It's Penn, the 6'6" outspoken "Celebrity Apprentice" half of the magic duo who tends to garner the most attention, but his silent and far more enigmatic stage partner Teller is also a most intriguing character, with an equally interesting home. (As far as them being roomies or housemates is concerned, in a rare recent interview with CBS Teller attributed much of the act's longevity to the fact that he and Penn do not have what might be deemed a "cuddly friendship"; so no, they don't cohabit in different wings of The Slammer, although Teller did pose as the corpse for the homicide-scene scenario depicted on his partner's kitchen floor).
As you can see from the aerial shot below, in terms of the remoteness of its location, Teller's house makes Penn's look positively suburban; as to the former, we'll specify only as to its being located "somewhere in the hills, on the outskirts of Las Vegas." Like his sidekick's place of residence, Teller's is a custom-designed fantasy pad with that distinct air, from the outside, of being the secret lair of an evil-genius James Bond villain; inside, as he put it in a 2007 interview with USA Today>, "This house is a reflection of everything I wanted back when I was 12. I love this house because it's honest. If you see a floor that looks like concrete, that's because it is concrete. But, ah, on the other hand, nothing is what it seems."
Indeed. As magicians' pads go, this one doesn't disappoint, although it's (mainly) more subtle than his cohort's abode, reflecting Teller's past life as a Classics teacher and his love of theater, as opposed to Penn's love of bombast and porn. Named "The Bear Bones" (after a life-sized metal talking specimen who performs card tricks and resides on the patio), Teller's answer to Penn's "Slammer" features the requisite complement of optical illusions (warning: don't bump your head/nose!), hidden doors (the "Houdini room" has no visible exits), and mirrors that you'd expect of any self-respecting wizard's fortress, although the more whimsical touches inside are belied by the austere facade, which is just as intimidating as was Penn's, pre-kids. A "squared-off fortress with an exterior of corrugated steel that's interrupted by expanses of windows" was how the visitor from USA Today put it.
Inside, the 4,500-square-foot retreat is described as a maze of books, magic memorabilia, art, curios, and collectibles, ranging from a family of Simpson's figurines to some real human skulls. There's gimmicky stuff, like a metal skeleton inside a glass-topped dining table that "screams" and moans if you "torture" it. Teller is as known for his love of breakfast foods, in particular waffles and pancakes (both the making-of and the eating-of same) as he is for his bookishness and fascination with the history of magic; hence it's no surprise to learn that his kitchen is equipped with some practical items, including two sizes of waffle iron. We also seem to recall reading many years ago that there's an open-air bedroom where you can literally sleep under the stars (perhaps what can be seen in the top-right corner of the aerial view below?), but for more information allow us to refer you to a tour conducted by the man himself, which we came across courtesy of a YouTube video on "ellusionist.com".
