Did James 'Murr' Murray write horror novels? 'Impractical Jokers' star has also written and directed a movie
Fans will identify James “Murr” Murray at first glance as the ever-smiling member of The Tenderloins, starring in the hit truTV comedy show ‘Impractical Jokers’. However, there is a secret side to Murr which few are aware of. Did you know Murray is an accomplished horror novelist, who has co-written three sci-fi horror novels with Darren Wearmouth? All his books have reportedly earned positive reviews among readers.
Who is James Murray and what did he write?
Born on May 1, 1976, in Staten Island, New York, Murray hails from Irish ancestry. He attended Monsignor Farrell High School along with his friends Joe Gatto, Brian Quinn and Sal Vulcano — the other three members of the ‘Impractical Jokers’. Together, they launched the improv and sketch comedy troupe The Tenderloins.
After graduating high school in 1994, Murray attended Georgetown University in Washington, DC where he pursued a BA degree.
Before teaming up with his friends to start a career in comedy, Murray wrote, directed, and produced a film, ‘Damned!’, that starred Jeremy Guskin as Jesus in a unique, non-traditional take on the Bible. The production cost of the film was met by Murray’s parents whom he requested for the same instead of gifting him a car.
Till 2018, Murray was also part of NorthSouth Productions as the Senior Vice President of Development. His side stint as an author first took off in 2018, when he co-wrote the novel ‘Awakened’ with Darren Wearmouth. The book tells the story of a monster that resides in the New York City subways.
A sequel to the book, 'The Brink' released the next year, again written by Murray and Wearmouth together. In 2020, the writers paired up again for their third endeavor — a horror novel titled ‘Don’t Move’ that revolves around a group of campers being hunted by a giant arachnid. His Instagram bio directs followers to his book link on Amazon.
A few unknown facts about ‘Murr’
Regular viewers of ‘Impractical Jokers’ must remember the time when Murray married Sal Vulcano’s sister Jenna Vulcano as a punishment to Sal. Their marriage was annulled soon afterward. In real life, Murray married his fiance Melyssa Davies on September 26, 2020.
In his youth, Murray shared an apartment with his friend Joe Gatto. Murray and Sal Vulcano are the two Jokers to never have won an episode by themselves. And Murray and Quinn are the two Jokers who wear fake teeth now after losing their teeth during the show in the middle of filming. Murray also has a tattoo of a skydiving ferret as part of a punishment from the show.
Murray once ran for Congress as a joke on April Fool’s Day. He started balding in his thirties, but since his driver’s license still had a photo of him with a full head of hair, the ‘Jokers’ subjected him to shave off all his remaining hair as a punishment.
Catch Murray and the Jokers with their painfully hilarious shenanigans on Season 9 of ‘Impractical Jokers’ that premieres on February 4 at 10/9C on truTV.
