He’s famous for his appearances in television specials, stage productions, and British television series including “Trick of the Mind” and “Trick or Treat”. Since the initial program of his show “Derren Brown: Mind Control” in 2000, Brown has become increasingly popular for his mind-reading performance. He’s written novels for magicians in addition to the public.
Though his performances of head-reading and other accomplishments of mentalism may look like caused by psychic or paranormal practices, he asserts no such powers and often denounces those who do. Brown states at the start of his “Trick of the Mind” programmes he realizes his results using a mixture of “magic, hypnotism, psychology, misdirection and showmanship”.
Brown was born to Chris and Bob Brown in Purley, England, and contains a brother nine years his junior. Brown was privately educated at Whitgift School in South Croydon (where his dad trained swimming), and studied Law and German[6] in the University of Bristol. Whilst an undergraduate, he began working as a conjuror, performing the traditional skills of close up magic in pubs and eateries. In 1992, he began performing stage shows in the University of Bristol below the stage name Darren V. Brown. That is discussed by Brown in the “Messiah” specific, as well as in his novel Tricks of the Mind.
Magician, Artist, Writer, Presenter, Painter, Screenwriter, Actor, Film Producer, Television producer, Hypnotist
Education
University of Bristol, Whitgift School
Nationality
England
Parents
Bob Brown, Chris Brown
Siblings
Dominic Brown
Partner
Marc Hagan Guirey (2007–)
Nicknames
Derren Victor Brown , Darren V. Brown
Awards
Laurence Olivier Award for Best Entertainment and Family, British Academy Television Award for Best Entertainment Programme
Movies
Derren Brown: An Evening of Wonders, Derren Brown: Miracles for Sale, Crooked House, Derren Brown: Enigma, Ghosts in the Machine, Medium Rare
TV Shows
Trick or Treat, Derren Brown: The Events, Apocalypse, Messiah, Derren Brown: Trick of the Mind, Mind Control with Derren Brown, The Big Fat Quiz of the Year, Derren Brown Investigates, Derren Brown The Specials, Derren Brown: The Experiments
Star Sign
Pisces
#
Quote
1
One of the hardest things I've had to learn is that if someone misunderstands you, it's your own fault.
2
You can't perform mind-reading all the time or you'd never be able to have friends or form relationships.
3
Returning for a moment to the theatre stage doors, it is not uncommon to meet there a small band of truly devoted people who follow me from show to show. Among this group are numbered an even smaller handful, who, having stood in the rain and cold with many other patient and delightful people awaiting my arrival, usher everyone else before them so that they themselves can spend more time with me after the others have left, as if they and I enjoy an exclusive relationship not extended to ordinary 'fans'; and then, out of this same eagerness not to appear obsessive(as if the other people were being anything other than entirely flattering), they finally feign indifference and exaggerated nonchalance to the point of actual rudeness, wordlessly thrusting across photographs to sign and then looking away with a grand display of apathy while I accede to their requests. They are kind enough to have spent their money on several shows, sufficiently sweet to follow me from city to city and queue in unfavourable conditions when they should be getting home, yet in a misjudged effort not to seem like a loony, they act exactly like one. I have spoken about this with many performers, and it seems a very common occurrence - a wonderful, predictable glitch in our natures that makes us behave quite antithetically to how we would like to appear. I have, of course, made the same mistake.
4
(on finding a partner) If it happens, it happens, you know. The more you go out and look for it, the worse you make it for yourself. One day someone will turn up - or they won't. But I'm sure one day they will.
5
I am embarrassingly incompetent at football or any kind of team sport. I'm so bad it would anger you.
6
I was inspired by a stage hypnotist, but I didn't really want to do that - I didn't want to make people look stupid. So I started doing magic. But the trouble with magic is that it's either naff or, however good a trick it is, you know it's just a trick. It's inherently quite patronising. If you say, 'When I click my fingers the coin travels through the air,' you know it's rubbish.
7
(Talking about two of his TV shows) "Seems The Séance has become the most complained-about show. It received 700 complaints. I might add that the prospect of me blowing my head off on live TV last year attracted only twenty. Fair enough, I suppose."
#
Fact
1
Had two dogs as a child called Tammy and Lucy.
