Get a closer look at some of Hollywood's perfect pairs.

Hollywood Power Couples

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood&#39;s perfect pairs.

"The Gentlemen" and "Slow Horses" return this fall, while the "Reacher" spin-off series "Neagley" makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

2026 Fall TV and Streaming Watch Guide

&quot;The Gentlemen&quot; and &quot;Slow Horses&quot; return this fall, while the &quot;Reacher&quot; spin-off series &quot;Neagley&quot; makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

Get a closer look at these actors from their many TV and streaming series roles.

Streaming Stars, Then and Now

He grew up in broken circumstances. The father was a drug addict and he ran away from his parents' home when he was still a child. Attracted by big cats, he found a job at the zoo, where he became particularly friendly with a cheetah named "Chico." Here Roy found his talent for dressage, which he was able to combine with magical tricks. In 1959 he was hired as an entertainer and steward on the German luxury liner TS-Bremen. He dropped out of school early because of this. Here he met Siegfried Fischbacher, who also worked as a steward. Inspired by their shared passion for the art of magic, they decided to perform together in the future. Roy's cheetah "Chico" became part of the first shows. In 1964, Siegfried & Roy celebrated their stage debut at the Astoria Theater. They then toured with "Chico" and their tricks on small variety stages through Germany and Switzerland. A close relationship developed from the professional collaboration.

The combination of magic and big cats proved to be so spectacular that they were able to start their first European tour in 1965. Shortly afterwards, Siegfried & Roy also performed in Puerto Rico and Las Vegas. In particular, the Americans, who were used to shows, were so impressed by their performances that they were awarded the prize for "Best Stage Show of the Year" in the same year, 1972. Siegfried & Roy received an exclusive, lifetime contract from the Mirage Hotel. The performances of the two became more and more spectacular due to their high income. Later, not only cheetahs were trained for their tricks, but also tigers. During their long career, however, critical voices were also raised, accusing Siegfried & Roy of exploiting and degenerating the noble big cats.

Siegfried & Roy, however, made it their mission to breed the white Bengal tigers in particular with great effort and to protect them from extinction with financial support. The white Bengal tiger also became a central part of their shows. In 1976, Siegfried & Roy were voted the best magicians of the year. In the years that followed, both became the highest-paid show artists in the world. During the 1980s they increased their popularity to Asia. Their career together was filmed in IMAX format. Since the beginning of the 1990s, Siegfried & Roy have performed under the show title SARMOTI, which is made up of the acronym "Siegfried and Roy, Masters of the Impossible". This also became the most successful show program in the United States. In 1997, Siegfried & Roy opened the "Secret Garden" within the Mirage hotel complex in Las Vegas. Tigers, lions, cheetahs and panthers from all continents of the world lived in these exotic outdoor enclosures in the middle of the city. In 2000, Siegfried & Roy were voted the best magicians of the decade with their SARMOTI program, ahead of David Copperfield.

The dramatic accident occurred during the stage show on October 3, 2003. On Roy Horn's 59th birthday, he was critically injured by the white tiger named Montecore, which he had bottle-raised himself. He had a faint attack on stage and fell; doctors later said it could have been a first stroke. The tiger Montecore then pulled Roy off the stage with the usual cat bite on his neck. A fang injured the main artery, which led to significant blood loss. Doctors fought for his life for days. During the course of treatment, the entertainer suffered several strokes. Roy Horn would not recover from this accident. After worldwide sympathy, the two entertainers were awarded the "World Entertainment Award" by Mikhail Gorbachev on October 23, 2003. Siegfried accepted the award with emotion in Hamburg. Both artists stayed in Las Vegas, but withdrew from the public except for a few interviews. In February 2009, the two ended their stage careers with a ten-minute show in which Montecore also took part.

The wonderful thing is, imagination is universal all over the world,
no matter what the language is. [Newsday, September 10, 1989]

[Speaking of Montecore, the tiger which attacked him in 2003, after the animal was put down]: The world has lost one of its most majestic creatures and I have lost a brother. I will forever believe it was his concern for my safety and well-being that caused him to act as he did on that night long ago. We spent many hours together and he never failed to bring me great joy and wonderment. It was my great honor to be beside him at the end. He is now playing with his siblings in White Tiger heaven.

Montecore is a great cat. Make sure no harm comes to Montecore

Quotes

Roy Horn

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