English illusionist and mentalist Derren Brown became a household name with his 2000 show Mind Control. He entertains audiences with not just traditional magic tricks, but includes innovative methods such as cold reading, body language reading, hypnosis, and cognitive psychology. He has often been accused of hiring paid actors for his shows. He has also been attacked by critics for his shows that used séance and Russian roulette as their main content. However, his stage shows have also won him the Laurence Olivier Award twice, while he has won a BAFTA, too. An author, too, he has written several books on magic. He is also a photography enthusiast and painter and has released books on street photography, paintings, and caricatures. He has been successful both on TV and on stage and has also performed on Broadway.
