Uri Geller is an Israeli-British illusionist, magician, television personality, and self-proclaimed psychic. He is known for his trademark television performances of spoon bending and other illusions. Geller uses conjuring tricks to simulate the effects of psychokinesis and telepathy.

Early Life

Geller was born on 20 December 1946 in Tel Aviv, which was then part of the British Mandate of Palestine (now Israel). His mother and father were of Austrian-Jewish and Hungarian-Jewish background respectively. Geller is the son of Itzhaak Geller (Gellér Izsák), a retired army sergeant major, and Margaret "Manzy" Freud (Freud Manci). Geller claims that he is a distant relative of Sigmund Freud on his mother's side.

At the age of 11 Geller moved with his family to Nicosia in what was then British-ruled Cyprus, where he attended high school, the Terra Santa College, and learned English. At the age of 18: 9  he joined the Israeli Army's Paratroopers Brigade, with which he served in the 1967 Six-Day War and was wounded in action. He worked as a photographic model in 1968 and 1969, during which time he began to perform for small audiences as a nightclub entertainer, becoming well known in Israel.

Geller first started to perform in theatres, public halls, auditoriums, military bases and universities in Israel. The parapsychologist Andrija Puharich met Geller in 1971 and assisted him in travelling to the United States.

Television and Film Career

Geller became famous demonstrating on television what he claimed to be psychokinesis, dowsing and telepathy. His performance included spoon bending, describing hidden drawings and making watches stop or run faster. Geller said he performed those feats through willpower and the strength of his mind. His apparent ability to bend metal objects during his television appearances came to be known as the "Geller effect" and made him a celebrity. The work of magician and investigator James Randi was the main factor in revealing that Geller's actual methods were stage magic tricks.

In 1973, Geller appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, an appearance recounted in both Randi's book The Truth About Uri Geller  171–173  and in the Nova documentary episode "Secrets of the Psychics" hosted by Randi on PBS.  9'30"–11'34"  In the documentary, Randi says that "Johnny had been a magician himself and was skeptical" of Geller's claimed paranormal powers, so prior to the date of taping, Randi was asked "to help prevent any trickery"; accordingly, the show prepared their own props without informing Geller, and did not let Geller or his staff "anywhere near them". 9'48"–10'10"  When Geller joined Carson on stage, he appeared surprised that he was not going to be interviewed, but instead was expected to display his abilities using the provided articles. Geller said, "This scares me", and, "As you know, I told your people what to bring", and "I'm surprised because before this program your producer came and he read me at least 40 questions you were going to ask me". Geller was unable to display any paranormal abilities, saying, "I don't feel strong", and expressed his displeasure at feeling he was being "pressed" to perform by Carson. According to Adam Higginbotham:

Personal Life

Michael Jackson was best man when Geller renewed his wedding vows in 2001. Geller also negotiated the TV interview between Jackson with the journalist Martin Bashir, Living with Michael Jackson. Later, however, Jackson reportedly kept an "enemy list" on which Geller appeared, along with Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, attorney Gloria Allred, music executive Tommy Mottola, DA Tom Sneddon, and Janet Arvizo, mother of a Jackson accuser. Following Jackson's death, ITV broadcast an interview with Geller about his association with Jackson, titled My Friend Michael Jackson: Uri's Story, in July 2009.

On 11 February 2009, Geller purchased the uninhabited 100-metre-by-50-metre Lamb Island off the eastern coast of Scotland, previously known for its witch trials, and beaches that Robert Louis Stevenson is said to have described in his novel Treasure Island. Geller claims that buried on the island is Egyptian treasure, brought there by Scota, the mythological half-sister of Tutankhamen in Irish mythology, 3,500 years ago. He claimed that he will find the treasure through dowsing. Geller also claimed to have strengthened the mystical powers of the island by burying there a crystal orb once belonging to Albert Einstein. In 2022, Geller sought to declare Lamb as Republic of Lamb, a micronation.

In 2014, a 12-foot-tall statue of a gorilla made from approximately 40,000 metal spoons was unveiled in Geller's Berkshire garden by the Duke of Kent, with the intention of possibly relocating it to Great Ormond Street Hospital. The statue was welded by sculptor Alfie Bradley, and funded by the British Ironworks Centre of Oswestry. According to Bradley, many of the spoons were donated by schoolchildren from around the world. Speaking at the unveiling, Geller said "This will not raise money for charity. It will do something better. It will amaze sick children."