He won’t be with his childhood friends, but you can bet on plenty of hijinks when James “Murr” Murray is in town Sunday, Oct. 29.

The comedian/writer/executive producer will be at Embassy Theatre for Murr Live, where practically anything could happen.

“If you see anything crazy happening that Sunday night during showtime, it means the show is happening,” Murray said in a phone interview with Whatzup.

Sticking together

Murray has been living a charmed life, getting to make a career out of hanging out and laughing with his friends Brian “Q” Quinn, Sal Vulcano, and Joe Gatto.

Growing up together, they were able to transition their friendship into a hit television show, Impractical Jokers on TruTV and TBS. Beginning its run in 2011, the show has a huge following of fans who crave seeing them play pranks on one another, as well as the unsuspecting public. 

“The guys and I have been friends for more than 30 years,” said Murray, known affectionately as Murr. “We went to an all-boys Catholic high school together. So, there was nothing to do in high school other than prank other students. 

“I think Impractical Jokers is pretty ingrained in our DNA. At this point, I have no other real-world skills. I can’t be a doctor. I can’t be a lawyer. I can’t do anything else other than prank my friends.”

He’s is undoubtedly selling himself short. He’s also authored five sci-fi/horror novels with Darren Wearmouth and three novels geared toward youths.

“I can do that,” he said. “I have degree in English and always wanted to write novels. I’ve written eight of them so far, and still going.”

He got that degree from Georgetown University. However, after getting back from college, he picked up right where he left off with his three friends and formed the improv troupe The Tenderloins. 

“It was like no time had passed,” Murray said. “We picked right back up into it, doing comedy. We did that for many years, then created Impractical Jokers, which, gosh, we created that 13 years ago and it’s still running. It’s nuts.”

Art of the prank

Impractical Jokers has been one of the top shows on television. The premise is that one of the guys will embark on a challenge while the others feed him instructions on what to do and say in interactions with the public.

Despite their willingness to do outrageous things, Murray said their apprehension to do so is what makes the show interesting.

“I think that’s the secret sauce of the show, that we don’t want to be doing (these pranks),” he said. “We’re not pranksters, these outrageous guys like (comedian) Eric André. We’re just regular guys being thrust into irregular situations. I think America likes to see us squirm.”

If they fail to squirm, they face punishment. Murray’s favorite was a short-lived marriage to Sal’s sister, while jumping out of an airplane was not as funny to him.

“They pushed me against my will out of an airplane to go skydiving,” he said. “That was a bad idea.”

That punishment was over within minutes. As far as another one goes, he’s still living it.

“When I fly to Fort Wayne, I have to go through TSA security, and my driver’s license photo, because of Impractical Jokers, still has no eyebrows on it,” he said.

Interactive show

When he does arrive in the Summit City, it will be familiar to him.

“I love Fort Wayne,” he said. “We’ve been there so many times over the years. It’s a great town.”

On stage, you’ll see the Murr you’ve come to love.

“I tell stories from the TV show, from my own life,” he said. “I show videos of hidden camera challenges that I shot just for the live show in Fort Wayne. You can’t see them anywhere else.”

Along with watching him, you just might be a part of this interactive show. In one portion, he will use someone’s cellphone to text someone, with the recipient thinking it’s their family or friend.

“It will cause momentary chaos, and eventually I’ll Facetime people from their phones,” he said. “The look on people’s faces when I Facetime them, and it’s me in front of hundreds of people, it’s a lot of fun.”

Another lucky attendee will get the chance to live out their Impractical Jokers fantasy.

“At the end of the show, I’m gonna choose somebody and put an earpiece in their ear and send them out on the streets of Fort Wayne,” Murray said. “We’re going to watch on screen in the theater as live on the spot, they have to do and say what I tell them to. It’s like watching the TV show happen right in front of your face.”

So, yes, if you’re walking around downtown on Oct. 29 and something strange happens, you might have just unwittingly become part of the show.