Early life and origins

Oz Pearlman, known professionally as The Mentalist, is one of the most successful and in-demand mentalists in the world, captivating audiences with jaw-dropping demonstrations of mind reading, suggestion, and psychological illusion.

Born in Israel and raised in Michigan in a secular Jewish family, Oz discovered his passion for magic at age 14 and was already performing professionally by his mid-teens. A prodigy who graduated high school at 16, he went on to earn an engineering degree from the University of Michigan before leaving a promising Wall Street career at Merrill Lynch to pursue entertainment full-time.

Pearlman combines advanced techniques; including suggestion, subliminal messaging, body language reading, statistical analysis, and neurolinguistic programming; to create experiences that feel impossible. He skyrocketed to national fame by finishing third on Season 10 of America’s Got Talent, which led to multiple primetime TV specials and appearances on NBC, ABC, CNBC, and major media outlets worldwide.

An elite endurance athlete, Oz is an enthusiastic marathon and ultramarathon runner with a stunning marathon personal record of 2 hours and 23 minutes. He has completed some of the world’s toughest races, including Badwater 135, the Hawaii Ironman World Championships, Western States 100, and the Spartathlon and has also won dozens of races across the country.

Happily married to Elisa and father to five children (three girls, two boys), Oz runs his own full-service production and entertainment company, managing bookings, live events, branded shows, and television projects. He is the author of the 2025 book Read Your Mind: Proven Habits for Success from the World’s Greatest Mentalist.

Shawn Ryan Show Sponsors:

Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with @shop.mando and get $5 off off your Starter Pack (that’s over 40% off) with promo code SRS at https://shopmando.com! #mandopod

Learn a new language and get up to 55% off your subscription at https://babbel.com/SRS Rules and restrictions may apply.

Ready to upgrade your eyewear? Check them out at https://roka.com and use code SRS for 20% off sitewide.

Oz Pearlman Links:

X – https://x.com/OzTheMentalist

IG – https://www.instagram.com/ozthementalist

YT – https://www.youtube.com/@OzTheMentalist

Website – https://ozpearlman.com

Book – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DVBG7KSR

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices