James ‘Murr’ Murray and his high school friends – Brian Quinn, Sal Vulcano, and Joe Gatto – have entertained us for a decade with all manner of pranks on Impractical Jokers. Gatto has since left the group known as The Tenderloins to deal with issues in his personal life.
Impractical Jokers will return for the 10th season in mid-2022, allowing Murray to complete an early 2022 stand-up comedy tour. To his fans’ surprise, Murr is an exceptional horror writer, with releases such as Awakened and Don’t Move impressing readers and critics.
Murr admitted to being gay during an interview as part of a prank planned by Sal Vulcano
In an episode of Daytime Talk Show with Sally Jessy, Sal Vulcano came out as gay. Moments after his confession, Murr also admitted to being. Sal then recanted his confession, claiming that he came out to prank Murr into revealing his sexual orientation. Vulcano evoked murmurs of discontent from the crowd when he said:
“It feels great that my best friend James has come out of the closet. That’s the reason I brought him here today. You see, I am not gay, but I knew If I said I was gay, he’d admit that he was gay.”
Murr’s confession also turned out to be false as, at the time, he was engaged to Melyssa Davies.
Murr and his wife Melyssa Davies do not plan on having kids any time soon
Murr and nursing school graduate Melyssa Davies met at a June 2018 press event for Murr’s book Awakened. The couple hit it off immediately, Murr told People. “Thank God I wrote that damn book,” Murr added. Just over a year after meeting, Murr proposed, with a ring from Tiffany and Co. at the couple’s New Jersey home.
“I set up a picnic and champagne and a Scrabble board,” he explained. “I took her there to sign ‘documents’ [about the house] – there were no documents to sign. And thank God she said yes.” Melyssa was just as excited at the prospect of marrying the comedian. “I am so myself around him,” she told the publication. “It’s amazing.”
Murr and Melyssa’s wedding ceremony became a logistical nightmare after the coronavirus pandemic hit the United States with a vengeance. The ever-changing COVID-19 restrictions forced the couple to constantly alter preparations. To try and get ahead of the shifting restrictions, the couple planned four different wedding ceremonies.
At worst, they would have simple nuptials in the backyard of their home. Thankfully, they managed to book an outdoor space at the Lake House Inn in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, that accommodated a quarter of their original guest list. The couple wed in September 2020 in front of close friends and family. “And thankfully we’re both healthy, and our families are healthy, so it’s kind of a blessing in that way,” Murr said.
Murr told People that he never envisioned himself getting married before he met Melyssa. He continued: “I never thought I wanted to get married. And I met Melyssa and it was instantly different. I knew I was going to marry her.” The couple is approaching one-and-a-half years of marriage and is yet to add kids into their family. Murr told Jon Interviews that kids are a consideration, but he and Davies don’t plan on welcoming children any time soon:
“No. That’s a few years away. Right now I’m enjoying the married life and enjoying making a TV show with my best friends. And I’m raising a puppy.”
Murr married Sal Vulcano’s sister Jenna after Sal lost a challenge on Impractical Jokers
Season 3’s finale episode featured one of the most extreme punishments on Impractical Jokers. Sal’s sister Jenna Vulcano usually appears on the show when the crew wants to make him extra uncomfortable.
During the episode Brother-in-Loss, Sal lost a challenge, and for his punishment, he had to watch Murr marry his sister Jenna Vulcano. Murr and Jenna had a full-fledged ceremony, complete with the customary white gown and black tuxedo. After the ceremony, Murr tweeted:
“Yes I legally married Sal’s sister, no joke. And yes we annulled the marriage… after the honeymoon night!”