Las Vegas Weekly

May 22, 2009 · 10:48 AM

Photo Gallery: Criss Angel meets Criss Angel — ‘it’s the ultimate mindfreak!’

By Robin Leach

Criss Angel and his wax figure at Madame Tussauds.

Photo: TVT

You couldn’t tell the difference with the bling! The hairstyles were identical. The pose and the bulging biceps were a match! Even the tattoo was a perfect re-creation of his own.

Mindfreak magician Criss Angel was almost speechless when he stared at the new double of himself when it was unveiled yesterday afternoon at Madame Tussauds in The Venetian. The wax figure stands with arms outstretched atop a pyramid of light to re-create a smaller version of his levitation and walk off the top of the Luxor, where he performs his Cirque du Soleil show Believe 10 times weekly.

“That bling is so real, I think I’m going to make some of it disappear,” Criss joked when I talked with him, as his wax double stood over us. He admitted that he was in awe with what the artists of Madame Tussauds had created: “It’s the ultimate mindfreak. Unbelievable and amazing!

“It’s one thing to stand in front of a mirror and see yourself in reverse. It’s another thing to look at a three-dimensional wax figure and really see yourself in every accurate detail. They captured everything.

“We spent a full eight hours taking countless photos from every possible angle. There were hundreds of measurements between shots. They’ve got everything anatomically correct.” It cost some $300,000 for Madame Tussauds to make the model in its English studios.

I couldn’t resist asking with a smile: “Everything anatomically correct?” “Yes, Robin, even that’s for real. It’s not an illusion,” Criss replied! Criss told me that the outfit on his wax figure is the same as when he filmed the Luxor high beam walk for the Season 3 Mindfreak premiere, but Madame Tussauds remade the jacket and returned the original sleeveless Affliction vest to Criss.

Photo: TVT

Criss Angel arrives at the unveiling of his wax figure at Madame Tussauds.

Criss said that years ago, he had toured the Madame Tussauds exhibit in Atlantic City, N.J.: “I was mesmerized by the illusions they created of people. I was in great admiration of their skills and hard work to re-create people. Now I’m immortalized, too, and that was once in my dreams as I fought for success.

He and I walked around the model on a 360-degree inspection. “You’d swear it was me if you spun around and took a quick look,” he said. “It’s so real, it’s the ultimate mindfreak. I’d only seen an early photograph of the face and the hair before today, so it was a complete and stunning surprise to me, too.

“To be cast like this is an incredible honor. This is simply amazing. I think that Madame Tussauds should now honor Danny Gans.” Criss went from the museum unveiling over to the Encore Theater to attend the late entertainer’s memorial tribute with fellow Luxor co-star Carrot Top, who attended the wax figure unveiling. Criss’s mother Dimitra Sarantakos, his brothers J.D. and Costa and Luxor President Felix Rappaport also attended the unveiling.

The wax figure will go on display in a room of Las Vegas heroes including Elvis Presley and Siegfried & Roy. Rosita Chapman, Madame Tussauds attractions manager, summed up: “We honestly believe this is the most amazing figure created to date. We wanted to include Criss because of his spirit and imagination.”

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Share This