Eric Chien is one of the select contestants who have made it to the AGT semi-finals. The first round of the season 14 semi-finals begins Sept. 3 with another round of performances. One of those performances will be 27-year-old magician Eric Chien. So, who is Eric Chien? Well, he’s one of the most notable names in magic around the world right now.
1. Eric wowed the judges with his first audition. He stunned everyone with his epic card and coin tricks. Simon Cowell called Eric’s abilities “unbelievably good.” Gabrielle Union raved, “You are magic.” His audition has been seen by over 10 million people.
2. Magic helped Eric with his depression. During his freshman year of college, Eric began suffering from depression after experiencing his first heartbreak, according to his NBC bio. He coped by locking himself in his room for nearly half a year with no human contact. During that time, he discovered magic and began practicing up to 8 hours every day.
3. He won Asia’s Got Talent. Eric was declared the winner of the third season. He became the first Taiwanese winner. In 2018, Eric became the first Asian to ever win the title of FISM World Champion of Close-Up Magic Grand Prix.
4. He dropped out of school to pursue a career in magic. After extensive practicing, Eric soon became a master in sleight-of-hand magic. He became a professional magician at the end of his sophomore year of college.
5. He was called back to Taiwan for military service. Eric was born in Taiwan and his family moved to Houston. After college, he was called back to Taiwan for military service. “My whole world was flipped upside down,” Eric revealed in his AGT introduction video. “I couldn’t bring any personal stuff — no cards, no coins, nothing. I could no longer do magic and we couldn’t do anything outside of military duties and it felt like I just lost my identity.” Eric admitted that he lost his confidence and only started performing recently.