RIP Ricky Jay, American magician and actor, dies
American magician and actor Ricky Jay has died of natural causes in Los Angeles, his manager has confirmed. A 1993 profile of Jay in the New Yorker described him as "perhaps the most gifted sleight-of-hand artist alive", able to baffle even fellow magicians with his skills. The performer also appeared in films like Boogie Nights, Magnolia and Tomorrow Never Dies. Tributes have already begun to flood in from fellow magicians and actors. Penn Jilette, of magic duo Penn & Teller, described him as "one of the best who ever lived", while How I Met Your Mother star Neil Patrick Harris called his death a "profound loss". Born Richard Jay Potash in Brooklyn, Jay did not publicly discuss his childhood, and his date of birth is not exactly known, ranging from 1946 to 1948. He reportedly first performed in public at the age of four, and played a number of comedy clubs and nightclubs - thought to be one of the first magic...