Richard Jay Potash (born 1948), known professionally as
Ricky Jay, is an American stage magician, actor, and writer. In a profile for the
New Yorker, Mark Singer called Jay "perhaps the most gifted
sleight-of-hand artist alive". Jay is best known for performing
sleight of hand,
card tricks,
card throwing, memory feats, and stage
patter. He has also written extensively on
magic and its history. He has acted in the films "The Prestige",
The Spanish Prisoner,
Heist,
Boogie Nights, and
Magnolia and in the
HBO series
Deadwood.