Written By: Jayme Face
Most of us know James “Murr” Murray from the hilarious Impractical Jokers, but did you know he is also an acclaimed writer?! We caught up with him about his latest book “Don’t Move” as well as his adventure at Sea Monster Cove!
Photo credit: Jeremy Freeman/truTV
upfrontNY: Can you tell us about your visit to Sea Monster Cove?
James “Murr” Murray: As you can see by my reaction, it was terrifying! But at the same time, it was such an honor to have been invited. Steve Alten has been a massive inspiration to me, both personally and to my career as an author. Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror is still one of my all-time favorite books. So I was thrilled to visit Sea Monster Cove, and I survived to tell the tale!
upfrontNY: Can you tell us about your latest book Don’t Move?
James “Murr” Murray: It’s a heart-pounding, tight-paced standalone thriller set in the woods of West Virginia. The novel follows a church group from the Bronx on their annual camping trip—but this year, they’ve wandered into the wrong woods. The only creature that inhabits this part of the canyon is a giant prehistoric arachnid that hunts by the tiniest vibrations in its millions of webs throughout the forest. It’s scary, it’s fun, and it’ll keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time.
upfrontNY: Now that you have written a few books have you seen your writing process change at all?
James “Murr” Murray: Oh, absolutely. My first novel, Awakened, I wrote almost fifteen years ago. It took me a full year to write it. To this day, it’s probably the hardest I’ve ever worked on a single project. Since then, I’d say the biggest change in my writing process has been working collaborating with Darren. Having a co-author completely expedites the writing process. We bounce ideas off each other and trade chapters back and forth. It’s like having an editor you trust working with you every step of the way. And, a dear friend!
upfrontNY: You have become known to the world for comedy, what made you go in the direction of thriller/horror when it came to your writing?
James “Murr” Murray: I’ve been a massive fan of thrillers since early childhood. I grew up watching all of the classic slasher movies from the 80s. People are always surprised to hear what genre I write in, but when it comes down to it, horror and comedy are basically two sides of the same coin. Making people laugh and making people scream both involve a lot of misdirection and suspense, whether that suspense is waiting for a punchline or for a massive spider to descend through the treetops and snatch a victim.
upfrontNY: Awakened was turned into a TV series, do you think you will do the same for Don’t Move?
James “Murr” Murray: Well, we’re still waiting on that to happen. Darren and I think DON’T MOVE would make a perfect movie. Every time we write, we try to create highly visual set pieces and action sequences that blaze across the mind’s eye. Translating these books to the screen is always the goal. Stay tuned for more news on that soon!
upfrontNY: Don’t Move will be added to the Adopt- an- Author program for teens, how does it feel to be a part of that and were you a big reader growing up?
James “Murr” Murray: It’s great! I was an avid reader growing up, constantly at the local library taking home more books than I could carry. Darren and I are very excited to play a part in inspiring the next generation of readers and authors. Steve Alten inspired me, and now hopefully, we can do the same for others.
upfrontNY: Having had eight seasons so far of Impractical Jokers and being friends with the guys for even longer do you think your relationship has evolved or changed at all over the years?
James “Murr” Murray: In some ways yes, and in some ways no. It’s like being in a band together. We’re business partners now, but at the end of the day, we’re still the same kids that were running around pulling pranks on each other in high school. They’ll be my best friends until the end. Thankfully, maturity hasn’t really caught up with any of us!
upfrontNY: Impractical Jokers being such a popular show, do you have to go about filming differently now than you did in the beginning since you are more recognizable?
James “Murr” Murray: Yes, we have had to make a few changes since we started filming, but probably not as many as you think. We’re lucky because we film in the New York City area where there are so many people. With such a big population, a lot of the people we encounter have never even heard of the show. Granted, we do get recognized from time to time while we’re filming, but I always think of that as a good problem to have. If nobody recognized us at all, the show would’ve been cancelled a long time ago!
upfrontNY: Being a native New Yorker what is something in New York that you think is a hidden gem?
James “Murr” Murray: Oh, there are so many things. Of course, Staten Island never gets the love it deserves. Until recently, I lived downtown near Wall Street for almost ten years. Living right next to City Hall Park and the Seaport, I’m telling you. It’s beautiful all year round. And, go visit Brennan & Carr in Brooklyn and order a double-dipped roast beef sandwich. It will change your life!
upfrontNY: What do you want to say to all of your fans?
James “Murr” Murray: I wish I could say thank you to every single one of them. We really do have the greatest fans in the world. They’ve supported us since day one, and they are more like family and friends to us. Without them, we wouldn’t have the show and I probably wouldn’t have the opportunity to be an author. In fact, if it wasn’t for my first book launch, I wouldn’t have met my wife! So an extra thank you for that!
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