Jared Kopf "...he taught me how to tie a tie-- he was my real mentor"

Recently we chatted with Jared Kopf about his appearance at the FISM North American Championship of Magic. We kept five questions for this video. Watch below:

1. Name your first mentor.

Bob White was my first mentor. He taught me. So many wonderful things about magic and the Vernon and Charlie Miller style. He comes from that school.

I was introduced to so many wonderful people.

Steve Freeman, Norman Beck. Chuck Smith, Presley Guitar. And Johnny Thompson. He was my foot in many a door. And magic and getting to meet people.

You know, he taught me how to tie a tie-- he was my real mentor.

He's like my grandfather. Like my dad. Bob White.

There's never going to be another like him or Johnny or these guys because they come from a different world.

So I got very lucky that when I waltzed into the magic store that he existed and for the first couple of years, he wouldn't even talk to me. And that was very good, too. He was already teaching me lessons before he was teaching me.

He made me realize that we can't really ask for someone to teach you. They have to notice that you're capable and earnest.

And then they might show you something.

So I learned a lot through that his. Being my mentor was more educational than, you know, how to do tilt, double lift or anything like that.

2. Most watch childhood television magic specials or routine?

That's tough to say.

Let's see, you know, some that come to mind that really blew me away. Of course, David Copperfield is amazing at a particularly early nineties Copperfield because he was so handsome. But he hit his stride in style. Just his style. Everything about it with the Peter Gabriel music and everything.

He was a man after my own heart. I saw him live too. I saw him fly. Astonishing. Just marvellous.

But I think the World's Greatest Magic. The very first one that Gary Ouellet's produced.

Boy-- the magic world owes him a lot.

And they don't know it. Because I saw Bill Malone and David Williamson. And I mean, just everybody. Go back and watch the first two World's Greatest Magic -- all of them are pretty good, but lordy, those first two are amazing!

David Blaine totally changed the game, and I think he's one of the great geniuses-- he's a genius. But those, point-the-camera-at-the-magician style specials for a magic nerd. Those were great.

Plus,

• What's the strangest place Jared's been asked to perform a magic trick or magic show?

• How does Jared Kopf record his ideas?

• And Jared finishes the statement "Pineapple on pizza is..."

Watch the full video above!

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