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.
Sal Vulcano | |
|---|---|
 Vulcano in April 2023 | |
| Born | Salvatore Edward Anthony Vulcano November 6, 1976 New York City, U.S. |
| Alma mater | St. John's University (BS) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Children | 1 |
| Website | salvulcanocomedy |
Early life
editVulcano was born in Staten Island, and is of Italian, Cuban, and Puerto Rican descent.[2] He attended Monsignor Farrell High School;[3] along with Gatto, Murray, and Quinn, he was a member of his high school's Improvisation Club.[4] He received his undergraduate degree in finance from St. John's University in 1998.[5]
Career
editEarly career
editAfter 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
editImpractical 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.[6] In Season 3, episode 26 "The Permanent Punishment", Q, Murr and Sal lost and had to get a tattoo of Joe's choice. Sal was given a Jaden Smith tattoo, which became a running gag for the show.[7]
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.[8]
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.[9] The punishment episode aired on April 29, 2021.[10] However, after Joe left the show in December 2021, the Prince Herb alias was dropped by Sal, and in the first episode without Joe, aired on April 2, 2022, the other jokers officially retired Prince Herb.[11]
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 4 of the show What We Do in the Shadows.
What Say You? podcast
editWhat Say You?, an occasional podcast hosted by Vulcano and Quinn, was named Best New Show at the 2013 Stitcher Awards.[12][13] 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.[12][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
editVulcano and fellow comedian and friend Chris Distefano have collaborated on the podcast Hey Babe in recent years. Until mid-2023, the podcast was produced by Mike "Homeless Pimp" Lavin. The podcast is unscripted, and follows conversations and recollections between the three on a variety of topics. Numerous running gags are associated with the podcast, including "shout-outs" to random celebrities, nations, and social identifiers as and when they come up in conversation, continuous references, congratulations, and commiserations to both the players and organisations that played in Super Bowl LV, and a Patreon page that, after being promised for a long time, lasted a month and has not been used since.
Personal life
editOn an episode of Impractical Jokers, he said that he was hit by a car at the age of four.[14] Vulcano has two tattoos of Jaden Smith: one on his left thigh which he received as a punishment on the show,[15] and an updated portrait on his right thigh which he received as part of a segment in Impractical Jokers: The Movie.[16]
In May 2024, Vulcano appeared on Theo Von's podcast This Last Weekend, where he revealed he married his long-time girlfriend and had a 20-month-old daughter with her.[17]
A certified ordained minister, Vulcano officiated former Tenderloins member Joe Gatto's wedding.[18]
Vulcano is a member of the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels.[19]
Vulcano is a New York Yankees fan.
Filmography
edit| Title | Role | Year(s) | Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| Just Another Romantic Wrestling Comedy | Pinky | 2007 | |
| Impractical Jokers | Himself | 2011–Present | Also Producer |
| Bones | Sal | 2015 | Episode: "The Senator in the Street Sweeper" |
| Impractical Jokers: After Party | Himself | 2017 | |
| 12 Monkeys | Security Officer Sal | 2017 | 1 Episode - Guest Star |
| The Misery Index | Himself | 2019-2021 | |
| Impractical Jokers: Dinner Party | Himself | 2020-2021 | |
| Impractical Jokers: The Movie | Himself | 2020 | |
| What We Do in the Shadows | Himself | 2022 | Episode: "Private School" |
| Clerks III | Auditioner 7 | 2022 | |
| Would I Lie to You? (US) | Himself | 2022 | Episode: "Babysitting Lemurs" |
Stand Up
editSal Vulcano: Terrified (2024)
References
edit- ^ Haring, Bruce (January 1, 2022). "'Impractical Jokers' Star Joe Gatto Announces He's Leaving Troupe After A Long Run". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ Bucholtz, Meg (November 5, 2019). "What Sal Vulcano was doing before Impractical Jokers took off". Looper.com.
- ^ Steussey, Lauren (October 9, 2014). "'Impractical Jokers' spinoff shot at Staten Island's Monsignor Farrell High School airs tonight". Staten Island Advance. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
- ^ O'Shei, Tim (January 19, 2018). "Impractical Jokers' success is rooted in a deeper vulnerability". The Buffalo News. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
- ^ "St. John's Alumni and Students Collaborate on Hit Show". St. John's University. May 11, 2020.
- ^ Favicchio, Stefanie (November 16, 2017). "Which 'Impractical Joker' Has Been "Punished" the Most? The Answer May Surprise You…". In Touch Weekly. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
- ^ "'Impractical Jokers' Stars Talk Getting Jaden Smith Tattoo and Meeting the Man Himself".
- ^ Bowman, Sabienna (January 3, 2021). "Misery Index Season 3 Release Date, Cast, And Plot - What We Know So Far". Looper.com. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
- ^ Tauber, Michelle (February 4, 2021). "Sal Vulcano on Making Season 9 of Impractical Jokers COVID-Safe — and His 'Regal' New Name". People.
- ^ "Impractical Jokers – Listings". The Futon Critic. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
- ^ Impractical Jokers [@trutvjokers] (April 2, 2022). "Farewell, Prince Herb. LONG LIVE SAL VULCANO! #ImpracticalJokers" (Tweet). Retrieved August 9, 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ a b "What Say You?". Stitcher. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
- ^ Stitcher (February 9, 2017). "The 2nd Annual Stitcher Awards!". Stitcher Blog. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
- ^ "Puncture Perfect". Impractical Jokers. Season 3. Episode 15. May 29, 2014. TruTV.
- ^ Lerner, Will (July 21, 2017). "'Impractical Jokers' Stars Talk Getting Jaden Smith Tattoo and Meeting the Man Himself". Yahoo. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
- ^ Cutler, Jacqueline (February 13, 2020). "'Impractical Jokers: The Movie' Team Talks Paula Abdul, Road Trip Comedy". Variety.
- ^ Sobhan, Athena (May 30, 2024). "Impractical Jokers Star Sal Vulcano Reveals He's Married, Has a Baby Daughter: 'Feelings I've Never Felt'". People Magazine. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
- ^ Anderson, Nicole. "Sal Vulcano - 5 Things You May Not Know About the 'Impractical Jokers' Star". Someecards. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
- ^ "Famous Colonels". Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels. Retrieved January 11, 2023.