2
Owned a parrot called Figaro for ten years, that went to live at The National Parrot Sanctuary in Friskney, Lincolnshire, UK, before passing away.
3
Is the patron for The National Parrot Sanctuary and its registered Charity - Parrot Line.
4
A principle demonstrated at one of his stage shows, of how the distraction of counting ping-pong ball transits prevents one from noticing the guys in gorilla suits entering the edge of vision, was used in a Mayor of London 2008 awareness campaign advert that alerted motorists to the need for looking out for unexpected cyclists.
5
His show, Something Wicked This Way Comes, won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Entertainment Show 2006.
6
Has a parrot named Rasputin.
7
Other than his main work, he is also an artist who paints caricatures of famous people.
8
Studied Law and German at Bristol University.
9
Attended Whitgift School, Croydon.
10
Lives in Marylebone, London.
11
Has one brother, Dominic, who is nine years younger.
12
Is a fan of Taxidermy.
Producer
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Next Great Magician
2016
TV Series executive producer
Derren Brown: Pushed to the Edge
2016
TV Movie documentary executive producer
Derren Brown: Fear and Faith
2012
TV Mini-Series documentary producer
Derren Brown: Apocalypse
2012
TV Mini-Series documentary executive producer - 1 episode
Derren Brown: The Experiments
2011
TV Series documentary producer
Derren Brown: Enigma
2011
TV Special executive producer
Derren Brown: Hero at 30,000 Feet
2010
TV Movie executive producer
Derren Brown Investigates
2010
TV Series documentary executive producer
Derren Brown: The Events
2009
TV Series executive producer - 4 episodes
Derren Brown: An Evening of Wonders
2009
TV Special executive producer
Derren Brown: Trick or Treat
2007-2008
TV Series executive producer - 12 episodes
Derren Brown: The System
2008
TV Special executive producer
Derren Brown: Something Wicked This Way Comes
2006
TV Special executive producer
Derren Brown: Trick of the Mind
2004-2006
TV Series documentary executive producer - 14 episodes
Derren Brown: The Heist
2006
TV Special executive producer
Derren Brown: The Gathering
2005
TV Special executive producer
Derren Brown: Messiah
2005
TV Special documentary executive producer
Derren Brown: Séance
2004
TV Special documentary executive producer
Derren Brown: Inside Your Mind
2003
Video documentary producer
Writer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Derren Brown: Fear and Faith
2012
TV Mini-Series documentary writer
Derren Brown: Apocalypse
2012
TV Mini-Series documentary deviser - 1 episode
Svengali
2012
TV Movie
Derren Brown: The Experiments
2011
TV Series documentary
Derren Brown: Miracles for Sale
2011
TV Special documentary
Derren Brown: Enigma
2011
TV Special writer
Derren Brown: Hero at 30,000 Feet
2010
TV Movie
Derren Brown: The Events
2009
TV Series material created and written by - 4 episodes
Derren Brown: An Evening of Wonders
2009
TV Special written by
Derren Brown: Trick or Treat
2007-2008
TV Series writer - 12 episodes
Derren Brown: The System
2008
TV Special creator
Mind Control with Derren Brown
2007
TV Series
Derren Brown: Something Wicked This Way Comes
2006
TV Special
Derren Brown: Trick of the Mind
2006
TV Series documentary routines - 2 episodes
Derren Brown: The Heist
2006
TV Special
Derren Brown: The Gathering
2005
TV Special
Derren Brown: Messiah
2005
TV Special documentary
Derren Brown: Inside Your Mind
2003
Video documentary
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Sherlock
2014
TV Series
Derren Brown
Crooked House
2008
TV Series
Sir Roger Widdowson
Medium Rare
2007
Short
Waiter
Psychic Secrets Revealed
2003
TV Series
Voiceover
Thanks
Title
Year
Status
Character
Magicians
2007
the producers wish to thank
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Derren Brown Presents Twisted Tales
2016
TV Movie
Himself
Derren Brown: Pushed to the Edge
2016
