with some accusing them of spreading lies and unleashing fury. However, they have also featured Catholic magicians, such as Giancarlo Bernini, on their show Penn & Teller: Fool Us.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Penn Jillette is an atheist and advocate of scientific skepticism, and Teller was raised Methodist.
Penn Jillette is an atheist and Teller's religious views are unknown, although he was raised Methodist.
Penn and Teller have been accused of anti-Catholicism and of delivering a vicious rant against the Vatican in their season finale.
