Murray SawChuck

Murray John Sawchuck (born November 25, 1973, stage name Murray SawChuck) is a Canadian stage illusionist, magician, comedian, actor, and host. Based in Las Vegas, SawChuck has dubbed himself "The 'Dennis the Menace' of Magic," and his shows often consist of a blend of "comical mishaps" that result in illusions and magic tricks. He was featured in the fifth season of America's Got Talent, and is the resident magic historian on Pawn Stars. SawChuck has also appeared as a magic coach on five episodes of the VH1 series Celebracadabra, and has been a guest star on shows such as Reno 911!, Last Comic Standing, Celebrity Blind Date, War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave, and Ring of Darkness.

In 2018, Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman surprised SawChuck with a proclamation that declared November 25 Murray the Magician Day. SawChuck had a resident show at the Tropicana Hotel and regularly having tours worldwide.

Murray John Sawchuck was born in Burnaby, British Columbia to John and Arlene Sawchuck. His father and extended family have a history of working with railways and trains for over 150 years. His father was also a musician and played in bands when Sawchuck was young, and he has cited that musical exposure as an influence on his later showmanship. Sawchuck began learning accordion, keyboard and saxophone at age five. He learned Ukrainian dancing at age five as well, and at age seven began taking dance lessons in a variety of genres. He was also active in sports.

At age seven, his aunt and uncle gave him a Siegfried and Roy magic kit. SawChuck, who then idolized entertainers such as Dean Martin, Johnny Carson, Lucille Ball, Danny Kaye and Phyllis Diller, began working on incorporating magic, music and dance into routines. He performed his first paid show at a birthday party when he was 11 years old. As a teenager, Sawchuck has stated he did five to six kid's shows a week for six years, often incorporating dancing, accordion and saxophone. He also worked over 21 jobs, including busboy, lifeguard and fixing bicycles. He graduated from high school and received a college degree in Broadcast Communications and Journalism.

SawChuck soon met Marvyn and Carol Roy, also known as "Mr. Electric." The couple, who had toured worldwide as magicians for over 50 years, mentored Sawchuck. He began performing in Europe, with his first show in Brussels, Belgium. He has stated that one of his biggest breaks was performing Paris, France on the Le Plus Grand Cabaret du Monde, a television show that aired across Europe. He also performed in Monaco, Monte Carlo, and throughout Europe. Between touring he lived for some time in Orlando, Florida. After a tour of Canada he moved to Las Vegas, headlining on the Las Vegas Strip. He also toured in South Asia, including Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Hong Kong. Murray was also under contract with Norwegian Cruise Lines for the summer of 2008 performing his trademark CD act on the Norwegian Star on the Alaska run.

In 1999, he was named "Magic Champion" at the Pacific Rim Professional Magic Challenge. SawChuck has won over 24 awards, and at one point received the title of "World Champion." He was purportedly the first magician to invent a professional magic act involving the manipulation of multiple CDs.

SawChuck became a US citizen in 2009. SawChuck began performing in the Las Vegas show Fantasy at the Luxor around 2020. SawChuck said that when he visited Las Vegas, it had been the inaugural show he had attended. He described his 15-minute performance as being lower pressure compared to his typical one-hour shows. SawChuck was assisted by Dani Elizabeth, a showgirl. He was a periodic entertainer on the show until 2023 when the comedian act was cut from Fantasy.

Sawchuck appeared as a magic coach on five episodes of the 2008 VH1 series Celebracadabra, where magician and celebrity pairs competed for a prize and title of "Best Celebrity Magician." He was teamed up with Kimberly Wyatt of the Pussycat Dolls.