Jim Karol
Encyclopedia
Jim Karol is an American
mentalist and actor
known for his participation in the NBC television show, Phenomenon
.
. He became an entertainer after being laid off from his previous job as a steel worker.
Karol first gained regional notoriety on December 22, 1990 when the Pennsylvania Lottery
numbers that were drawn matched his prediction. As a result, the numerous people who had taken Karol's advice ended up dividing up a $12 million payout into small shares.
Since then, Karol has performed extensively on both the college and corporate circuits. He has also authored three books, his most current titled Psychic Madman with co-author Lu Ann Brobst Staheli, and he currently predicts football outcomes on a popular gambling website and works with the Poker Training Network (PTN).
Jim has been seen by millions of people from his appearances on NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Ellen DeGeneres Show
, NBC's Today, Howard Stern
on Demand, as well as The Montel Williams Show
, The Rosie O'Donnell Show
, Fox News Channel
, and numerous other television programs.
He is also becoming a regular on national radio shows such as Jim Breuer, Coast to Coast AM
, and The Howard Stern Show. Jim has also held three Guinness World Records
and has been featured in the blockbuster hit 2006 movie Jackass Number Two. In October 2007, he was one of ten mentalist contestants on the NBC program Phenomenon
which was hosted by Criss Angel
and Uri Geller
. He was one of the first two contestants voted off on the two hour Halloween episode of the show.
He also performed at the World's Magic Awards on FOX and received the award for the World's Greatest Mentalist.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
mentalist and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
known for his participation in the NBC television show, Phenomenon
Phenomenon (TV series)
Phenomenon is a competition show judged by mystifier Uri Geller and illusionist Criss Angel and hosted by Tim Vincent which debuted live on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 on NBC. The show featured ten contestants competing to become the next great mentalist, to be determined by viewers voting by phone...
.
Early life
Karol was born and raised in Allentown, PennsylvaniaAllentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
. He became an entertainer after being laid off from his previous job as a steel worker.
Karol first gained regional notoriety on December 22, 1990 when the Pennsylvania Lottery
Pennsylvania Lottery
The Pennsylvania Lottery is operated by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The lottery was created by the Pennsylvania General Assembly on August 26, 1971; two months later, Henry Kaplan was appointed as its first executive director...
numbers that were drawn matched his prediction. As a result, the numerous people who had taken Karol's advice ended up dividing up a $12 million payout into small shares.
Since then, Karol has performed extensively on both the college and corporate circuits. He has also authored three books, his most current titled Psychic Madman with co-author Lu Ann Brobst Staheli, and he currently predicts football outcomes on a popular gambling website and works with the Poker Training Network (PTN).
Appearances and shows
His shows combine elements of magic, mentalism, feats of memory, humor and extreme stunts, some of which involve an electric chair and a fox trap which he allows to snap closed onto his own hand.Jim has been seen by millions of people from his appearances on NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
, NBC's Today, Howard Stern
Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
on Demand, as well as The Montel Williams Show
The Montel Williams Show
The Montel Williams Show is a syndicated talk show hosted by Montel Williams. On January 30, 2008 it was announced that The Montel Williams Show would stop production on new episodes at the end of the 2007-2008 television season after seventeen years...
, The Rosie O'Donnell Show
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
The Rosie O'Donnell Show is an Emmy Award-winning American daytime television talk show hosted and produced by actress and comedian Rosie O'Donnell. It aired for six seasons from 1996 to 2002...
, Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
, and numerous other television programs.
He is also becoming a regular on national radio shows such as Jim Breuer, Coast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM is a North American late-night syndicated radio talk show that deals with a variety of topics, but most frequently ones that relate to either the paranormal or conspiracy theories. It was created by Art Bell and is distributed by Premiere Radio Networks. The program currently...
, and The Howard Stern Show. Jim has also held three Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
and has been featured in the blockbuster hit 2006 movie Jackass Number Two. In October 2007, he was one of ten mentalist contestants on the NBC program Phenomenon
Phenomenon (TV series)
Phenomenon is a competition show judged by mystifier Uri Geller and illusionist Criss Angel and hosted by Tim Vincent which debuted live on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 on NBC. The show featured ten contestants competing to become the next great mentalist, to be determined by viewers voting by phone...
which was hosted by Criss Angel
Criss Angel
Christopher Nicholas Sarantakos , better known by the stage name Criss Angel, is an American illusionist, writer, director, musician, and actor...
and Uri Geller
Uri Geller
Uri Geller is a self-proclaimed psychic known for his trademark television performances of spoon bending and other supposed psychic effects. Throughout the years, Geller has been accused of using simple conjuring tricks to achieve the effects of psychokinesis and telepathy...
. He was one of the first two contestants voted off on the two hour Halloween episode of the show.
He also performed at the World's Magic Awards on FOX and received the award for the World's Greatest Mentalist.