James Murray (comedian)
American comedian (born 1976)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
James Stephen "Murr" Murray (born May 1, 1976), is an American improvisational comedian, author, and actor. He is a member of The Tenderloins, a comedy troupe also consisting of Brian Quinn, Sal Vulcano, and formerly Joe Gatto. Along with Quinn and Vulcano, he stars in the television series Impractical Jokers, which premiered in 2011 on TruTV.
May 1, 1976
- Comedian
- actor
- author
James Murray | |
|---|---|
Murray at GalaxyCon Oklahoma City in May 2025 | |
| Born | James Stephen Murray May 1, 1976 New York City, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Georgetown University (BA) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Spouses | Jenna Vulcano
(m. 2014; ann. 2014)Melyssa Davies (m. 2020) |
| Website | jamesmurrayofficial |
| Signature | |
 | |
Early life
James Stephen Murray[1][2][3] was born on May 1, 1976[4][5] in Staten Island, New York City, where he was also raised.[6] He is of Irish and Italian descent.[7] He attended Monsignor Farrell High School in that borough, meeting his future comedy partners Joe Gatto, Brian Quinn, and Sal Vulcano in their freshman year. He graduated in 1994.[8] Murray later graduated from Georgetown University, in Washington, D.C.[9] As a child, he had a model railroad with his father.[10]
Career
Early career
In 1998, Murray produced, wrote, and directed a film titled Damned!, starring Jeremy Guskin as Jesus in an alternate retelling of the Bible. Rather than paying for a Ford Taurus, Murray's parents paid for the production of this film at his request.[11]
After being apart for four years, Murray, Gatto, and Vulcano reunited after graduating from college and began practicing improvisation at Gatto's house, going on to tour as an improv & sketch comedy troupe in 1999, and calling themselves The Tenderloins.[12]
The Tenderloins began producing comedy sketches together, posting them on YouTube, MySpace, and Metacafe, and subsequently accumulating millions of views online. In 2007, the troupe won the $100,000 grand prize in NBC's It's Your Show competition for the sketch "Time Thugs".[13]
Impractical Jokers and other television shows
Impractical Jokers premiered on December 15, 2011, on TruTV, and was watched by over 32 million viewers in its first season.[14] The show has become the most popular series on TruTV.
Since 2012 Murray has been a part of the Impractical Jokers Live tours.[15]
In October 2019, Murray, along with the other members of The Tenderloins, starred in The Misery Index, which is hosted by Jameela Jamil and is based on Andy Breckman's card game "Shit Happens".
Impractical Jokers: The Movie was released on February 21, 2020. It concluded on March 20, 2025, marking a transition for the show as it moved exclusively to TBS. Murray remains a primary cast member, and Season 12 has been officially confirmed for release in 2026.[16]
Principal photography for the film adaptation of Murray's 2020 novel Don't Move wrapped in October 2024. Murray serves as a co-producer for the film, which was slated for a theatrical and VOD release in late 2025.[17]
He made a cameo appearance in the film Clerks III, released in 2022. He served as an executive producer for the 2025 TV special Foul Play With Anthony Davis.[18] On the February 10, 2023, episode of AEW Rampage, Murray and Brian Quinn appeared in a segment where they were beaten down by Chris Jericho and the Jericho Appreciation Society.[19]
Other ventures
Murray worked at NorthSouth Productions, where he was the senior vice president of development, leaving in February 2018.[20]
In 2018, he released a sci-fi/horror novel entitled Awakened, which was co-written by Darren Wearmouth, and revolves around the discovery of an intensely hostile race of intelligent, methane-breathing monsters living beneath the New York City Subway and the sinister Foundation for Human Advancement - an almost equally cruel and ruthless organization dedicated to the destruction of that race through world domination. The book became a #1 Sunday Times Best Seller.[21] A sequel, called The Brink, was released in June 2019.[22]
In October 2020, Murray and Wearmouth co-wrote another horror novel, Don't Move, which follows a group of campers being hunted by a giant arachnid.[23][24]
