The art of illusion beat out all other talent on Wednesday night.
The art of illusion beat out all other talent on Wednesday night.
Magician Mat Franco pulled a victory out of his hat on Wednesday when he was announced as the winner of America's Got Talent, taking home the show's impressive $1 million prize and a headlining gig at a casino in Las Vegas.
Franco, an illusionist from Rhode Island, could hardly contain his excitement when he met up with ET backstage after the show. "It feels amazing! It feels great, fulfilling, emotional, all at once in a way that I can't describe," said the charming, young prestidigitator.
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Franco was one of six contestants who made it to the show's season finale, and after the elimination of singer Miguel Dakota, 12-year-old soul singer Quintavious Johnson, the jazz quartet Sons Of Serendip and the daredevil tumbling troupe AcroArmy, it was down to just Franco and singer Emily West.
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After a painfully long buildup to the reveal, the name "Mat Franco" exploded in fireworks behind the two finalists, and a winner was crowned.
"It's a feeling that comes over you," Franco said, describing how he felt when his name was announced. "It's a warm feeling, it's an exciting feeling, you feel the crowd's energy… I'm waiting to wake up from this whole thing."
He added, "It hasn't sunk in yet."
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Check out the video to hear more from this season's AGT victor, including how it felt to go from a solo act to having a massive support team helping him craft his illusions. He admitted, "I feel like David Copperfield."
