| Mat Franco | |
| Birth Date: | 10 May 1988 |
| Birth Place: | Johnston, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Occupation: | Magician |
| Years Active: | 2003–present |
| Known For: | America's Got Talent Season 9 winnerMat Franco’s Got Magic NBC TV Specials Las Vegas Headliner at The LINQ |
| Alma Mater: | University of Rhode Island |
Mat Franco (born May 10, 1988) is an American magician best known for his personality driven, skill-based sleight of hand magic. He gained fame as the first magician to win America's Got Talent, in the show’s ninth season. Franco went on to produce and star in his own primetime TV specials on NBC, Mat Franco’s Got Magic. In 2015 he created and debuted his live stage show in Las Vegas, Mat Franco - Magic Reinvented Nightly, and he is currently headlining at The LINQ Hotel + Experience at the Mat Franco Theater.[1] [2] In addition to winning "Best Magic Show" at the Best of Vegas Awards,[3] Franco's live production was the top-rated magic show in Las Vegas according to Billboard.com in 2021.[4] [5] Mat Franco - Magic Reinvented Nightly was awarded Best Show on the Las Vegas Strip again in 2022.[6]
Franco was born in Johnston, Rhode Island. After he saw magic on TV when he was four, he begged his parents to get him a magic set. He then began performing tricks in his kindergarten class. One of his greatest influences and the first assistant was his grandmother, who used to read magic instructions to Mat when he was too young to read for himself. One of Mat's favorite memories is when he and his grandmother tried to figure out a way to make cards appear out of thin air, like a magician they had seen on television. They hung a black curtain in the living room and cut a hole in it. Mat's grandmother hid on the other side and passed cards through the curtain to Mat while his grandfather watched, playing along with that "grandma must have stepped outside for a minute" and that he had no idea how the cards were appearing.
Franco continued studying magic as a child and performed any chance he could. When he was 12, he had saved enough money from local shows to fly to Las Vegas to study performance art with some of his idols, including Jeff McBride.[7]
Franco graduated from Johnston High School in 2006 and was captain of the wrestling team his senior year. He would go on to study at the University of Rhode Island, receiving a degree in Business Administration with a minor in Communication Studies.[8]
In 2003, at age 15, Franco was invited to perform onstage at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, as part of a show hosted by the Society of American Magicians called "Stars of Tomorrow".
After graduating from college in 2010, Franco performed his one-man show on college campuses throughout the U.S., touring six months out of the year, for four years. He was nominated for "Fastest Rising Star" in 2012, and in 2013 was awarded "Best College Performer" by Campus Activities Magazine (based in Prosperity, South Carolina) in their Reader's Choice Awards. He would frequently return to the University of Rhode Island, his alma mater, to perform at student orientations.
Franco was always encouraged by his grandmother, Eleanor Campellone, who told an interviewer, "His mother was always working and he couldn't show her everything -- look mom, look mom. So the grandma was there and I had all the time in the world. I'd spend hours watching his tricks."[8]
In 2014/2015, Franco achieved mainstream success as the winner of America's Got Talent.
At the conclusion of the finale, Franco was announced as the winner.
After winning season 9 in 2014, Franco was the first guest performer to appear on the AGT season 10. He also “reappeared” later in the season for another performance on the finale episode in 2015. Franco returned for guest performances in 2016 and 2017. Later that year, Franco created a Holiday-themed performance for the AGT Christmas Special. In the season 15 finale, Franco appeared in a comedic segment in which he taught Terry Crews how to perform magic. In 2020, Franco appeared on the show with a special “socially distanced” performance. In 2021, Franco appeared on the season 16 Finale episode with a special collaborative performance. Most recently, Franco was a featured guest on the finale episode of AGT All-Stars in 2023.
Since Franco's Las Vegas show opening in 2015, it has raked in a slew of accolades and awards including "Best Magic Show" "Best Performance Venue" "Best Production Show" in the Best of Las Vegas Awards sponsored by the Las Vegas Review Journal.
As of 2020, Franco's live production show rates highest (average 4.8 / 5 stars) among all magic shows in Las Vegas according to user reviews on the largest Las Vegas ticketing broker, Vegas.com, as well as Yelp and Trip Advisor.[13]
The Las Vegas Review-Journal wrote of Franco's stint on America's Got Talent: "Franco did a crafty job of customizing his prediction-based, sleight-of-hand magic to make maximum use of Talent judges Howard Stern and Mel B. And he displayed a personality and sense of humor that other magicians were not able to convey in their limited camera time."[14]
It's been said that Franco "specializes in creating customized, interactive presentations for his audiences that allow for spontaneity and improvisation. For Mat, magic isn't about 'tricking' or 'fooling' the audience; it's about connecting with people and bringing smiles to their faces."[15]
Franco began headlining in Las Vegas at LINQ Hotel & Casino on August 5, 2015. The show is titled "Mat Franco: Magic Reinvented Nightly". By 2016 the show was named "Best Magic Show in Las Vegas" by the Las Vegas Review Journal.[16]
Franco has made numerous guest appearances on talk shows, including The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Access Hollywood, and The Today Show.
Franco returned to Radio City Music Hall as the featured guest performer on America's Got Talent for the first live broadcast of the show's tenth season (August 12, 2015). He later returned for the season finale.
Franco starred in his own two-hour magic TV special titled Mat Franco's Got Magic that aired on NBC on September 17, and December 9, 2015.
Franco started to actively post his tricks on his YouTube channel in April 2015. He currently has over 200,000 subscribers to his channel.
In 2016, his Vegas show was awarded "Best Show" on the Las Vegas Strip in the "Las Vegas Weekly Readers' Choice Awards".
In February 2017, Mat Franco returned to his alma mater University of Rhode Island for a show celebrating the university's 125th anniversary.[17]
On July 10, 2017, the LINQ officially renamed the theater the "Mat Franco Theater" and the city of Las Vegas presented Franco with a key to the Las Vegas Strip and declared July 10 "Mat Franco Day."
In 2020, Caesars Entertainment announced signing new deal with Franco, including a 5-year extension of his residency show "Mat Franco - Magic Reinvented Nightly" at the LINQ Hotel + Experience.[18]