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Ricky Jay

Ricky Jay

Actor · Died November 24, 2018, aged 72 · Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Richard Jay Potash (June 26, 1946 – November 24, 2018) was an American actor, magician, cardsharp, and film consultant. Ricky's love and deep study of card tricks and deception gained him worldwide fame and respect, and he was often called in to consult for movies and TV shows where deception was a key element of the story. Ricky was an exceptional close-up magician and playing-card handler, but he also acted in movies such as Boogie Nights, Tomorrow Never Dies, and Magnolia, as well as TV shows like the X-Files, HBO's Deadwood, and David Mamet's The Unit, always playing intense characters who seemed to know everything but only handed out information in riddles and suggestions.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
June 26, 1946
Died
November 24, 2018 (aged 72)
From
Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
29 on MovieCove · 37 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 63 days to Oct 26Down 35% in 30 days

What are Ricky Jay's films like?

Across their 15 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 65th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 61st percentile
: browse their Action movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 57th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 65th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 89th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
27%
Bonds
19%
Morality
16%
Ideas
16%
Society
12%
Power
9%
Survival
2%
Deception4 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt3 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFame2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty2 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 15 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 8 · Serious 5 · Dark 2

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 9 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 2

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 3 · Charged 9 · Intense 3

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 8 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 1

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 8 · Funny 3

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 8 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

A split, not a type: Casual 7 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 3

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 8 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 3

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 7 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 3

Roles they play

3 analyzed roles
Trickster
1 of 3
Herald
1 of 3
Shadow
1 of 3

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
8
Warm
6
Thrilling
5
Melancholic
3
Contemplative
3
Other
15

How their films linger

Fun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 8 with a twist

  • Happy4
  • Bittersweet7
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Ricky Jay's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 25 of their 29 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (9).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Ricky Jay's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

37 credits, 29 with a MovieCove page; 15 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Automatic Hate(2015)

    as Uncle Josh

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Sneaky Pete(2015)

    Show 7 episodes · as T.H. Vignetti

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Getting On(2013)

    Show 1 episode · as Thoracic Surgeon

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • Teen Titans Go!(2013)

    Show 1 episode · as Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all shows

  • Lost Masterpieces of Pornography (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Narrator

  • Flashforward(2009)

    Show 3 episodes · as Man in Warehouse

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all shows

  • Lie to Me(2009)

    Show 1 episode · as Mason Brock

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • The Brothers Bloom(2008)

    as Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Redbelt(2008)

    as Marty Brown

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • The Great Buck Howard(2008)

    as Gil Bellamy

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Ricky Jay Plays Poker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Executive Producer · Writer · as Self

  • The Prestige(2006)

    as Milton

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Unit(2006)

    Show 4 episodes · as Agent Kern

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Last Days(2005)

    as Detective

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Deadwood(2004)

    Show 10 episodes · Writer · as Eddie Sawyer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Heist(2001)

    as Don 'Pinky' Pincus

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Heartbreakers(2001)

    as Dawson's Auctioneer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • State and Main(2000)

    as Jack

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Magnolia(1999)

    as Burt Ramsey / Narrator

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Mystery Men(1999)

    as Vic Weems

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Tomorrow Never Dies(1997)

    as Henry Gupta

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Story of Magic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Show 2 episodes · as Host

  • The Spanish Prisoner(1997)

    as George Lang

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Boogie Nights(1997)

    as Kurt Longjohn

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Hacks(1997)

    as The Hat

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Writer · as Self

  • Hustlers, Hoaxsters, Pranksters, Jokesters and Ricky Jay (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Actor

  • The Ranger, the Cook and a Hole in the Sky(1995)

    as Hawkes

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The X-Files(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as The Amazing Maleeni / Herman Pinchbeck / Albert Pinchbeck

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Ring of the Musketeers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 1 episode · as Kerns

  • The Water Engine(1992)

    as Ratty Inventor

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Homicide(1991)

    as Aaron

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Writer · Actor

  • The Simpsons(1989)

    Show 1 episode · as Ricky Jay (voice)

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Things Change(1988)

    as Mr. Silver

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • House of Games(1987)

    as George

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Doug Henning's World of Magic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 97th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 37 titles from 1976 to 2016; peak year 1998.

Biggest box office

Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)

$333M worldwide

Highest rated

That Moment: Magnolia Diary (2000)

Midcredits 91st

Most popular right now

Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)

Film career

MilestoneBreakout
19762016

Peak 1998 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting35 of 37: 33 only acting, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score72ndWriting4 of 37: 1 only writing, 3 with another roleProducing1 of 37: 0 only producing, 1 with another role

37 titles, 3 with more than one role — acting and writing overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

1970s1 · acting1980s3 · acting1990s15 · 14 acting · 2 crew2000s13 · 12 acting · 2 crew2010s5 · acting

Billing

usually 7th · top billed in 0% of 16 roles
8702

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Ricky Jay's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 67th percentile, the median of all 20; across their 15 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 62nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

62ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Approval · how many liked their films

63rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Reach · how many have seen their films

88thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Midcredits score across 29 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up14
  • 50th to 74th12
  • 25th to 49th2
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

16 of their 29 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved8
  • Crowd Pleaser16
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · actor

Last Days (2005)

63rd percentile spread · 27% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Prestige (2006)

Midcredits 99th · 94% liked

Reviewers score the acting 70/100 in their films, across 13 reviewed titles; fans 79, detractors 43. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Ricky Jay's work okay for kids?

Across up to 6 MovieCove titles with content scores, 1 of the 4 categories sits near the median of all films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 69 · intenseMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity6 titles22–53 · median 34 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 45 · moderateMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 52 · moderateMedian of all films: 33

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Ricky Jay work with?

People who share at least 2 of Ricky Jay's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; David Mamet shares the most, 6.

Directors

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles