Derren Brown

Creator Context

Summary

English mentalist, illusionist, writer and television producer whose career spans stage magic, psychological experiments, books and Channel 4 entertainment specials. His recurring creative interests are persuasion, belief, obedience, suggestion, religion and skepticism, including critiques of faith healing and supernatural claims. Brown publicly came out as gay in 2007 and has discussed sexuality, shame, conversion therapy and the value of coming out in interviews, but has generally said that sexuality is not central to his work and has not built a prominent activist or identity-politics persona. His public profile is primarily that of a theatrical psychological entertainer with an occasionally socially reflective edge.