In July 2021, they published a thriller, The Stowaway, about a serial killer on board a cruise ship.[25] In March 2022, Murray wrote the middle-grade novel Area 51 Interns: Alien Summer with author Carsen Smith, the first novel in the Area 51 Interns series. The series is about a girl named Viv Harlow, whose parents work at Area 51, and how while she and her friends are here they must stop evil aliens from taking over the world.[26] The second book in the series, Zoned Out, was released later that same year, and the third installment, Time Chasers, was released in October 2023.[27]
His most recent work, You Better Watch Out, follows a group of people being tracked down by a killer.[28]
In 2021, Murray began a solo standup tour, Murr Live. The family-friendly show consists of stories relating to the TV show, videos, and hidden camera challenges, and includes audience participation.[29]
On October 21, 2024, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Murray's book Don't Move was being adapted into a feature film, and that principal photography had wrapped in Kansas City, Missouri on October 18, 2024.[30] Murray is a co-producer for the film, and it was set to be released in late 2025.[31]
Personal life
Relationships
As of November 2022, Murray resided in Princeton, New Jersey.[32]
On March 13, 2014, Murray jokingly, yet legally, married Sal Vulcano's sister, Jenna Vulcano, as a result of Vulcano's punishment in the season 3 finale, "Brother-in-Loss"; they annulled the marriage shortly after consummation.[33]
In July 2019, Murray became engaged to Melyssa Davies, whom he met at his launch party for his book Awakened.[34][35] The couple married on September 25, 2020, at 7:56 PM EST.[36][37]
In 2025, Murray bought a house that hosts a model railroad club, the Pacific Southern Railway. The house hosts Murray's wife's candle business and Alzheimer's charity, while the model train club resides in the basement.[10][38]
Beliefs and interests
Murray has been a Kentucky Colonel since June 15, 2016.[39][40] On June 9, 2024, Murray served as the Grand Marshall of the 2024 Toyota/Save Mart 350 race.[41]
Although raised Catholic, Murray indicated in a 2014 interview that he identifies as an atheist.[42]
His interests include traveling, hiking, and kayaking.[43]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Private Parts | Student | Uncredited |
| 1998 | Damned! | Judas Iscariot | Also director, producer, and writer |
| 2017 | Return to Return to Nuke 'Em High AKA Volume 2 | Chuck Flingus | |
| Christmas Time | Dr. Murphy | ||
| 2020 | Impractical Jokers: The Movie | Himself | Also writer |
| 2022 | Clerks III | Auditioner | Cameo |
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Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | The Tenderloins | Himself | Television film; also writer |
| 2011–present | Impractical Jokers | Himself | Main cast (289 episodes); also executive producer and producer |
| 2015 | Bones | Murray | Episode: "The Senator in the Street Sweeper" |
| 2016 | 12 Monkeys | Desk Clerk | Episode: "Bodies of Water" |
| 2017 | Drunk History: UK | Drunk Storyteller | Episode: "Billy the Kid/Elizabeth I" |
| Impractical Jokers: After Party | Himself | Main cast (26 episodes) | |
| 2018 | The Last Sharknado: It's About Time | Eastwood | Television film[44] |
| 2018–2020 | Gods of Medicine | Todd James | 3 episodes |
| 2019–2021 | The Misery Index | Himself | Main cast (50 episodes) |
| 2020 | MacGyver | Maître d' | Episode: "Mac + Desi + Riley + Aubrey"[45] |
| Loafy | Himself | Voice role, 2 episodes | |
| Nickelodeon's Unfiltered | Himself | Episode: "Hot Dog Dance Party!" | |
| 2020–2021 | Impractical Jokers: Dinner Party | Himself | Main cast (18 episodes) |
| 2021 | Down to Business | Himself | Episode: "Down to Laugh" |
Web series
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Pitch Meeting | Himself | Episode: "Birds of Prey Pitch Meeting" |
Bibliography
Awakened series (with Darren Wearmouth)
- Awakened (2018)
- The Brink (2019)
- Obliteration (2020)
Area 51 Interns series (with Carsen Smith)
- Alien Summer (2022)
- Zoned Out (2022)
- Time Chasers (2023)
Other novels
- Don't Move (2020) (with Darren Wearmouth)
- The Stowaway (2021) (with Darren Wearmouth)
- You Better Watch Out (2024) (with Darren Wearmouth)
Accolades
| Year | Award | Nominee / work | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Shorty Awards | Himself | Best in Literature | Nominated[46] |
