Meet Eric “Thirstin” Siegel | Magician & Screenwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Eric “Thirstin” Siegel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eric “Thirstin”, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Honestly, by the time I realized just how difficult it was for a poorly connected comedian from the midwest to actually land a job in the entertainment industry, it was too late to turn back. At least that’s how it felt/feels. Don’t get me wrong, I love not having a 9-5, and I really don’t mind cooking every meal. See, when I work out the calculus of it all, it’s pretty clear that if I’m ever going to get rich, it’ll be from continuing headfirst into this world of magic and screenwriting I’ve been cultivating in LA. Going to med school is off the table at this point.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
When I moved to LA in 2012, I had been performing sketch and improv comedy for years in Chicago. At first, it seemed like I would need to throw out everything I had learned there. In LA, I was told to tone down my absurd writing style for more conventional screenwriting and to tone down my stage acting for the camera. Ultimately, though, I came back around and have used what I learned in Chicago to stand out here, both comedically and authentically. When I started performing with my first magic duo, The New Bad Boys of Magic, it was precisely the fact that we felt like sketch comedy that got us attention, including a piece in the LA Times that I’m truly grateful for, as it validated my entire creative journey up until that point. More recently, I’ve been performing magic and mentalism with my immensely talented girlfriend, Elizabeth Messick, as the vaudeville-inspired duo The Cosmic Romantics. A true culmination of both our lives’ work, we’ve added singing, juggling, and other random talents to this evolving project, and the fun is only just beginning.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The Museum of Jurassic Technology, an odd little pseudo scientific haunt that I believe magic legend Ricky Jay had a hand in. Hollywood Forever Cemetery, because what’s more fun than watching a movie surrounded by corpses.
Anything my girlfriend Elizabeth recommends. She’s a legit socialite and gets invited to ALL the parties that other parties are jealous of.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to give a quick shoutout to the Magic Castle, one hell of an artistic fever dream-turned-reality. The fact that this building still exists, despite fires, pandemics, years of financial ruin, and the occasional bit of bad press is a miracle in and of itself. It may not be perfect, but it’s a perfectly weird Los Angeles staple, and it helped me find my voice when I got back into magic around 2017. The Castle sparked my imagination when I visited as a child (my dad was a hopelessly obsessed part time magician), and it still blows my mind to this day. Thank you, specifically, to Jack Goldfinger, a performer my entire family looked up to, who is now kind enough to keep booking my odd brand of alt magic on the Castle’s biggest stages.

Website: https://ericisthirstin.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericisthirstin/

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@thecosmicromantics

Image Credits
Taylor Wong Kalie Pontes