Siegfried Fischbacher, half of the illusionist act of big cats, Siegfried and Roy, died Wednesday at his home in Las Vegas. He was 81 years old.
Fischbacher was terminally ill with pancreatic cancer and recently underwent a tumor removal operation, his representatives said in a statement to The Post.
He was released from hospital earlier this month and was cared for at home by two hospice workers.
The death of the legendary magician comes less than a year after the death of his long-term partner, Roy Horn, due to complications from COVID-19.
The German-American duo met aboard the cruise ship TS Bremen in 1957, where they tied up with Chico’s cheetah, which he had smuggled on board.
Working as an administrator and animator, Fischbacher enlisted Horn, the captain’s bell, to help him during his night magic show. After the show, Horn asked the question that changed their lives: “Siegfried, the disappearance of rabbits is common, but can you make a cheetah disappear?”
Their final act – which combined tiger taming with David Copperfield’s esque magic and a naughty dose of Liberace brilliance – was released in Sin City in 1967. But they were $ 30 million, 14 years old, at the Mirage Theater. , since 1989, which propelled them to the world star against the background of the era of excess.
“I did what I did out of love, not for success or money,” Siegfried once said, according to his representatives. “I had a deep respect for each other. We raised each other: I created Roy and Roy created Siegfried. ”
In 2003, Horn suffered a bloody injury at the end of his career, when Mantacore, a 400-kilogram Siberian tiger, sank his teeth in his throat during a live performance – at the age of 59, no less – at the hotel. Mirage casino.
In a 2019 interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” the performers said they made peace with the infamous mauling incident that killed their careers.
“I really don’t miss it,” Fischbacher said at the time. “We’ve only been on stage in Vegas for 40 years, you know?” And anyway, we had the most successful show in the history of Las Vegas. ”
Born in Rosenheim, Germany, on June 13, 1939, Fischbacher credited the purchase of a childhood magic book to set in motion a lasting love for the art of magic. Even after finishing his show days, Siegfried could be found daily at Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden at Mirage, creating wonder for fans with a simple coin trick and always taking time for a photo.
His lifelong mantra: “In magic, anything is possible.”