The Enigma (born Paul Lawrence) is an American

sideshow In North America, a sideshow is an extra, secondary production associated with a circus, carnival, fair, or other such attraction. Types There are four main types of classic sideshow attractions: *The Ten-in-One offers a program of ten ...

performer, actor, and musician who has undergone extensive

body modification Body modification (or body alteration) is the deliberate altering of the human anatomy or human physical appearance. In its broadest definition it includes skin tattooing, socially acceptable decoration (''e.g.'', common ear piercing in many so ...

, including horn implants, ear reshaping, multiple body piercings, and a full-body jigsaw-puzzle

tattoo A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing ...

. His tattooing process began on December 20, 1992, under the needle of " Katzen the Tiger Lady", whom he later married, and has since divorced. To date, the Enigma has had more than two hundred tattoo artists work on him, with as many as twenty-three tattoos underway at one time.

Biography

Lawrence was born in

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

, and was raised in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

and began studying music when he was six years old. In 1991, he got his start as a member of the Jim Rose Circus, with which he performed around the world until 1998, touring with acts such as Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, Korn,

Godsmack Godsmack is an American rock band from Lawrence, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The band is composed of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Sully Erna, bassist Robbie Merrill, lead guitarist Tony Rombola and drummer Shannon Larkin. Since its form ...

, and once opening for

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

. The Enigma then toured with Katzen, playing music and doing sideshow performances under the moniker "Human Marvels". He performed at

Universal Studios Orlando Universal Orlando Resort, commonly known as Universal Orlando or simply Universal, formerly Universal Studios Escape, is an American theme park and entertainment resort complex based in Orlando, Florida. The resort is operated by Universal Pa ...

's Halloween Horror Nights event in fall 2007 with Serana Rose, performing various tricks with fire, electricity, power tools and blades. He has also performed at Detroit's

Theatre Bizarre Theatre Bizarre is an annual Halloween masquerade staged at the Detroit Masonic Temple. The event takes up eight of the building's sixteen floors. The performers include local and national music acts, burlesque dancers, suspension artists and s ...

Media appearances

The Enigma has appeared in a number of television programs including '' Penn & Teller: Bullshit!'' and ''

The X-Files ''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction drama television series created by Chris Carter. The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), who ...

'' (Season 2 - episode 20 "

Humbug A humbug is a person or object that behaves in a deceptive or dishonest way, often as a hoax or in jest. The term was first described in 1751 as student slang, and recorded in 1840 as a "nautical phrase". It is now also often used as an exclama ...

"), where he played a character named "the Conundrum", loosely based upon himself. Palisade Toys later made a toy based on this character as part of their ''X-Files'' PALz

action figure An action figure is a poseable character model figure made most commonly of plastic, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, military, video game or television program; fictional or historical. These figures are usually mark ...

line. This character was also prominently featured on the ''X-Files'' pinball machine. The Enigma appeared with Jim Rose on ''The Gong Show'' in 2008 performing their own chainsaw stunt known as the "kiss of death." He was also featured in the 2005 documentary film ''Freaky Circus Guy'' alongside sideshow performers Katzen, Danielle D'Meux, and William Darke. In 2004, the Enigma appeared with

Mike Patton Michael Allan Patton (born January 27, 1968) is an American singer, producer, film composer and voice actor, best known as the lead vocalist of the alternative metal band Faith No More. Noted for his vocal proficiency, diverse singing techni ...

Jane Wiedlin Jane Marie Genevieve Wiedlin (born May 20, 1958) is an American musician and singer, best known as the co-founder, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist of the new wave band The Go-Go's. She has also had a successful solo career. The Go-Go's w ...

Karen Black Karen Blanche Black (née Ziegler; July 1, 1939 – August 8, 2013) was an American actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter. She rose to prominence for her work in various studio and independent films in the 1970s, frequently portrayi ...

, and Katzen in

Steve Balderson Stephen Clark Balderson (born January 19, 1975) is an American film director. Early life Balderson was born in Manhattan, Kansas and raised in nearby Wamego, Kansas until the age of twelve, when his family moved to Manhattan. Balderson attended ...

's film ''

Firecracker A firecracker (cracker, noise maker, banger) is a small explosive device primarily designed to produce a large amount of noise, especially in the form of a loud bang, usually for celebration or entertainment; any visual effect is incidental to ...

''. He performed with Rose in a freak show act called Show Devils. In 2007, he appeared in Billy Talent's music video for their single "

Fallen Leaves Fallen Leaves may refer to: * "Fallen Leaves" (song), a 2006 song by Billy Talent * ''Fallen Leaves'' (film), a 2023 Finnish film See also * The Fallen Leaves The Fallen Leaves are a British garage rock group that formed in Richmond, Londo ...

". The Enigma released a DVD in 2008 with Rose directed by Robert Monson titled ''Electric Acid Theatre''. Additionally, the Enigma has been featured in numerous newspapers, magazines, and books. He has twice appeared in '' National Geographic''. In 2013, he was featured on the cover of '' Ripley's Believe It or Not! Special Edition''. He holds a Guinness World Record for his tattoos.

References

External links

*
The Enigma on BMEzine
*
Official Website of Show Devils The Enigma's Current Touring Show
{{DEFAULTSORT:Enigma, The American male television actors Sideshow performers Pigface members Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Male actors from Seattle People known for being heavily tattooed People known for their body modification Ripley's Believe It or Not!