Born April 28, 1976, in Oakdale, New York, Michael Carbonaro is best known as the star of truTV's "The Carbonaro Effect" (premiered May 15, 2014), a hidden-camera magic show where he pranks unsuspecting strangers with mind-bending illusions.

Early Life & Education

Michael is the younger of two sons of an electrician father and nurse mother. He attended Connetquot High School in Bohemia, New York, and later earned a bachelor's degree in drama from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.

Before Magic Career

Originally, Michael wanted to be a special effects and makeup artist. He bought supplies at a magic shop, discovered magic there, and became hooked at age 8-9. His first professional show came at age 13, performing at birthday parties as a clown. He performed magic to pay for his college tuition at NYU.

Television Career

Before "The Carbonaro Effect," Michael appeared in numerous television shows and films, including "Chappelle's Show," "Another Gay Movie," "All My Children," "Guiding Light," "Law & Order: SVU," "30 Rock," "CSI: Miami," "Grey's Anatomy," and "The Newsroom."

From 2003 to 2014, he had a recurring segment called "Magic Clerk" on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," where he would perform magic for staff and crew members at the NBC studios.

Viral Tricks

"The Carbonaro Effect" features hidden-camera pranks where Michael performs baffling magic tricks on unsuspecting strangers. Some of his most viral moments include:

• "Milking Almonds" - Convincing a health food store employee that you can milk almonds (Season 1, Episode 18). Watch on YouTube: The Carbonaro Effect - Milking Almonds Revealed
• "Crabby Transformation" - At a science museum, convinces a woman that space crabs from a meteor have morphed into kittens. Her reaction: "There were crabs, now they're cats!" Watch on YouTube: The Carbonaro Effect - Crabby Transformation
• "Shipping Store Bowling Ball" - At a shipping store, convinces customers that a new "reverse air" technology allows bowling balls to be shipped in flat boxes. Watch on YouTube: The Carbonaro Effect - How To Mail A Bowling Ball
• "Green Car" / "Green Friendly" - At a carwash, convinces a customer that the eco-friendly "go green" clean has turned her car slime green (Season 1, Episode 9, "Green Friendly," aired June 26, 2014). (No standalone YouTube clip is available; see the BuzzFeed GIF recap The Carbonaro Effect Ep. 108 GIF Recap: GO GREEN OR GO HOME. Note: the shrinking-car-into-a-pea-then-slingshot bit is a recurring tag Michael delivers at the end of each episode to announce the show's name, not a separate trick.)
• "Drone Daycare" - Poses as a park employee showing customers the "drone daycare" where people's drones are left to "fly around and get exercise." (No matching YouTube clip found; the closest is the "Drone Care" episode, which features a different premise about children transported in cardboard boxes by drones. Watch on YouTube: The Carbonaro Effect: Inside Carbonaro - Drone Care | truTV)
• "Wireless Water Hose" - Convinces a coworker that they've developed a hose that wirelessly transmits water (Season 1, Episode 25). Watch on YouTube: The Carbonaro Effect - WiFi Water Hose (unofficial reupload; no official truTV clip appears to be published)
• "Wireless Soda" - Convinces a snack bar employee that soda machines now work like WiFi, streaming beverages through the air. Watch on YouTube: The Carbonaro Effect - Wireless Soda Machine [SHORT VERSION] | truTV
• "Disposable Paper Phone" - Demonstrating a "new" prepaid phone made entirely from paper. Watch on YouTube: The Carbonaro Effect - Disposable Paper Phone
• "Perforated Dollar" - Explaining a new "currency ordinance" that allows dollars to be torn for different values. Watch on YouTube: The Carbonaro Effect – Perforated Dollar Revealed

Watch more viral clips on YouTube

References

[1] Wikipedia - Michael Carbonaro

[2] IMDb - Michael Carbonaro Biography

[3] St Pete Catalyst - The Catalyst interview: Magician Michael Carbonaro