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Choccywoccydoodah
2014
TV Series documentary
Himself
Derren Brown: Infamous
2014
TV Movie
Himself
Derren Brown: The Great Art Robbery
2013
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Living the Life
2013
TV Series
Himself
This Morning
2013
TV Series
Himself
Stephen Fry: Gadget Man
2012
TV Series
Himself
Derren Brown: Fear and Faith
2012
TV Mini-Series documentary
Himself
Derren Brown: Apocalypse
2012
TV Mini-Series documentary
Himself - Host
Sunday Brunch
2012
TV Series
Himself - Guest
Svengali
2012
TV Movie
Himself
The One Show
2012
TV Series
Himself - Guest
Derren Brown: The Experiments
2011
TV Series documentary
Himself
Derren Brown: Miracles for Sale
2011
TV Special documentary
Himself
Derren Brown: Behind the Mischief
2011
TV Special documentary
Himself
Derren Brown: Enigma
2011
TV Special
Himself
Derren Brown: Hero at 30,000 Feet
2010
TV Movie
Himself
Ultimate Big Brother
2010
TV Series
Himself
Derren Brown Investigates
2010
TV Series documentary
Himself
Channel 4's Comedy Gala
2010
TV Movie
Himself
Derren Brown Presents the 3D Magic Spectacular
2009
TV Special
Himself - Host
The Xtra Factor
2009
TV Series
Himself
Derren Brown: The Events
2009
TV Series
Himself - Presenter
Ghosts in the Machine
2009
TV Movie documentary
Derren Brown: An Evening of Wonders
2009
TV Special
Himself - Presenter
Derren Brown: Trick or Treat
2007-2008
TV Series
Himself - Presenter
Derren Brown: The System
2008
TV Special
Himself - Presenter
The Big Fat Anniversary Quiz
2007
TV Special
Himself (uncredited)
The Enemies of Reason
2007
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Mind Control with Derren Brown
2007
TV Series
Himself - Host
Derren Brown: Something Wicked This Way Comes
2006
TV Special
Himself
Derren Brown: Trick of the Mind
2004-2006
TV Series documentary
Himself - Host / Illusionist
Derren Brown: The Heist
2006
TV Special
Himself - Presenter
The Big Fat Quiz of the Year
2005
TV Special
Himself
Derren Brown: The Gathering
2005
TV Special
Himself - Host / Illusionist
Comic Aid
2005
TV Movie
Himself - Performer
Derren Brown: Messiah
2005
TV Special documentary
Host / Illusionist
Harry Price: Ghost Hunter
2005
TV Movie documentary
Himself
The Big Fat Quiz of the Year
2004
TV Special
Himself
Magic
2004
TV Mini-Series documentary
Himself
Derren Brown: Séance
2004
TV Special documentary
Host / Illusionist
Richard & Judy
2004
TV Series
Himself
The 100 Greatest Scary Moments
2003
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Derren Brown: Inside Your Mind
2003
Video documentary
Host / Illusionist
Derren Brown Plays Russian Roulette Live
2003
TV Special documentary
Host / Illusionist
Kelly
2003
TV Series
Himself
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
2002
TV Series
Himself
50 Greatest Magic Tricks
2002
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Derren Brown: Mind Control
2000
TV Series documentary
Host / Illusionist
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
Paul Flynn
2015
TV Series
Himself
The Magic Show Story
2015
TV Movie documentary
Himself
E-penser
2014
TV Series documentary
Himself
Almost Famous III
2010
TV Movie documentary
Himself
The Big Fat Quiz of the Year
2010
TV Special
Himself (uncredited)
Won Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
2012
BAFTA TV Award
BAFTA Awards
Best Entertainment (Programme or Series)
Derren Brown: The Experiments (2011)
2012
RTS Television Award
Royal Television Society, UK
Best Entertainment
Derren Brown: The Experiments (2011)
Nominated Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
2007
Lew Grade Award
BAFTA Awards
Derren Brown: The Heist (2006)
2006
RTS Television Award
Royal Television Society, UK
Best Entertainment
Derren Brown: The Heist (2006)
Known for movies
Derren Brown: The Heist (2006) as Producer
Derren Brown: An Evening of Wonders (2009) as Producer
Derren Brown: The System (2008) as Producer
Derren Brown: Trick of the Mind (2004-2006) as Producer