EDIT: Due to flooding at the venue. Terry Fator's show has been canceled. Refunds are all handled at the customer’s original point of purchase.
His 2007 debut on “America’s Got Talent” won over the judges and left us in awe with his celebrity impressions, humor and unique talent of being a ventriloquist. We sat down with Terry Fator to learn about him, where he’s been and his journey to performing for thousands all over the world. This Q & A can’t communicate how much he laughed, his wit (and sarcastic humor) or the excitement he has for this chapter in his life. Fator is coming to Talking Stick Resort, August 24, for a night of fun and humor. You will not want to miss out on this hilarious show.
AFM: We would love to learn a little background on you. Where did you grow up? Did you go to college?
Terry Fator: “I grew up in Dallas and in the Dallas area pretty much my whole childhood. I went to college at Liberty University but only stayed about a year. My brain was moving at such a rapid speed and I would get so impatient! I finally, this year actually, got a degree from my hometown in Art and Drama. I am now a college graduate and it feels so good to say that; at 53, I may add!”
AFM: How did you become a ventriloquist? Is it something that came naturally to you?
TF: “It came so naturally to me. Truly it did. I knew I always wanted to be an entertainer because I was always entertaining. I was voted the class clown every single year. I was always cracking jokes at my classmates, family, anyone! At age 10, I picked up a book on ventriloquists and thought this might be fun. It came so naturally from there. In about an hour or so, I had figured out how to do it. I went out and bought a $10 puppet from Sears and would do these mini-shows for the kids in my neighborhood. Then finally at age 18, I got my first real professional puppet and the rest is history!”
AFM: We are dying to know about “America's Got Talent.” How was that overall experience? Is there a favorite memory while being on the show?
TF: “I am not lying to you when I say I smiled from ear-to-ear the entire time. It was definitely grueling. We would wake up at about 5 a.m. and get to the studio at about 6 a.m. We would work all day, work and work and work until about 11 p.m. and they would bus us home. Hard work but what an incredible experience. One of my favorite memories though is at the time the book, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow” came out while we were filming. We had one of the guys go to a local store, like a Fry’s or something, with a wheelbarrow and we all gave him money, and he wheelbarrowed back loads of the books! We all sat in the wings when we weren’t working, and we would all be reading that book. I am such a Harry Potter fan; it was a great memory.”
AFM: Being able to do more than 200 celebrity impressions is quite impressive! How do you go about learning and practicing those?
TF: “I wish I could tell you some crazy way of learning, but it really came so naturally. I do work at it, but it just came so easy. I didn’t even really realize it was a talent until I was about 26 when I noticed that it wasn’t something everyone could do. It doesn’t matter who it is, I can just pick up on voices and tones from listening. Never thought I would be competing in a talent competition for it!”
AFM: Did you think you would win “America’s Got Talent” and become this huge success that you are?
TF: “I didn’t think I would win. I was in my 40’s, I had sort of given up on this whole being famous thing. I never thought I would be traveling the world, doing what I love, entertaining, for thousands of a people a night. I’m so thankful!”
Click here to get tickets to Fator’s show at Talking Stick Resort. Tickets are limited.
