When I sat down with James “Murr” Murray, one of the stars and creators of Impractical Jokers, I asked him whether he sleeps with one eye open.
He laughed and told me that, after all these years, he was skeptical of almost everything. In fact, before agreeing to our interview, he said his team thoroughly vetted both me and City Lifestyle. In his world, a perfectly ordinary interview was exactly the kind of thing that could turn into a setup, and with a new season of Impractical Jokers in the works, he was not taking any chances. I told him that, should he ever need a willing participant for a future punchline, I would be more than happy to volunteer. Consider that my official hint—my offer stands.
It was a funny exchange, but it was also a revealing one.
The version of Murray most people know is the one on screen—quick-witted, charismatic, game for almost anything and always one beat from disaster. What people do not always see is the man underneath that amplified persona: a producer, writer and creative force who spent years working, pitching and waiting to bring his dream to life.
For all the chaos Impractical Jokers sells, Murray’s career tells a much steadier story. It is a story about patience, friendship and staying with the work long enough to create something that lasts.
That is what makes Murray a natural fit for our Men’s Issue. He is not just a familiar face from a hit show. He is someone who builds.
Long before Impractical Jokers became a success, Murray and his lifelong friends were doing improv together, sharpening the chemistry that eventually became the foundation of an entire franchise. The roots of that friendship go all the way back to high school. What audiences see on screen is funny because it is real. These are friends who grew up together and understand exactly how to push, challenge and support one another. There is real trust there, and that trust is the backbone of everything they have built together.
Murray is also quick to point out that none of it happened by accident. “It was a very calculated business decision,” he says. Before Impractical Jokers ever landed on television, he spent a decade working in TV development, learning how shows were made and what networks wanted. He eventually went on to pitch his own show.
That kind of patience says a lot about a person.
It also says a lot about why the show has lasted. Almost 16 years since its debut, and now with Season 13 in the works, Impractical Jokers proves that meaningful success does not come from luck alone. It comes from consistency and caring long after it’s easy to coast. One of the most compelling things about Murray is that he does not sound like someone phoning it in. He still talks about the show with energy and sounds invested in what comes next.
When Murray talks about success, what comes through most is perspective. He tells me they were 34 years old when they finally got on TV, old enough to understand what it took to get there and wise enough not to take it for granted. By then, they were not just aspiring comics—they were adults with real jobs and responsibilities, which may be part of why the opportunity never seems lost on him. “It keeps us humble,” he says.
He also seems especially proud that Impractical Jokers is a show grandparents, parents and kids can all watch together. In a culture where shared entertainment is rare, that connection clearly matters to him.
That history gives weight to the advice he offers now. He knows what it’s like to work tough temp jobs in New York, paying bills by day and writing at night. So when he says, “Find what you love and do it and don’t give up on it,” you believe he means it.
That same groundedness feels especially clear when the conversation turns to New Jersey. Murray lives in Princeton now, and some of the work he cares about most is happening just minutes away in Rocky Hill.
In 2025, Murray purchased the iconic Rocky Hill home that houses Pacific Southern Railway, a nonprofit model railroad club he was determined to help save. The property is the longtime home of the club’s legendary HO-scale railroad, a 5,000-square-foot layout with more than 12,000 feet of hand-laid track that has been a cornerstone of model railroading since 1964. After the passing of longtime steward Carl Pate III in 2024, the future of the layout was uncertain. Murray, a lifelong train enthusiast, stepped in and bought the property to secure its future.
That detail matters because it says so much about who he is. He did more than appreciate the railroad. He invested to preserve it.
When Murray talks about the railroad, what comes through is a real sense of care. This is not simply an interesting side project. It is a way of preserving wonder, protecting local history and keeping something tactile and imaginative alive in a world that increasingly lives behind screens. As Murray puts it, “You have to protect that and save it and grow it.”
The house itself becomes part of that vision. Under Murray’s ownership, Pacific Southern is expanding its reach with virtual memberships, a refreshed online presence and more community-facing events, including open houses and fundraisers.
He is also not done taking big swings.
Beyond Impractical Jokers, Murray continues connecting with audiences through Murr Live, his solo comedy tour, where fans get to see more of his off-screen storytelling and personality. He is also the author of several novels, continuing to stretch into a very different creative lane. His thriller, Don’t Move, originally published as a novel, has now grown into a film project set to be released soon. Murray is not coasting on one successful idea. He is still creating, still evolving and still building what comes next.
That forward momentum is what ties everything together—friendship, patience, creativity, longevity and local impact. Murray comes across as someone who understands that meaningful success rarely happens quickly. Sometimes it takes years of rejection, years of work and years of belief. The real gift is staying with it long enough to see what it can become.
James “Murr” Murray may be best known for making people laugh, but that is only part of the story. The fuller picture is even more interesting. He is still creating, still taking risks and still building something lasting—just with one eye open at night.
For more information
Murr Live and official updates
jamesmurrayofficial.com
Pacific Southern Railway
pacificsouthern.org