Once a Child Prodigy, Teen Magician James Chan Conjures a New Path

Editor’s note: This story is part of KQED’s Youth Takeover. Throughout the week of April 21–25, we’re publishing content by high school students from all over the Bay Area.

The typical weekend of a high school junior goes something like this: sleep in past what is considered socially acceptable. Catch up on schoolwork that should have been done on Monday. Hang out with friends, and perform the extracurricular duties. Pretty irresponsible, right?

The weekend is a safety net for any tasks that slip through the cracks during the school week. But to live life on the edge is simply not something teen magician James Chan can afford to do. James has to get his work done in a timely manner so that he can entertain crowds. For him, a typical weekend can include juggling flaming torches or wrapping a rope around his neck and then pulling it completely straight as people gasp.

James has been honing his skills since he was a toddler thanks to his dad, Dan Chan, otherwise known as the Millionaire’s Mentalist. Dan is a magician with over 25 years of experience. Like many entertainers, he began performing at kids’ parties. More recently, his clientele has included the likes of Elon Musk, the Golden State Warriors, Netflix and Google, establishing him as an elite magician in the Silicon Valley and throughout the Bay Area. James and his father now work together. James often takes on the smaller events like children’s parties and weddings, while Dan handles the more prestigious clients.

Over the years, the family business has taken James to some pretty interesting places. “There was one show for the founder of Android. … He was very very wealthy, such that he could afford to bring an entire zoo into his backyard,” James recalls. “I’m pretty sure there were penguins [and] there was either a lion or a tiger.”

James’ journey as a magician began when he was a toddler, when he’d sit in front of his dad and watch him practice his tricks. As soon as James could properly walk, he was passing props to his dad during shows. By age five, he was performing on stage. Throughout his childhood, he appeared on Access Hollywood, Kids Say the Darndest Things, ABC 7 News and the Netflix movie Me Time with Kevin Hart. His snappy quips and impressive magic capabilities earned him a reputation as a child prodigy. Now 17 years old, with college on the horizon, James is navigating a new phase of his life and career.

“I’m not cute anymore,” says James. “ It feels like ‘Oh! Ten year old magician! Yeah, that would have been a really good [piece]!’ But now that I’m 17, it’s much less impressive.”

Despite his success, James reveals that he actually started off disliking magic; he saw it as a chore his dad forced him to do. “Most other Asian ‘tiger parents’ want their kids to become doctors or lawyers. Study hard, stay in school,” he reflects. “And then my dad is saying, ‘Why are you wasting so much time on schoolwork? You gotta be doing magic.’”

Still, over the years, James grew to appreciate how magic allows him to bring smiles to people’s faces. “That’s what makes magic special for me, it’s entertaining other people and making them feel happy.”

By the time James was five years old, Dan had earned his title as the “Billionaires’ Magician” and was performing at parties on private yachts and around the world, with ice sculptures, exotic animals and drinks that cost over $300 per bottle. As James got older, Dan happily passed down the children’s parties and other small jobs to his son in order to solidify his image as a high-end entertainer.

James’ experiences vary widely with the kinds of jobs he gets. He prefers less formal ones to the “overly stuffy gala wedding… things, mainly because it’s like everyone is putting on some sort of mask,” he notes.

“Any event at Menlo Park, Atherton, Woodside, is usually pretty fun to perform at,” James says. “I got the chance to perform for Draymond Green’s kid’s birthday party.“

Recently, James has taken a step back from magic in order to get other kinds of life experience (I met him when we were cast in a school play together earlier this academic year). James still occasionally performs for weddings and larger parties, but since he’s currently stuck in junior year’s hellfire, he struggles to muster up the energy and time. To do well in both school and magic, he has had to “[put] video games and other fun stuff on the shelf.”

To destress, James likes to spend time with his family. His younger sister, Grace, and mom, Katherine, have occasionally performed with him and Dan as well; they specialize in balloon twisting. “I wanted them to learn magic, but they’re just more artistic,” Dan says.

As James gets older, his future aspirations are slowly defogging in his head, and life as a professional magician seems less and less likely. “I’m sure that I could become a magician, but whether I would be really financially stable,” he says. “That’s more up in the air.”

Instead, he’s interested in the medical field and sees himself as a pediatrician or a doctor. “But then again, med school is hard,” he says. Teaching is also on his list of options. “I could do a teaching job on the weekdays; on the weekends I could perform magic. … Magic is definitely gonna be a side source of income. … However, I feel I’d want that day-to-day job just to have some sense of stability.”

As James figures out his life path, Dan says he has some mixed feelings but ultimately supports what makes James happy. “He’s been doing what I wanted him to do for a while, and I think he should be more independent … because in the end, it’s your life to live, right?” Dan muses. “But he can always fall back. If he really wants to do this, I can teach him whatever else he wants to learn.”

James understands where his dad is coming from, and he knows his parents are in his corner as he looks towards his next chapter.

“Whether it be through magic, whether it be acting, whether it be through becoming a doctor or an engineer, there’s always a different way in which you can contribute to society,” James says. “As long as I do that, I know my parents will be happy.”

Arunav Sharma is a sophomore at American High School in Fremont and a member of KQED’s Youth Advisory Board. Aside from writing, he spends his time at his school’s performing arts theater and in his room producing music.