Oz Pearlman (born July 19, 1982) is an Americanmentalist, magician and athlete who lives and works in the United States. He performs as a mentalist under the name "Oz the Mentalist", and has successfully appeared onAmerica's Got Talent, winning third-place inSeason 10 (2015).
Pearlman has also achieved success as a long-distance runner in marathons andultramarathons.
Oz Pearlman was born on July 19, 1982, inIsrael.[1] He moved to the United States at the age of 3 as a result of his father pursuing an engineering job.
Pearlman earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from theUniversity of Michigan in 2003, while already earning income from magic. He began performing magic at restaurants, kids’ shows, and corporate events at the age of 14, and has stated that he always had a deck of cards on him between the ages of 13 and 18.[2][3]
Pearlman was originally employed at Merrill Lynch in their global technology services department, at that time only performing magic and mentalism as a part-time profession. After he was hired by his employer to deliver acorporate entertainment show to upper management within the company, he quit his full-time job at Merrill Lynch in order to focus on being a full-time entertainer.[3] Since then he has focused on a full-time career performing as a mentalist.
On April 4, 2022, Oz Pearlman broke the world record for most number of miles run in Central Park (New York). The total distance he ran was over 116 miles (16 loops), and it was completed in 17 hours, 40 minutes, and 59 seconds. The New York Times, Reuters, Runner's World, and CBS News published articles about the event. The event raised money to help Ukrainian citizens afflicted by Russia's war against Ukraine.[4][5][6][7][8] On August 5, 2022, Oz ran 130 miles in 21 hours, 52 minutes, and 33 seconds from Montauk to Manhattan. The Audacious Report produced a short documentary about the run and New York Times published an article about it.[9][10][11] Pearlman won theNew Jersey Marathon four times. He won the 50-mile Chicago Ultra Marathon in 2015 in 5 hours, 25 minutes, and 26 seconds,[12] and has ranked within the top 30 fastest Americans for 50-mile races. He has also participated in theHawaii Ironman World Championship, Western States 100 Mile Run, Spartathlon 153 Mile Run, Leadville 100 Mile Run, and Badwater 135 Mile Run.[13]
| 2022 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Nov 6 | TCS New York City | 2:40:14[14] |
| 2021 | ||
| Nov 7 | TCS New York City (41st Place overall) | 2:29:19[14] |
| 2019 | ||
| Nov 3 | TCS New York City | 2:32:47[14] |
| Oct 19 | NYCRUNS Brooklyn Marathon (3rd Place overall) | 2:44:44[14] |
| 2018 | ||
| Nov 4 | TCS New York City | 2:36:23[14] |
| Apr 28 | Novo Nordisk New Jersey (36th Place overall) | 2:56:03[14] |
| 2017 | ||
| Nov 19 | NYCRUNS Brooklyn Marathon (2nd Place overall) | 2:51:57[14] |
| 2016 | ||
| Nov 6 | TCS New York City | 2:55:22[14] |
| Jul 31 | San Francisco Marathon (2nd Place overall) | 2:31:16[14] |
| May 1 | The NEFCU Long Island Marathon Festival of Events (7th Place overall) | 2:29:11[14] |
| 2015 | ||
| Nov 1 | TCS New York City (38th Place overall) | 2:31:04[14] |
| May 2 | The NEFCU Long Island Marathon Festival of Events (3rd Place overall) | 2:25:25[14] |
| Apr 20 | Boston Marathon (38th Place overall) | 2:25:31[14] |
| 2014 | ||
| Nov 23 | Philadelphia Marathon (10th Place overall) | 2:23:52[14][15] |
| Nov 2 | TCS New York City (35th Place overall) | 2:26:59[14] |
| Sep 27 | Hamptons Marathon (1st Place) | 2:47:02[14] |
| May 4 | The NEFCU Long Island Marathon Festival of Events (2nd Place overall) | 2:32:04[14] |
| Apr 26 | New Jersey Marathon (1st Place overall, new course record) | 2:29:24[14] |
| 2013 | ||
| Nov 7 | NYCRUNS Brooklyn Marathon (2nd Place overall) | 2:33:54[14] |
| Oct 12 | ING Hartford Marathon (4th Place overall) | 2:25:23[14] |
| Sep 29 | Yonkers Marathon (1st Place overall) | 2:35:50[14] |
| Jul 15 | Badwater 135 Ultramarathon (6th Place overall) | 28:03:55[16] |
| May 5 | New Jersey Marathon (1st Place overall) | 2:28:23[14] |
| Mar 3 | Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon (7th Place overall) | 2:32:05[14] |
| 2012 | ||
| Sep 28 | Spartathlon: 153 Mile Ultra (24th Place overall) | 33:22:19[17] |
| Aug 24 | Sri Chinmoy Marathon (1st Place overall): The Self-Transcendence Marathon (1st Place) | 2:41:27[14][18] |
| 2011 | ||
| Nov 6 | ING New York City (74th Place overall) | 2:34:37[14] |
| May 1 | New Jersey Marathon (1st Place overall, new course record) | 2:28:19[14] |
| Mar 20 | NYC Half-Marathon (49th Place overall) | 1:09:34[19] |
| 2010 | ||
| Nov 25 | Thanksgiving Day Marathon (1st Place overall) | 2:52:58[20] |
| Jun 25 | Western States 100-Miler (32nd Place overall) | 19:53:12[21] |
| Jan 7 | מרתון טבריה (26th Place overall) | 2:42:55[14] |
| 2009 | ||
| Oct 31 | Chicago Lakefront 50-Miler (1st Place overall, new course record, fastest time in the world in 2009 for 50 miles) | 5:25[22] |
| Sep 26 | Hamptons Marathon (1st Place) | 2:39:24[14] |
