Gabriella Jaime Lester (born December 10, 2003) is a South African-born Canadian
magician,
escapologist
Escapology is the practice of escaping from restraints or other traps. Escapologists (also classified as escape artists) escape from handcuffs, straitjackets, cages, coffins, steel boxes, barrels, bags, burning buildings, fish-tanks, and ...
, television producer, and motorsports rider known for her daring escapes.
Early life and career
Lester was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. In 2007, her family immigrated to Vancouver, British Columbia. At the age of ten, she met Canadian magician
Shawn Farquhar who inspired her to pursue magic, and later became her mentor.
She did her first ever Vegas performance at the Hard Rock Hotel in Vegas at fourteen. Later that year, she became one the youngest in history to perform
Harry Houdini
Erik Weisz (March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926), known professionally as Harry Houdini ( ), was a Hungarian-American escapologist, illusionist, and stunt performer noted for his escape acts.
Houdini first attracted notice in vaudeville in ...
’s infamous upside-down straitjacket escape. Later in life, she performed a version of it on American magician’s
Penn and Teller
Penn may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Penn'' (film), 1954 Tamil film starring Vyjayanthimala
* ''Penn'' (TV series), a 1991 Tamil mini-series
* ''Penn'' (TV series), a 2006 Tamil-language soap opera
* '' The Penn'', or ''The Stylus'', ...
on their hit show
Fool Us
''Penn & Teller: Fool Us'' (sometimes stylized As Penn & Teller: F**l Us) is a Magic (illusion), magic competition television series in which magicians perform tricks in front of American magician-comedian duo Penn & Teller. Its first two sea ...
. She is now an associate producer on the show. She was also seen on
Michelle Khare’s series ''Challenge Accepted'' while training her to perform Houdini’s infamous ''Water Torture Cell''.
She was a member of the Junior Society at the
Academy of Magical Arts
The Magic Castle is a performance venue, restaurant, and clubhouse for the Academy of Magical Arts for magicians and magic enthusiasts in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California, United States. The Academy was started in 1952 by W ...
, which mentors young magicians between the ages of 13 and 20.
She was also named Canadian Rising Star in 2024.
Films/TV credits
*
We Need a Little Christmas (2022)
*
Penn and Teller: Fool Us : Season 9, Episode 6
See also
*
Shawn Farquhar
*
Harry Houdini
Erik Weisz (March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926), known professionally as Harry Houdini ( ), was a Hungarian-American escapologist, illusionist, and stunt performer noted for his escape acts.
Houdini first attracted notice in vaudeville in ...
*
Penn and Teller
Penn may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Penn'' (film), 1954 Tamil film starring Vyjayanthimala
* ''Penn'' (TV series), a 1991 Tamil mini-series
* ''Penn'' (TV series), a 2006 Tamil-language soap opera
* '' The Penn'', or ''The Stylus'', ...
*
Fool Us
''Penn & Teller: Fool Us'' (sometimes stylized As Penn & Teller: F**l Us) is a Magic (illusion), magic competition television series in which magicians perform tricks in front of American magician-comedian duo Penn & Teller. Its first two sea ...
*
Michelle Khare
External links
* Official Website:
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lester, Gabriella
Canadian magicians
Female magicians
Living people
2003 births