'Impractical Jokers' Full Cast List: Meet Joe Gatto, James Murray, Brian Quinn and Sal Vulcano of truTV's hit prank show
The ninth season of truTV’s hit prank show ‘Impractical Jokers’ is almost upon us. The fan-favorite series featuring comedy troupe The Tenderloins will return with a fresh burst of laughter and surprises on February 4. According to the latest announcement about the new season, we can expect more fun-filled and hilariously crazy episodes from the four friends.
Before we grab our popcorn bowls and gear up for another season of laughter riot, let’s have a look at the famous four behind the show. The four members of the cast — Joe Gatto, James ‘Murr’ Murray, Brian ‘Q’ Quinn, and Sal Vulcano — are also the show’s creators and executive producers.
All of them hail from Staten Island, New York, and have been inseparable friends since high school, after meeting in their freshman year at Monsignor Farrell High School. They were all members of their high school Improvisation Club. Back in 1999, they first formed their comedy group The Tenderloins and have only risen to prominence together in the comedy circuit since then.
The Tenderloins gained popularity over YouTube, Myspace and Metacafe. In 2007, they won a $100,000 grand prize on the NBC competition ‘It’s Your Show’. The real spotlight came in 2011 with the launch of truTV’s ‘Impractical Jokers’. The first season itself of the show had a viewership of 32 million and there was no stopping ever since. In 2019, the group starred in 'The Misery Index' hosted by Jameela Jamil, and in February 2020, the film ‘Impractical Jokers: The Movie’ was released.
Joe Gatto
Joseph Anthony Gatto Jr, known as Joe Gatto on screen, was born on June 5, 1976. After attending high school with his three friends, he pursued a degree in Accounting at a private university LIU Post. After graduating from college, the four friends reunited and they started practicing improv comedy at Gatto's house.
Gatto is presently married to Bessy Gatto since 2013 and the couple shares two children together — daughter Milana Gatto and son Remington Gatto. Gatto is also a huge pet lover and a staunch supporter of the "Adopt, Don’t Shop" policy, often raising awareness about it among people. He has nine pet dogs – Spumoni, Biscotti, Tartufo, Napoleon, Cannoli, Struffoli, Ganache, Panna and Cotta.
Sal Vulcano
Born on November 6, 1976, Salvatore Edward Anthony Vulcano aka Sal Vulcano, comes from Italian, Cuban and Puerto-Rican descent. At the age of four, he had a car accident, as he revealed in an episode of ‘Impractical Jokers’. After high school, he graduated from St John’s University with a degree in Finance.
Apart from ‘Impractical Jokers’, Vulcano also hosted an occasional podcast ‘What Say You?’ with The Tenderloins member Brian Quinn. The increased popularity of this podcast, and also the 2013 Stitcher Awards as Best New Show, spurred a friendly rivalry among the group.
The other two members — Gatto and Murray, started their own Tenderloins Podcast in response, without Vulcano and Quinn. Later, Vulcano stated that ‘What Say You?’ is their side project and not a replacement of The Tenderloins Podcast.
Little known about Vulcano is his status as an ordained minister and he actually officiated Joe Gatto’s wedding. Vulcano admitted that he suffers from germophobia, acrophobia (fear of heights) and ailurophobia (fear of cats). He has a tattoo of Jaden Smith on his thigh as a result of a punishment from the show.
Brian Quinn
Born on March 14, 1976, in Brooklyn, Quinn moved to Staten Island with his family at the age of two. He belongs to Irish-Italian ancestry. After high school, he joined Brooklyn College and later he worked at New York City Fire Department for eight years. Quinn joined The Tenderloins as the fourth member after one of the original members, Mike Boccio, left the troupe.
Besides their hit show, Quinn is separately involved in a podcast called ‘Tell ‘Em Steve-Dave!’ since 2010. He co-hosts the show with Bryan Johnson and Walt Flanagan. Quinn suffers from depression and has opened up about his struggles time and again. He has three pet cats — Benjamin, Brooklyn and Chessie. In fact, thanks to a punishment on the show, he sports a tattoo saying “38. Lives alone. Has 3 cats.”
In 2009, Quinn was arrested in Germany for disorderly conduct at the Oktoberfest. The German Police escorted him back to the USA and then his friends from The Tenderloins bailed him out. With the fortune he amassed from ‘Impractical Jokers’, he has donated $50,000 to the NYC Fire Department where he once worked.
James Murray
Born on May 1, 1976, James Stephen "Murr" Murray hails from a family with Irish ancestry. After his schooling, he attended Georgetown University in Washington, D.C, and graduated with a BA degree. Before The Tenderloins were formed, Murray wrote, directed and produced a film called ‘Damned!’.
Apart from his work with The Tenderloins, Murray worked as Senior Vice President of Development at NorthSouth Productions till 2018. He also co-wrote a sci-fi book ‘Awakened’ with Darren Wearmouth, and its sequel ‘The Brink’. The duo also co-wrote a horror novel ‘Don’t Move’.
In 2014, as a punishment to Vulcano from the show, Murray had to marry Vulcano’s sister Jenna Vulcano — which was annulled soon afterward. In 2020, Murray married Melyssa Davies.
‘Impractical Jokers’ Season 9 will drop on truTV on February 4 at 10/9C.