• Subscribe to Our Newsletter

When Magic and Tragedy Met: The Siegfried & Roy Story

Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Uwe Ludwig Horn passed away within a year of each other (Roy in May 2020 and Siegfried in January 2021), marking the end of not just a partnership, but a phenomenon. And, with it, the end of an era. The magician duo were some of the greatest showmen in the history of American entertainment.

Roy Horn with a tiger / Siegfried and Roy with lion / Siegfried and Roy / Siegfried and Roy

Source: Getty Images

They built themselves up from nothing. Their friend Arnold Schwarzenegger said the duo provided America with “the greatest immigration story” he’s ever known. The German-born masters of illusion turned their lives into a fairy tale, and as in every fairy tale, there was a chapter of tragedy. For Siegfried and Roy, their journey ended when one of their beloved tigers turned its back on them. Only recently, after 15 years, the animal trainer finally shed light on the truth.