Man on wire philippe petit biography

Philippe Petit

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Who Is Philippe Petit?

Born in , French daredevil Philippe Petit became famous in August for his high-wire walk between the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. Called the "artistic crime of the century," Petit's daring feat became the focus of a media sensation. Petit has performed high-wire walks around the world, and a documentary based on his twin towers walk, Man on Wire, won awards and critical praise.

Early Life

Petit was born on August 13, , in Nemours, France, to a French Army pilot and his wife. Petit started studying magic tricks at the age of six. Some years later, he learned how to juggle. He took his talents to the city streets, performing for tourists. At the age of 16, Petit discovered his passion for the high wire and spent a year training on the tightrope. He incorporated this interest into his public performances. Petit did not fare well in the academic world, having been kicked out of five schools by the age of

World Trade Center Walk

In his teens, Petit learned about the World Trade Center construction project in New York City. He read about the project's proposed twin towers while waiting in a den

Philippe Petit: The True Story Behind the Daredevil's World Trade Center Wire Walk

On August 7, , a young Frenchman caught the attention of jaded New Yorkers by wire-walking between the twin towers of the World Trade Center. People in the street gasped at the sight 1, feet up, and the photo and film coverage of the seemingly spontaneous event was extensive enough that this ultimate high-wire act went ’s version of viral.

The year-old acrobat in question was named Philippe Petit. He was initially regarded by police as a perpetrator and was arrested as soon as he left his perch, though charges were soon dropped. Petit’s feat was commemorated in James Marsh’s Oscar-winning documentary Man on Wire, and in The Walk, a film directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Petit.

Here's a look back at the story behind “the artistic crime of the century":

The World Trade Center was not Petit’s first high-wire conquest

A magician from the age of six and former street juggler, Petit began training on the wire as a teenager. In , his first big public (and illegal) wire walk was between the towers of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. His next came in when h

The audacious French performance artist Philippe Petit probably isn’t as widely known as he ought to be. If the name rings a bell, it might be thanks to the based-on-a-true-story thriller The Walk starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt. But if you’re intimately familiar with his work, it’s likely because you saw ’s Oscar-winning documentary, Man On Wire, based on the book of the same name that told the story of his rule-breaking tightrope walk between the Twin Towers in Specifically on August 7,

Petit will mark the 50th anniversary of that daring feat, which is just one of his many unauthorized highwire performances, by walking the width of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Morningside Heights, Manhattan—just 20 feet in the air this time versus a quarter mile up. British pop singer Sting, Petit’s friend of 35 years, will debut a song he wrote for the artist at the two-day performance titled TOWERING!!(with two exclamation points; “You see in them the two towers,” Petit told Observer).

According to Petit, there will be nineteen scenes in Towering!!, including an arrest scene, “which will be almost comic, Keystone Kops, you know?” The artist, who turns 75 this year,

Man on Wire


"Man on Wire" is a captivating documentary that tells the story of French tightrope walker Philippe Petit and his bold and daring high-wire walk between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City in The film, directed by James Marsh, combines archival footage, reenactments, and interviews to create a gripping and suspenseful narrative that explores the motivations, planning, and execution of Petit's extraordinary feat.

The documentary opens with Petit recounting his childhood fascination with tightrope walking and his dream of one day walking between the Twin Towers. Through interviews with Petit and his accomplices, the film delves into the meticulous planning and preparation that went into the high-wire walk, including scouting the towers, securing equipment, and evading security to gain access to the rooftops. The tension and suspense build as Petit and his team navigate numerous obstacles and setbacks in their quest to pull off the daring stunt.

One of the most compelling aspects of "Man on Wire" is the way it captures Petit's passion and determination to achieve his dream, despite the seemingly insurmountable challenges he faces. Through inte


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