In the 1970s and 80s, Doug Henning was not only the best known magician in the world, he is often credited as reviving magic as a popular theatrical art form. Sadly, he left magic at the height of his career and died in 2000 at the age of 52.

After studying magic in his youth and performing on local television in his native Canada, Henning was awarded a $4,000 Canada Council Study Grant to pursue magic. Bypassing medical school after completing his undergraduate work, his studies brought him to Hollywood, California where he studied for three months at the Magic Castle.