| Aug 25 | Self-Transcendence (1st Place overall) | 2:39:25[14] |
| Apr 20 | Boston Marathon | 2:43:48[14] |
| 2008 | ||
| Nov 22 | JFK 50 Mile Race (2nd Place overall) | 6:13[23] |
| Nov 1 | Chicago Lakefront 50-Miler (1st Place) | 5:41[24] |
| Sep 27 | Hamptons Marathon (1st Place) | 2:37:50[14] |
| Apr 5 | American River 50-Mile Endurance Run (10th Place overall) | 6:25[25] |
| May 4 | New Jersey Marathon (1st Place overall) | 2:33:09[14] |
| Feb 3 | Tallahassee Marathon (2nd Place overall) | 2:29:23[14][26] |
| 2007 | ||
| Nov 17 | NYRR Knickerbocker 60K (1st Place and course record) | 4:01[27] |
| Oct 27 | Chicago Lakefront 50-Miler (1st Place and course record) | 5:31:51[28] |
| Oct 13 | Ford Ironman World Championship | 10:49:59[29] |
| Oct 7 | Westchester Marathon (1st Place) | 2:41:32[30] |
| N/A | Vermont 100 Mile Endurance Run (43rd Place overall) | 22:46:07[31] |
| Jun 3 | FANS 24-Hour Ultra Race | 105.78 miles[32] |
| Mar 25 | Ocean Drive Marathon (2nd Place) | 2:53:44[33] |
| 2006 | ||
| Nov 11 | Chicago Lakefront 50-Miler (1st Place and Course Record) | 6:05:09[34][35] |
| Oct 8 | Westchester Marathon (1st Place and Course Record) | 2:34:57[36] |
| Sep 9 | Ironman Wisconsin (3rd Place, age group: Hawaii Qualifier) | 10:17:54[37] |
| Jul 30 | The San Francisco (6th Place overall, 1st Place category) | 2:41:38[14] |
| Jul 16 | NYC Olympic Triathlon (1st Place, ages 20-24) | 2:11:53[38] |
| Apr 17 | Boston Marathon | 2:44:11[14] |
| 2005 | ||
| Nov 20 | Philadelphia Marathon | 2:52:46[14] |
| Oct 9 | Mohawk-Hudson River (13th Place overall, 1st Place category) | 2:56:09[14] |
| 2004 | ||
| Nov 21 | Philadelphia Marathon | 3:21:28[14] |
Pearlman won third-place onAmerica's Got Talent,Season 10 (2015).[15][39] On January 13, 2020, he returned as a contestant inAmerica's Got Talent: The Champions.[40] In January 2022, Oz performed forEllen DeGeneres on the final season ofThe Ellen Show.[41]
NBC TV (national) aired a travel show calledOz Knows in 2018, which was about Pearlman traveling to various tourist attractions and performing mentalism. Oz won anEmmy Award in May of 2018 for the show.[42][43] In August 2023, he appeared on HBOHard Knocks and performed for theNew York Jets. Stories about this appearance were featured inSports Illustrated,Esquire,USA Today,GQ,ESPN,Bleacher Report,New York Post,Deadspin, and other media publications.[44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51] In July 2023, Pearlman was a featured performer forESPY Awards on ESPN.[52][53]
Pearlman was a guest onLate Night with Jimmy Fallon on April 15, 2010.[54][55] He also made guest appearances onNBC Today Show on August 23, 2015,[56] and in 2016,[57][58][59][60] and predicted the AmericanSuper Bowl result on January 26, 2017.[61] Other TV appearances include theMegyn Kelly TODAY Show,[62]The Meredith Vieira Show,[63][64] and theRachael Ray Show.[65][66] In 2022, Oz was on ESPN multiple times. During one ESPN appearance, he performed for theSeattle Seahawks. For another ESPN appearance (still in 2022), he performed for theBaltimore Ravens. In 2022, Pearlman appeared onESPN and performed for theTampa Bay Buccaneers.[67][68][69][70][71] Oz also appeared on the top live YouTube show premiering weekly at 1:02 pm, The Yak featuring Bigcat and Co. on 11/8/22 blowing Kates mind.[1]
On December 17, 2024, Pearlman was a guest onThe Howard Stern Show. Back in 2014, guestValerie Harper while discussing her terminal illness, told Howard in private a secret code word that only the two of them would know, which could be used after her death to prove if psychics were real. This idea for a secret word was based on a pactHarry Houdini had made with his wife Bess where they promised each other that the first one to die would attempt to contact the surviving spouse from the afterlife, using a code the couple had created to verify any spiritualists or psychics claiming they had made contact. Oz correctly guessed that the word was "curly," shocking the shock jock.[72][73]
Pearlman has appeared multiple times onFox Business talk showVarney & Co.,[74] and onCNBCSquawk Box.[75][76] In December 2022, Oz reemerged on CNBCSquawk Box.[77] Further media appearances includeThe Dr. Oz Show,[78] the Bravo TV seriesMillion Dollar Listing,[79] the CNBC showPower Lunch,[80][81][82]ABC World News Tonight,CBS’sEarly Show,ESPN,[83][84][85][86] and the radio showElvis Duran and the Morning Show.[87]
He has performed as a guest at theWall Street Journal's studio.[88] Pearlman was featured on a commercial forMohegan Sun in China.[55]
Pearlman made numerous instructional video tutorials while working for magic retailer Penguin Magic, particularly in the area of card magic. In 2003 Pearlman created an instructional DVD for Penguin calledBorn to Perform Card Magic that teaches techniques of magic. The filming for the DVD took place inLas Vegas. The DVD sold over 100,000 copies. The ratings were among the highest in the history of the magic supplier selling the DVDs.[89]
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