Ricky Jay: American Masters - Ricky Jay: Deceptive Practice

Performer Ricky Jay may seem to utterly defy categorization, and he does, but there were some key figures in his life who helped influence and shape the magician/actor/writer. In the documentary Ricky Jay: Deceptive Practice, which premieres this month on American Masters, Ricky Jay talks about his relationship with his mentors, slight of hand artists, including Dai Vernon and Charlie Miller, and of his transition to acting, under the tutelage of David Mamet? It was a natural transition: "I've never been that interested in fooling people," he tells Elvis, "I'm much more interested in entertaining people."

Photo: Jesse Dylan