We’ve all seen ventriloquist acts before — but none hold a candle to Paul Zerdin’s performance during the America’s Got Talent semifinals.
Paul won over the hearts of the judges during the tenth season and this performance sealed the deal! It’s easy to understand why he’s been a headliner on the Las Vegas Strip since the season ended!
Paul’s love for performing in front of a live audience all started with a simple magic act during his high school talent show! In an interview with PEOPLE, Paul explained how his love for entertaining first got its spark.
«I entered a school talent competition when I was 15, and most people did something like poetry or tap dancing, but I levitated my sister. I just blew them away, and from that moment on, I remember the next day in the dining hall when I was going to my lunch I could hear people saying, ‘That guy can do magic.'»
Despite his passion for magic, a flame for ventriloquism still burned deep in his soul. So Paul decided to do something a bit unorthodox and included puppets in his magic act!
«I introduced the puppet character into my magic show and started doing magic with the puppets, and I eventually stopped doing magic and carried on with the puppets and the stand-up over the course of a few years.»
Paul spent the following years developing his ventriloquism skills and performing all over the country. But his big break came when he entered America’s Got Talent during the 1oth season!
Over the course of the season, Paul wowed the judges, live audience and those watching at home. His popularity propelled him to the finals and helped him win the grand finale!
While all of Paul’s performances were spectacular, his semifinal routine definitely took the cake.
Paul stepped on the stage with his trusty puppet, Sam the dummy, and the two proceeded to get into a hilarious argument! Even when Paul walked off the stage, Sam miraculously kept speaking.
The audience and judges watched in awe as Sam seemed to speak and move without the help of Paul’s steady hand and sneaky voice! This was ventriloquism taken to the next level.
Watch Paul’s incredible America’s Got Talent routine in the video below. Wow!
