“Impractical Jokers” Star James “Murr” Murray On His New Book “Area 51 Interns,” Future Projects, R.L. Stine, WWE, Music & More
James S. Murray — also known as “Murr” to millions of regular viewers of the hit television show Impractical Jokers — is a writer, executive producer, author and actor. He has worked as the Senior Vice President of Development for NorthSouth Productions for over a decade, and is the owner of Impractical Productions, LLC. He recently starred in the 2020 film Impractical Jokers: The Movie, and also appears alongside the rest of the Tenderloins, and Jameela Jamil, on the TBS TV series The Misery Index.
Area 51 Interns: Alien Interns is the latest literary work helmed by Murray. Due out on March 15, 2022 via Penguin Workshop, the hilarious and action-packed novel was co-written with Carsen Smith, a writer for the Upright Citizens Brigade who co-founded Brooklyn’s Goose Lodge comedy club. The book starts with the first day of summer vacation, and lead character Viv Harlow just wants to relax with her friends at the beach before they all go to different high schools next year. Harlow is definitely not interested in visiting her mom’s office, even if Director Harlow works at the famous Area 51. But when an alarm sounds beneath the secret base and a whole race of aliens escape, she is about to get much more than she bargained for. Viv, Charlotte, Ray, and Elijah will have to work together, gear up with gadgets, and even protect a baby alien to save the day and defend Area 51.
As part of promotion for Area 51 Interns: Alien Interns, Murray will be appearing at multiple schools in New York area this month. Per Dina M. Anzalone, Principal of Ogden Elementary School for 10 years and prior to that with the Hewlett-Woodmere School District for 16 of her 27 years in education: “In a time when technology is taking over, it is refreshing to awaken the imaginations of our students with James Murray’s first book in a middle grade series, Area 51. This books highlights the difficulties transitioning from middle school to high school and comes at a perfect time as we are all transitioning from living with COVID to embracing normalcy. Themes about healing hit home for many of us!”
On March 7, 2022, I had the pleasure of speaking with Murr himself via Zoom, as embedded below. Beyond Area 51 Interns: Alien Interns, we talked about future projects for him with Impractical Jokers and as a touring comic, whether or not he had any Wu-Tang Clan run-ins as a Staten Island native, musical preferences, WWE, farming, and what he still hopes to accomplish professionally. Tour dates — which include a June 10, 2022 stop at Long Island, New York’s The Paramount — and/or more information on Area 51 Interns: Alien Interns can be found online by clicking here, here, here and here.
About the Author
Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."
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