For actor, comedian, and producer Joe Gatto, family is everything.
The famous funnyman—best known for the hit TruTV show “Impractical Jokers”—has made spending more time with his two small children his top priority.
After nine seasons, Gatto announced in December 2021 that he would be stepping away from the massively successful hidden camera reality show following his divorce from his wife Bessy that same year.
He pivoted his career so he could spend more time at home, co-parenting his daughter Milana and son Remington, only heading out on the weekends to do solo standup shows, which he’s calling Joe Gatto’s Night of Comedy (coming to Miller Auditorium in Kalamazoo April 21).
“They’re going to laugh,” Gatto said about what audiences should expect. “As a fan of me on TV, they get to know more about me. I tell stories from my time on the show, my friendship with the guys and how I have messed with people throughout my life. But I also share my experiences with fatherhood, my rescue dog obsession and what it was like growing up with a crazy Italian mother.”
Gatto’s mother also serves as something of the source of inspiration for his new podcast, “Two Cool Moms,” which he launched with fellow comedian Steve Byrne early last year. The tongue-in-cheekily titled show features the two comedians discussing dilemmas submitted by listeners and then dispensing their own “motherly” advice inspired largely by their own strong moms.
“It’s fun on two fronts,” Gatto said about the podcast. “I get to talk about my mom, which has been a great way to celebrate her memory. She was such a great mother, and to pay homage to her is phenomenal. And I have no shortage of stories about my legendary mother. But to also help people has been a side benefit. I hear from listeners that our advice has helped them. So to spread comedy and actually help people makes me happy.”
Gatto lost his mother in 2012, after having already tragically lost his father to pancreatic cancer back in 1995 before he had even started in comedy.
“Growing up is important, but remembering that life is short is key,” Gatto said about how the childlike silliness of his comedy remains therapeutic for him. “Trying to have as much fun as you can before the lights get shut off is how I live. Losing my dad at an early age has engrained that in me. So I try to make the most of it all.”
He’s definitely made the most of his time as a comedian, reaching millions worldwide with “Impractical Jokers,” TBS’s “The Misery Index,” and other successful projects.
When asked if his own kids think he’s cool, he said they do, for now.
“They’re young, so I think all kids think that,” Gatto said. “I am hoping that lasts. I always thought highly of mine, so I think it is genetic to be a cool parent.”
He explained that neither he nor his kids are prankers at home, but life in their house is definitely silly.
“They are two little best friends and the things they say to one another always cracks me up,” he said. “They are quirky and silly, and that’s all me.”
Looking back on all the silliness he got into on “Impractical Jokers” with his lifelong friends and collaborators James Murray, Brian Quinn, and Sal Vulcano, Gatto said he’s very proud of what they created together as the show continues on without him.
“It’s not lost on me that I’ve helped people to find a reason to laugh when life made it very hard to,” he said. “I hear that from fans all the time, and I love that people welcomed me in their homes to laugh along with their family.”
He explained that he sees the guys as often as most middle age men do, and that they will always be close because they have such a long history that goes back to their days at Monsignor Farrell High School in Staten Island, well before their TV success, or their legendary comedy troupe The Tenderloins.
Turning to standup, Gatto said it’s taken some getting used to, and it’s taken a little while to adapt to being on his own onstage after working with his friends for so many years.
“It has been one heck of a journey,” he said. “I really enjoy doing standup comedy, because at my core I love making people laugh. And this is the format in which I am fortunate to do it right now. But the coolest thing for me is that everyone in the audience are a fan of me. And I love my fans and the amazing support they’ve given me as I’ve been figuring out what is next.”
Joe Gatto’s Night of Comedy
Miller Auditorium, 1341 Theater Drive, Kalamazoo
April 21, 7 p.m., $39.75- $92
Millerauditorium.com, (269) 387-2300
