Born in Brooklyn, New York on April 4, 1973, David Blaine was inspired by his mother to dabble in magic. Blaine began at the age of four when he witnessed a subway performer and then chose to try his first card trick routine.

As a teenager, Blaine began to pursue acting as a career and took regular trips into Manhattan from his then New Jersey home to attend classes. He was fortunate enough to land some commercial spots and appearances on daytime dramas. It was during this time that his ability to levitate off of the ground surfaced and at the urging of his personal physician, Blaine underwent a thorough examination.

career was ready to be lifted

As a young adult, Blaine moved back to the city, to the notorious neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen. His mother was stricken with cancer around the same time and passed away in 1994, when Blaine was just 21. Yet the loss did not stifle his burning ambition to perform.

He began to make a name for himself at celebrity functions by doing magic tricks for famous people, such as Mike Tyson, Al Pacino and David Geffen. Through a common contact, he struck a friendship with Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Blaine decided to take a chance and aspire to greater heights, so he made a tape of a performance and sent it to ABC. The response was tremendous and an interview was requested soon after. His first special was later produced, David Blaine: Street Magic and it became a ratings hit in 1997. David Blaine: Magic Man followed two years later. Blaine was soon in demand on the talk show circuit and appeared on just about every major show imaginable. He was even rumored to be dating Madonna at one time.

blaine buried alive

In 1999, Blaine performed his most notable stunt to date, as he was submerged in 4000 pounds of water for over one week to promote his latest special. The publicity was amazing and after he emerged 24 pounds lighter, he once again was seen plugging the show on the talk show circuit. Another stunt involving a block of ice generated similar acclaim, as well as many cynics.

But even the recent rash of theories attempting to debunk the Blaine brand of magic has not diminished his fame. In fact, the negative publicity has had the opposite effect, as movie and book deals have rolled in, and has proved to be a rallying point for his most fervent supporters.

Unfortunately for Blaine, there are more skeptics than supporters during his "Above The Below" stunt, which involves Blaine living in a glass box that is suspended by a crane by the River Thames in London, for 44 days, without food.

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Credit: askmen.com