Sal Vulcano
American comedian (born 1976)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Salvatore Edward Anthony Vulcano (born November 6, 1976) is an American improvisational and stand-up comedian, actor, and producer from the New York City borough of Staten Island. He is a member of The Tenderloins, a comedy troupe consisting of himself, James Murray, Brian Quinn, and formerly Joe Gatto.[1] Along with the other members of The Tenderloins, he stars in the television series Impractical Jokers, which premiered in 2011, on TruTV.
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November 6, 1976
- Comedian
- actor
Sal Vulcano | |
|---|---|
Vulcano in 2023 | |
| Born | Salvatore Edward Anthony Vulcano November 6, 1976 New York City, U.S. |
| Alma mater | St. John's University (BS) |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1998–present |
| Children | 2 |
| Website | salvulcanocomedy |
| Signature | |
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Early life
Salvatore Edward Anthony Vulcano[2][3] was born on November 6, 1976[4] in Staten Island, and is of Italian, Cuban, and Puerto Rican descent.[5] He attended Monsignor Farrell High School;[6] along with Gatto, Murray, and Quinn, he was a member of his high school's Improvisation Club.[7] He received his undergraduate degree in finance from St. John's University in 1998.[8]
Career
Early career
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 and sketch comedy troupe in 1999, calling themselves The Tenderloins.
The Tenderloins began producing comedy sketches together, posting them on YouTube, MySpace, and Metacafe, accumulating millions of views online. In 2007, the troupe won the $100,000 grand prize in the NBC "It's Your Show" competition for the sketch "Time Thugs".
Impractical Jokers and other television shows
Impractical Jokers premiered on December 15, 2011, on TruTV, which was watched by over 32 million viewers in its first season. The show has become the most popular series on TruTV and has boosted Vulcano into the public eye. As of November 2017, Sal was the most punished joker on the show.[9] In season 3, episode 26 "The Permanent Punishment", Quinn, Murray and Vulcano lost and had to get a tattoo of Gatto's choice. Vulcano was given a Jaden Smith tattoo, which became a running gag for the show.[10] In October 2019, Vulcano, 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." The series was renewed for a third season.[11]
In 2019, Vulcano appeared as the celebrity guest on episode 2 of Straight Up Steve Austin.[12][13]
In February 2021, as a result of a punishment on the show, Vulcano was renamed to Prince Herb for the rest of the show's season as well as in all his media appearances.[14] The punishment episode aired on April 29, 2021.[15] However, after Gatto left the show in December 2021, the Prince Herb alias was dropped by Vulcano, and in the first episode without Gatto, aired on April 2, 2022, the other jokers officially retired Prince Herb.[16]
In June 2022, Vulcano appeared in season 1, episode 9, "Babysitting Lemurs", of Would I Lie to You?. He also appeared in season 4, episode 5 of the show What We Do in the Shadows.
Vulcano made a cameo appearance in the 2022 film Clerks III. He served as an executive producer for the 2025 TV special Foul Play with Anthony Davis.[17]
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What Say You? podcast
What Say You?, an occasional podcast hosted by Vulcano and Quinn, was named Best New Show at the 2013 Stitcher Awards.[18][19] The increased popularity of What Say You sparked a friendly competition among the friends, spurring Gatto and Murray to release their own Tenderloins podcast without the other two members. In 2015, What Say You? was nominated for the Comedy, Entertainment, and Best Produced Podcast Awards at the 10th Annual Podcast Awards.[18][better source needed] They have stated that the podcast is their own side project, not a replacement of The Tenderloins Podcast. The group explained that it was difficult to coordinate the schedules of all four members outside of work, making it challenging to produce their troupe's official podcast with any regularity.
Hey Babe! podcast
Vulcano has collaborated with fellow comedian and friend Chris Distefano on a podcast called Hey Babe! (alternatively titled Sal and Chris Present: Hey Babe!) in recent years.[20]
Stand up career
Vulcano has been a part of live Impractical Jokers performance tours since 2012.[21] He has also started doing solo tours, and on May 31, 2024, he released his first full-length stand-up special, Terrified, via 800 Pound Gorilla’s production.[22][23]
Personal life
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On an episode of Impractical Jokers, he said that he was hit by a car at the age of four.[24]
Vulcano has two tattoos of Jaden Smith: one on his left thigh which he received as a punishment on the show,[25] and an updated portrait on his right thigh which he received as part of a segment in Impractical Jokers: The Movie.[26]
On March 13, 2014, Vulcano's Impractical Jokers costar James Murray jokingly, yet legally, married 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.[27]
In May 2024, Vulcano appeared on Theo Von's podcast This Past Weekend, where he revealed that he had married his long-time girlfriend and had a 20-month-old daughter with her.[28] In October of 2025, Vulcano revealed on Ryan Sickler’s podcast that he and his girlfriend had had another child together, a 10-month-old son.[29]
A certified ordained minister, Vulcano officiated former Tenderloins member Joe Gatto's wedding.[30]
Vulcano has been a member of the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels since June 15, 2016.[31][32]
Vulcano is a New York Yankees fan[33] and a pro wrestling fan. He made an appearance on the pre-show of WrestleMania 35.[34]
Filmography
| Year(s) | Title | Role | Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Damned! | Lawn Mower Boy | |
| 2007 | Just Another Romantic Wrestling Comedy | Pinky | |
| 2011–present | Impractical Jokers | Himself | Main cast (288 episodes); also producer |
| 2015 | Bones | Sal | Episode: "The Senator in the Street Sweeper" |
| 2017 | Drunk History | Himself | Episode: "Alexander Graham Bell & James Garfield/The Dambusters" |
| 12 Monkeys | Officer Sal | Episode: "Causality" | |
| 2017–2021 | Impractical Jokers: After Party | Himself | Main cast (14 episodes) |
| 2019–2021 | The Misery Index | Himself | Main cast (50 episodes) |
| 2020 | Impractical Jokers: The Movie | Himself | |
| MacGyver | Chef Salvatore | Episode: "Mac + Desi + Riley + Aubrey" | |
| Loafy | Himself | Voice role, 2 episodes | |
| 2020–2021 | Impractical Jokers: Dinner Party | Himself | Main cast (18 episodes) |
| Bless the Harts | Bear Vulcano | 2 episodes | |
| 2022 | What We Do in the Shadows | Himself | Episode: "Private School" |
| Clerks III | Auditioner | ||
| Would I Lie to You? | Himself | Episode: "Babysitting Lemurs" | |
| 2024 | Terrified | Himself | Television special |