Mat Franco

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.

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.{{cite news |last= Smith |first= Andy |title= Will R.I. Magician Mat Franco's Act do the Trick in America's Got Talent Finals? |work= The Providence Journal |date= September 15, 2014 |url= http://www.providencejournal.com/features/entertainment/movies-tv/20140915-will-r.i.-magician-mat-francos-act-do-the-trick-in-america-s-got-talent-finals.ece |access-date= January 10, 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150212065327/http://www.providencejournal.com/features/entertainment/movies-tv/20140915-will-r.i.-magician-mat-francos-act-do-the-trick-in-america-s-got-talent-finals.ece |archive-date= February 12, 2015 |url-status= dead }}

Franco graduated from Johnston High School in 2006.{{cn|date= February 2025}} He studied at the University of Rhode Island, receiving a degree in Business Administration with a minor in Communication Studies.{{cite web|title=Mat Franco | About Mat|url=http://www.matfranco.com/about.html|website=matfranco.com|access-date=18 September 2014}}{{deadlink |date= February 2025}}

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."{{cite web |url= http://www.turnto10.com/story/26561537/francos-grandmother-sparks-his-magic |author= Jaehnig, Dan |date= Sep 17, 2014 |title= Franco's Grandmother Sparks his Magic |publisher= NBC Channel 10 |access-date= January 10, 2015}}

In 2014/2015, Franco achieved mainstream success as the winner of America's Got Talent.

• June 17, 2014: Audition – In Los Angeles, during Episode 904, Franco used card manipulation to impress the judges (Howard Stern, Heidi Klum, Mel B and Howie Mandel). With a shuffled deck of cards he told a story that he wrote about America's Got Talent. (The audition was recorded in April in the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.{{cite news |title= Magic man gets a chance on prime time |publisher= NewportRI.com |date=June 17, 2014|url= http://www.newportri.com/features/magic-man-gets-a-chance-on-prime-time/article_257ff67a-a4df-587b-90f6-3ae072177f93.html |access-date= January 10, 2015}}) And got a standing ovation.
• July 22, 2014: Judgment Week – In Episode 907, Franco performed a visual interactive card trick where he painted a picture of Howie Mandel on the Judges' desk, using just a deck of cards. This performance earned four Yes votes again.
• August 5, 2014: Quarterfinals – Franco appeared in Episode 911 and used Heidi Klum as his assistant. His tricks with fire and with disappearing and reappearing cards earned him four Yes votes and standing ovations.{{cite web |url= http://www.business2community.com/social-buzz/mat-franco-amazes-america-fiery-card-trick-0966873 |author= Weyant, Jennifer |date= August 5, 2014 |title= Mat Franco Amazes America With His Fiery Card Trick |publisher= Business 2 Community |access-date= January 10, 2015}}
• August 6, 2014: Quarterfinals – In Episode 912 in New York, Franco was one among five acts to proceed to the Semifinals.
• September 2, 2014: Semifinals – In Episode 919, Franco was one of twelve acts competing for six opportunities in the Top 12 Finals. After having Howie, Howard, and Heidi choose three random cards (6, 4, and 2), he borrowed Mel B's phone; dropped it into liquid; vanished the phone using a hair dryer; and then moved into the middle of the audience at Radio City Music Hall to cut open seat #642, revealing Mel's phone inside the seat cushion.
• September 3, 2014: Semifinals – In episode 920, Franco was Voted through to the Top 12.
• September 9, 2014: Top 12 – In episode 921, Franco performed an interactive trick with the live audience, including the judges, and even the home viewers. He had everyone at home select a card, and using cannon, was able to get the selected card stuck to the ceiling at Radio City Music Hall.
• September 10, 2014: Top 12 Results – in episode 922, Franco was voted through to the Finals, and was declared the last magician standing in the competition.
• September 16, 2014: Finals – In the finale, each performer had to do a reprise of a previous performance. Franco chose to do a twist on his audition, by doing a version of cups and balls, accompanied by another story that he wrote about the judges. Later on in the episode, Franco performed a large scale trick which included a "human deck" of cards, which consisted of 52 random audience members that Nick Cannon chose, and brought on stage.
• September 17, 2014: Finals Results – Franco appeared as one of six finalists at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The show, in which Franco used Rosie O'Donnell and Howard Stern as assistants, aired on television on September 17.{{cite web |url= http://www.turnto10.com/story/26553738/magician-mat-franco-hopes-final-performance-does-the-trick |author= NBC 10 News |date= September 17, 2014 |title= Mat Franco enjoys the magic of winning 'AGT' |publisher= NBC 10 News |access-date= January 10, 2015}}{{cite web |url= http://hollywoodlife.com/2014/09/17/americas-got-talent-finale-magic-trick-mat-franco-rosie-odonnell-howard-stern/ |author= Meganrosshl |date= September 17, 2014 |title= 'AGT': Rosie O'Donnell's Raunchy Magic Trick With Mat Franco |publisher= Penske Media Corporation / HollywoodLife |access-date= January 10, 2015}}

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 tenth season. He also made a second guest appearance later that 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. That same season, Franco appeared on the show with a special “socially distanced” performance. In 2021, Franco appeared on the season 16 Finale episode for a special collaborative performance with Dustin Tavella, who went on to win that season. Most recently, Franco was a featured guest on the finale episode of America's Got Talent: 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.{{Cite web|url=http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g45963-d8745995-Reviews-Mat_Franco_Magic_Reinvented_Nightly-Las_Vegas_Nevada.html|title=Mat Franco: Magic Reinvented Nightly (Las Vegas) - 2020 All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)|website=Tripadvisor}}

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."{{cite news |last= Weatherford |first= Mike |title= First magician winner headlines 'America's Got Talent' Live |work= Las Vegas Review-Journal |date= September 25, 2014 |url= http://www.reviewjournal.com/entertainment/shows/first-magician-winner-headlines-america-s-got-talent-live |access-date= January 10, 2015}}

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."{{cite web |url= http://www.nbc.com/americas-got-talent/cast/season-9/mat-franco |author= NBC |author-link= NBC |date= 2014 |title= About Mat Franco |publisher= NBC |access-date= January 10, 2015}}

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.{{cite web | url=http://www.broadwayworld.com/las-vegas/article/AMERICAS-GOT-TALENTs-Mat-Franco-to-Launch-Summer-Residency-in-Las-Vegas-20150402# | title=AMERICA'S GOT TALENT's Mat Franco to Launch Summer Residency in Las Vegas | date=April 2, 2015 | access-date=July 29, 2015 | website=BroadwayWorld.com | author=BWW News Desk}}

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.{{cite web | url=http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20161005/magician-mat-franco-to-appear-at-uri | title=Magician Mat Franco to Appear to URI | date=October 5, 2016 | access-date=February 11, 2017 | website=providencejournal.com | author=Providence Journal}}

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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fox5vegas.com/more/magician-mat-franco-extends-vegas-residency-for-5-years/article_140c5a24-38bf-11ea-b8c8-7732b8a5321a.html|title=Magician Mat Franco extends Vegas residency for 5 years|first=Jon|last=Archuleta|website=FOX5 Las Vegas}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://matfranco.com Official website]
• [http://www.nbc.com/content/mat-franco Official NBC biography]
• [http://mnw.squarespace.com/magicnewsfeed/2015/1/19/mnw-340-mat-franco.html MagicNewswire.com interview with Dodd Vickers]

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Category:1988 births

Category:Living people

Category:America's Got Talent winners

Category:American magicians

Category:University of Rhode Island alumni