Joe Gatto has moved on from Impractical Jokers for good.
With the release of his new Hulu comedy special, Messing with People, the comedian, 48, is moving on to a new phase in his career. Though the prank show holds a special place in his heart, Gatto confessed that he had no intentions of coming back after announcing his exit three years ago.
“It does not feel right, and I cannot commit to coming back to it,” he told The Wrap of returning or guesting on the series. “I’ve moved on from the show, the show has moved on from me. I am so removed from it.”
Courtesy TruTV
Despite his feelings, Gatto said he and his former costars are “still friends, just not friends from work anymore.”
After filming 300 episodes and spending a decade on Impractical Jokers, the actor admitted that he’s told all the jokes he’s wanted to tell. While fans may be disappointed, Gatto noted that he hasn’t ruled out returning when the show finally comes to an end.
“I would of course love to close it in a fun way. We talked about that a little bit. I would say it is definitely not the end of me collaborating with those guys,” he explained. “We have been doing it for decades before that and we will be doing it for decades after. We work on little side things here and there together. I love working with them. So who knows?”
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On Dec. 31, 2021, Gatto announced that he would be leaving the popular hidden camera prank series in order to work on “some issues in my personal life” in a lengthy Instagram post.
“Sorry in advance for the long and more-serious-than-usual note below, I just wanted to let you all know that I will no longer be involved with Impractical Jokers,” Gatto wrote alongside a black and white image of himself.
Though he couldn’t be “prouder” of what he’s accomplished alongside James “Murr” Murray, Brian “Q” Quinn, and Sal Vulcano, Gatto revealed he was stepping away as he and his wife, Bessy Gatto, “decided to amicably part ways.”
“So now I need to focus on being the best father and co-parent to our two incredible kids,” he added.
Then in September 2023, Gatto revealed that the couple, who married in 2013, had reconciled through “compassion, forgiveness and an open heart.”
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“10 years ago when we started out, I could have never imagined the absolute crazy ride with highs and lows our marriage has endured,” he wrote in an Instagram post. “But there was always love. And me knowing that there is no one else I’d want to be my person. I love your compassion, your resilience and your giggle. Thanks for this decade.”
He continued, “And I’m happy and hopeful that we will be able to get a few more in because we have proven with compassion, forgiveness and an open heart we can do this. Together. Looking forward to more of it all, including laughing together, memory making with our incredible family and of course…dogs.”
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