Salvatore Edward Anthony Vulcano (born November 6, 1976) is an American
improvisational
Improvisation is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. Improvisation in the performing arts is a very spontaneous performance without specific or scripted preparation. The skills of impr ...
and
stand-up
Stand-up comedy is a comedic performance to a live audience in which the performer addresses the audience directly from the stage. The performer is known as a comedian, a comic or a stand-up.
Stand-up comedy consists of one-liners, stories, ...
comedian, actor, and producer from the New York City borough of
Staten Island. He is a member of
The Tenderloins
The Tenderloins are an American comedy troupe composed of James "Murr" Murray, Brian "Q" Quinn, and Sal Vulcano. The group stars in the television series ''Impractical Jokers'', which premiered on December 15, 2011. The program airs on truT ...
, a comedy troupe consisting of himself,
James Murray,
Brian Quinn, and formerly
Joe Gatto.
Along with the other members of The Tenderloins, he stars in the television series ''
Impractical Jokers'', which first aired on December 15, 2011, on
TruTV
TruTV (stylized as truTV) is an American basic cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The channel primarily broadcasts comedy, docusoaps and reality shows.
The channel was originally launched in 1991 as Court TV, a network that fo ...
.
Early life
Vulcano was born in
Staten Island, and is of Italian, Cuban, and Puerto Rican descent. He attended
Monsignor Farrell High School
Monsignor Farrell High School is an American Catholic high school for boys, located in the Oakwood section of Staten Island, New York.
Opened in 1961, the school is named in honor of Monsignor Joseph Farrell, a Catholic priest, as well as a re ...
, along with Gatto, Murray, and Quinn, he was a member of his high school's Improvisation Club, as they saw it as a way to express themselves and meet girls. He received his undergraduate degree in Finance from
St. John's University in 1998.
Career
Early career
After being apart for years, Murray, Gatto, and Vulcano reunited after graduating from college and began practicing improvisation at Gatto's house, going on to tour as an improv and sketch comedy troupe in 1999, calling themselves
The Tenderloins
The Tenderloins are an American comedy troupe composed of James "Murr" Murray, Brian "Q" Quinn, and Sal Vulcano. The group stars in the television series ''Impractical Jokers'', which premiered on December 15, 2011. The program airs on truT ...
.
The Tenderloins began producing comedy sketches together, posting them on YouTube, MySpace, and Metacafe, accumulating millions of views online. In 2007, the troupe won the $100,000 grand prize in the NBC It's Your Show competition for the sketch "Time Thugs".
''Impractical Jokers'' and other television shows
''
Impractical Jokers'' premiered on December 15, 2011, on
TruTV
TruTV (stylized as truTV) is an American basic cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The channel primarily broadcasts comedy, docusoaps and reality shows.
The channel was originally launched in 1991 as Court TV, a network that fo ...
, which was watched by over 32 million viewers in its first season. The show has become the most popular series on TruTV and has boosted Vulcano into the public eye. As of November 2017, Sal was the most punished joker on the show. In Season 3, episode 26 "The Permanent Punishment", where Q, Murr and Sal lost and they had to get a tattoo of Joe's choice, Sal was given a
Jaden Smith
Jaden Christopher Syre Smith (born July 8, 1998), also known mononymously as Jaden, is an American rapper, singer, and actor. He has received various accolades, including a Teen Choice Award, an MTV Movie Award, a BET Award and a Young Artis ...
tattoo, which was considered the most shocking of the three. However Sal has since accepted the tattoo and it has been featured as a running gag for the show since.
In 2019, Vulcano, along with the other members of The Tenderloins, starred in ''
The Misery Index'', which is hosted by
Jameela Jamil and is based on
Andy Breckman
Andrew Ross Breckman (born March 3, 1955) is an American television and film writer and a radio personality on WFMU. He is the creator and executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning television series ''Monk'' on the USA Network, and is co-hos ...
's card game "Shit Happens." The series was renewed for a third season.
In February 2021, as a result of a punishment on the show, Vulcano was renamed to Prince Herb for the rest of the
show's season as well as in all his media appearances. The punishment episode aired on April 29, 2021.
However, after Joe left the show in December 2021, the Prince Herb alias was dropped by Sal, and in the first episode without Joe, aired on April 2, 2022, the other jokers officially retired Prince Herb.
In 2022, Vulcano appeared in Season 1 Episode 9 (Babysitting Lemurs) of ''
Would I Lie to You?''. He also appeared in Season 4, Episode 4 of the show ''
What We Do in the Shadows
''What We Do in the Shadows'' is a 2014 New Zealand mockumentary horror comedy film written and directed by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi and the first installment in the ''What We Do in the Shadows'' franchise. The film also stars Clem ...
''.
''What Say You?'' podcast
''What Say You?'', an occasional podcast hosted by Vulcano and Quinn, was named Best New Show at the 2013 Stitcher Awards.
The increased popularity of ''What Say You'' sparked a friendly competition among the friends, spurring Gatto and Murray to release their own Tenderloins podcast without the other two members. In 2015, ''What Say You?'' was nominated for the Comedy, Entertainment, and Best Produced Podcast Awards at the
10th Annual Podcast Awards.
They have stated that the podcast is their own side project, not a replacement of ''The Tenderloins Podcast''. The group explained that it was difficult to coordinate the schedules of all four members outside of work, making it challenging to produce their troupe's official podcast with any regularity.
Personal life
Vulcano suffers from
germophobia,
acrophobia
Acrophobia is an extreme or irrational fear or phobia of heights, especially when one is not particularly high up. It belongs to a category of specific phobias, called space and motion discomfort, that share both similar causes and options fo ...
, and
ailurophobia
Ailurophobia (''pronunciation:'' aɪˌlʊər əˈfoʊ bi ə) is the persistent and excessive fear or hatred of cats.
Like other specific phobias, the exact cause of ailurophobia is unknown, and potential treatment generally involves therapy.Milos ...
. On an episode of ''Impractical Jokers'', he said that he was hit by a car at the age of four. Vulcano has two tattoos of
Jaden Smith
Jaden Christopher Syre Smith (born July 8, 1998), also known mononymously as Jaden, is an American rapper, singer, and actor. He has received various accolades, including a Teen Choice Award, an MTV Movie Award, a BET Award and a Young Artis ...
; one on his left thigh which he received as a punishment on the show, and an updated portrait on his right thigh which he received as part of a segment in ''
Impractical Jokers: The Movie.''
A certified ordained minister, Vulcano officiated former Tenderloins member Joe Gatto's wedding.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vulcano, Sal
1976 births
Living people
Comedians from New York City
People from Staten Island
The Tenderloins
St. John's University (New York City) alumni
American people of Italian descent
American people of Cuban descent
American people of Puerto Rican descent