Does Teller Talk?
Mute Magic: Teller's unheard tale
Before the Penn and Teller Fool Us show, magician Teller was famous for being the silent part of the team’s two-pronged comedy magic performance (plus the Fool Us host Alyson Hannigan who just got replaced). So you can’t imagine Teller talking.
This leads to the three questions listed below.
Can Teller Talk?
Does Teller Speak?
Does Teller’s voice sound like a kazoo?
Yes, no, and no.
Mime over Matter
Why Teller Lets His Magic Do the Talking
Teller likes to do tricks in hotel rooms, cars, on planes.
How to Play in Traffic is filled with Teller’s tricks and tales of the unusual people Teller met on his global travels.
I believe I can lie to the audience without speaking to the audience.
— Raymond Joseph Teller
If an absolute moron waves a handkerchief and suddenly pulls out a dove, people applaud.
That's the form of magic.
The art of magic is taking an idea and making it into something amazing and real.
— Raymond Joseph Teller
Not until recently, that is.
The Quiet Conjurer
In private, Teller is not mute, despite his public persona being mute.
According to magician Jon Finch, yes; in private, the magician Teller from Penn & Teller speaks. In public, rarely.
Here’s what "rarely" means: In the latest 53 years, there have been only three instances of Teller talking.
And his voice does not sound like a kazoo. Teller talking sounds perfectly normal (for clarity, I’ve added subtitles to the video below).
Does Teller Have A Voice?
Teller does have a voice.
Teller is not actually a mute. As you’ll see below, after decades of playing the role of a mute, hearing his voice can be unsettling.
Now we know the illusionist Teller is not mute. The next question is whether the entertainer has taken a virtual vow of silence.
Not only is Teller able to speak, but he’s actually pretty good at it, both privately and publicly. Something is intriguing about a bright person who renounces the light.
So, in his magician events, why does Teller not speak?
For at least a moment, laughter disables your ability to think critically. If I do some move that might be suspect to the audience — and immediately afterwards there's a laugh — I can be pretty sure the audience is going to forget that move. Especially if the laugh comes after the move.
Once you charged people up with emotion, you've put them in a state where their critical thinking or reflective thinking becomes harder.
— Raymond Joseph Teller
Why doesn’t Teller speak?
The three reasons Teller doesn’t speak are listed below.
Silence minimizes heckling.
A good teacher knows whispering will silence a classroom better than yelling. In Teller’s early days, when providing the entertainment at college fraternities, Teller discovered when he was quiet during his show, the audience focused on his act rather than heckling him.
The best magic doesn’t need words.
Silence heightens the focus of the audience and performer.
So, enjoy the silence. 🤫
When was the last time a “talking Teller” was spotted?
In 2013, Teller was caught talking. Scroll down for the video.
Why did Teller team up with Penn?
Audiences love contrasting duos. Teaming up with the bombastic, carnival barker Penn was the right decision.
Audiences love contrasting duo entertainers like the below.
Laurel & Hardy
Abbott & Costello
Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis
Gene Wilder & Richard Pryor
Chris Farley & David Spade
Chris Tucker & Jackie Chan
Hence, Penn & Teller.
The Voice of Silence
Does Teller Talk? In fact, when magician Teller does speak publicly, the tongue-tied American illusionist is well-spoken.
The second reason—magic doesn’t need words. Teller found the concept of patter superfluous.
Teller's third reason was that it heightens the focus of both the audience and also the performer, thus enhancing the magical entertainment. As a Latin professor, Teller understood that silence narrows the focus of both the teacher and the student (and thus the performer and the audience), thereby enhancing the moment's intimacy. Teller’s pairing up with Penn Jillette cemented his choice to remain silent.
Read below his own words in 2013 why Teller doesn't speak.
Hearing the Unheard: Actions Speak Louder
Teller’s own words, 2013
In real life, talking is a lovely thing. I enjoy working silent for an audience because it's so intimate in a theater. When suddenly all the sound is gone, you have to look at them and they have to look at you. And the connection is very deep and intimate.
There's no words to distract you. They're looking at every line of your face, and I'm looking back at them.
But in everyday life I find the ability to speak convenient.
In college I came up with the idea of performing silent. I’d become tired of the idea of magic patter. Most magicians would be saying idiotic stuff, like "Here I have a red ball." Redundant, dopey, pretentious blather. "In this very room, the great Houdini once..." It made me want to pass out.
It was a rebellion against patter. It was to say, I believe I can lie to the audience without speaking to the audience.
I didn’t study the great silent performers of the past. Other people may go deep and fill their imaginary drawers. But for me, it was very straightforward. One day I just shut up. For me, “going at the character” is shutting up.
I just shut up.
— Raymond Joseph Teller
Books by Teller
When I’m Dead, All This Will Be Yours
House of Mystery
Can Teller of Penn and Teller Really Speak?
Shattering Silence: Teller Talks
Does Teller ever talk? Does Teller talk in real life even?
What does Teller sound like? I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard Teller talking!
Hear Teller's voice for yourself.
Teller magician talking
What is Teller's real name?
Teller’s real name is Raymond Joseph Teller. He legally changed his name to his stage name, “Teller,” and even has a U.S. passport with just the single name, “Teller”.
The Last Word on Teller's Silence
It becomes loud and clear that Teller's silence is not a limitation but a deliberate choice. Silence is a masterful addition to Teller’s arsenal of illusion and enchantment.
Teller does possess the ability to speak. And when he does, it's with a depth and eloquence which only enhances the mystery and allure of his silent stage persona.
His purposeful silence serves to captivate audiences, pulling us into a world where words are redundant and magic speaks volumes. As we close this exploration, remember that in the noisy world of magic, appearances can be deceiving. And sometimes, the most profound messages are conveyed in the space where words are absent.
Here's to Teller — the magician who makes us listen not to words, but to his resounding silence.
