Former Impractical Jokers star Joe Gatto began working on another big project on Wednesday, his latest since leaving the hit TruTV prank show. Gatto, 45, is now working on a screenplay, a project that reminded him of his teenage years. In late January, Gatto also announced plans to launch a podcast called Two Cool Moms with fellow comedian Steve Byrne.
“Writing this new screenplay has been so much fun,” Gatto wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo of the fancy vintage-style QWERKY keyboard he uses. “It still blows me away how much I love the art of storytelling.” Gatto did not reveal the name of the script he was working on.
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Gatto went on to share a story from his teen years, revealing that his father inspired him to focus on creative endeavors. “It returns me to my childhood when I was 14 years old, had no friends, and wrote short stories alone in my room,” Gatto continued. “When they were complete, my parents would read them and let me know what they thought. And my favorite thing was they would tell me honestly what they thought. I remember my dad reading one and saying to me, ‘It’s just ok compared to your other ones.’ They’d challenge me. It forced me to challenge myself and not be lazy when it came to telling a story. Thanks, Dad.”
Back in late January, Gatto announced the Two Cool Moms podcast. The name is inspired by his and Byrne’s own “cool mothers and influencers in our lives and [we] think we give cool motherly advice.” The two have already recorded a couple of episodes and plan to release the first batch soon, Gatto said in an Instagram Story post. Byrne, who has appeared on The Tonight Show in the past, also hosts the podcast Comedy Pinata, in which he interviews other comedians.
Gatto rose to fame as a member of The Tenderloins alongside Sal Vulcano, James Murray, and Brian Quinn. Since 2011, the four had starred in TruTV’s Impractical Jokers, until Gatto surprisingly announced on Dec. 31 he would be leaving the show to focus on his family after he and wife Bessy split.
“Outside of my family, my relationships with Murr, Q, and Sal have been the most important in my life,” Gatto wrote at the time. “I know they will continue to make the world laugh. And even though the four of us are the ones who you all see, this show is only possible due to the hard work of the talented crew members who work behind the scenes. I am very thankful to have worked with each and every one of them.”
Gatto has continued his stand-up career though. He began a tour on Jan. 21 in Wisconsin and has dates scheduled through May 28. Meanwhile, Impractical Jokers fans can still watch Gatto and his co-stars on HBO Max and TruTV’s website. Impractical Jokers Season 10 is already in production, with Murray, Vulcano, and Quinn returning.
