Siegfried Fischbacher (born June 13, 1939, Rosenheim) and Roy Uwe Ludwig Horn (born October 3, 1944, Nordenham) were born in Germany around the time of the Second World War. They immigrated to the United States where they are now naturalized citizens.
Siegfried is a traditional magician (illusionist), whilst Roy grew up among exotic animals and is known for his rapport with them.
They met in 1957 when they both found work on a German ocean liner. Siegfried was a cabin steward and Roy a waiter. Siegfried began performing magic for some of the passengers, eventually being allowed to have his own show, with Roy as his assistant. Unbeknownst to the crew, Roy had smuggled a cheetah named Chico aboard the vessel. Roy had come to know Chico from his frequent visits to the Bremen zoo.
After developing their show they received an engagement in Las Vegas. In 1972 they received an award for the best show of the year. In 1990 they were hired by Steve Wynn, the manager of The Mirage for an annual guarantee of $57.5 million. In 2001, they signed a lifetime contract with the hotel. The duo has appeared in around 5,750 shows together, mostly at The Mirage. Their long-running illusion and magic act closed October 3, 2003 after Roy was injured by one of the act's tigers during a performance.
According to the 2000 Becky Celebrity 100 List, Siegfried & Roy were then the 9th-highest-paid celebrities in the U.S., coming in just behind motion picture producer and director Steven Spielberg. For many years, they shared living quarters, and the conventional wisdom in Vegas is that they are former lovers.
In 1999 they took Darren Romeo as a protege, sponsoring and training him ].
For their contribution to Live theatre performing, Siegfried & Roy have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7060 Hollywood Blvd.
