Joe Gatto is a comedian best known for his time on Impractical Jokers and The Misery Index. Using hidden cameras, "Jokers" featured him and his three close friends competing through a series of prank-based challenges. After 9 seasons on the show, Gatto is now on his own and touring with a new stand-up comedy show Let's Get Into It
This week he joined "Kwani Has Questions" to talk about his journey into the world of comedy, the impact "Impractical Jokers" had on his career and what fans can expect from his show at the Wilbur on April 25, 2025
Read lightly edited excerpts from the interview below, and watch the full interview above.
NBC10 Boston: When did you know you were funny?
Joe Gatto: Just now when you laughed at that joke
I'm glad I could help!
In high school, I started using it as a little bit of a defense mechanism through some bullying. And then I actually enjoyed making people laugh and people turned to me for it. And then I, you know, I always did comedy on the side. We formed our comedy troupe, The Tenderloins, in 1999, and I was always just doing it as a sideshow just because we enjoyed it. We have our own shows in the city improv sketch, too, and sketch stuff on the weekends. And then finally I had to make the leap when [Impractical] Jokers hit off.
Local
Over the years, I mean, obviously, you guys figured out the cheat code because it was such a unique form of television in general, but then it's the bond of watching friends prank each other regularly is beautiful
When I first started, it was just like, OK, go be funny. So if you look at like the first, you know, episodes in the first season, there are so many. It's what, basically a one-liner show? Yeah, there's no room for breathing. There's no room for the uncomfortable. It's all just because we in the first episodes it was 22 minutes, right? We did like 5 challenges and a punishment, which is insane.
By the end of my time on the show nine and a half seasons in, we would do two really well-done challenges with a really well-done punishment. They just let everything breathe, let it live in the awkward. And we just got to show more of our personality. We showed more behind the scenes. Some of my favorite moments have nothing to do with, you know, what was literally happening in the moment was about making your friends laugh and the conversations that it spawned.
You mentioned the book, "Where's Bearry?" What inspired that? Was it your kids?
My son yeah, he lost his stupid stuffed animal. Any parent knows before bedtime it's a catastrophe if they lose it, he loses it. He's just going nuts... He was playing hide and seek with it and he hid under a pot in the kitchen. Then he forgot where it was.
The guy who illustrated it, Luke Flowers, was a fan of [Impractical] Jokers, which I didn't know. When I got the first drafts, there was Easter Eggs from Joker's. There's a picture of me and Jeanie like in the thing. There's a box of school. Keep it. Todd is in the closet. Like, it was really cool to have that and I'm very proud of that thing. And it's another cool thing I got.
The transition from doing the show "Impractical Jokers" to specifically focusing on standup how was that for you?
Interesting for sure. It's an amazing art form, which I always liked. I performed live my whole life, and it was always with the group. So being up there on stage for the first time by yourself
Frightening?
I wasn't afraid to perform because I'm not afraid of crowds. I've been in front of crowds a bunch, but I was afraid to talk for 65 minutes and be entertaining.
I started in comedy clubs and then people were coming out and then I jumped into all these beautiful theaters. These theaters are great, you know, and I just loved the size of them. I just love the crowd and there's so much history like the Wilbur, you know, that I'm going to play again. I played with the boys and to get up there and just be in these stages that are just known, it's really, really fun.
(The transition from) being with a group of people and now being solo. Was that easy as well?
Each form brings its challenges, right? The challenge of collaborating and coming up with something you all are happy with was a big challenge, and I'm fortunate enough to work with guys that I find very funny, find me funny, and we were able to build something together that way. Then when you're by yourself, it's like, OK, now I get to dive in and talk more about what I think is funny. So that was a challenge in itself, but also a welcomed one because if the show is great, you did a great job. if it's terrible, it's your fault.
I really enjoyed "Messing with People." Well, I enjoy messing with people in general, but I enjoyed your stand-up.
The special? or just messing with people?
Both. I really liked the bit, well I won’t spoil it, you guys should watch it. There’s a part where you have a connection to Boston in some ways because you’re basically texting someone.
Somebody texted me the wrong — I mess with people and somebody I decided to engage with someone who texted me from a number I didn’t know, thinking I was somebody else.
So the text just came in and says, “Is it ok if I wear khakis tomorrow?” and I just dove into it with this person and I ended up sending them — I mean, you should watch it — on a whole mission which was phenomenal and they realized that it wasn’t the person they thought they were talking to. They thought they were talking to their boss. So it was very funny.
So because we’re in Boston, if you work near BU (Boston University) and showed up to work with jeans, your dog and 12 bagels
I’m sorry and it wasn’t me.
I’m determined to find this person.
It’s funny because part of me wants to find them, but part of me wants them just to be a unicorn out there.
Thank you so much. Any final words? We didn't get to talk about your dogs.
I run a nonprofit in New York called Gatto Pups and Friends. It's a senior dog rescue that my wife started and we run out there. It's really, really fun to help all these little old, decrepit dogs. They're are a big part of my life. They're all named after Italian desserts and pastries.
We have 12 that live with us, we call them our upstairs dogs. That's our pack. We're there. Yeah. Our first rescue is my favorite, her name's Biscotti. She's my sweetheart.
