Brit actor Stephen Fry killed by hypno-programmed assassin

Magicians are generally highly creepy and kind of uncool. Especially this one. But we like British mentalist Derren Brown, even if he occupies something of an ethical grey area sometimes (as when he hypnotized this poor kid into believing he’d entered a House of the Dead-type video game).

In the first episode of his new series The Experiments, Brown demonstrates that a human can be hypno-programmed to kill—a stunt that ends with the assassination of Brit actor-writer Stephen Fry (sort of).

Those familiar with the case of Sirhan Sirhan and the girl in the polka dot dress will be impressed. Brown discusses the alleged killer of Bobby Kennedy at the top of the show, although assassination experts might quibble with one thing—Sirhan fired at Senator Kennedy, but the lethal bullet entered his head at close range from behind. Sirhan was standing some five feet in front of the Senator when he unloaded his pistol.

Not to nerd-block Brown’s rather remarkable demonstration.