It's been four years since Joe Gatto left Impractical Jokers, and yet I still consider him one of the core cast as a founding member. Honestly, I can imagine him still having no shortage of fans who revere his work, and I now get the feeling a couple of them might just be working in Studio 8H. That's because Saturday Night Live recently referenced the comedy series, and Gatto had to talk about it.
Not long after Sebastian Maniscalco praised Marcello Hernãdez for the latest episode, Gatto also had something to say about SNL. He specifically shared some kind words for featured player Ashley Padilla, who mentioned Impractical Jokers during the sketch with the girls repeatedly circling the White Castle parking lot:
This was such a cool moment for me. Shoutout to Ashley Padilla. Huge fan of you, huge fan of SNL. So thanks so much, guys, for the shoutout it really, really means a lot to me.
For those who didn't watch or don't remember, Impractical Jokers was mentioned in passing by Padilla when she was playing the manager of a White Castle employee who thought the girls speeding through the drive-thru were doing a sketch for IJ. This situation alarmed Padilla's character, who said she "can't have that happen again," hinting at some past trauma tied to a prior matter. Take a look:
Article continues belowI'm not surprised Joe Gatto was honored to see something he was a part of get mentioned on Saturday Night Live. After all, he and the rest of the Impractical Jokers crew were born and raised in Staten Island, New York. Given their status as comedians, I wouldn't be surprised if each of them, at one point, dreamed of being on SNL. Check out the sketch in its entirety down below:
While he's no longer regularly appearing on Impractical Jokers, Joe Gatto keeps busy continuing to do stand-up comedy, and he released a special back in 2024 called Messing With People. I'm not expecting the recent shoutout to lead to an eventual appearance from Gatto on Saturday Night Live but, hey, anything can happen!
As for the rest of the Impractical Jokers crew, Sal Vulcano, Brian "Q" Quinn, and James "Murr" Murray continue the show as a trio. They have, however welcomed celebrity guests to help in specific episodes. As of right now, the series is currently airing new episodes of its 12th season on TBS as part of the 2026 TV schedule.
As for Saturday Night Live, it's still rolling strong with many promising Season 51 hosts and musical guests coming up in 2026. The late-night sketch comedy series returns on April 4th with Jack Black hosting, and Jack White featured as the musical guest. (Honestly, the idea of Black sharing the stage with Gatto on the show is just too fun not to consider.)
As a fan of both SNL and Impractical Jokers, I would love to see some true collaboration between the two franchises in the future. Maybe a cast member on the prank show can get a cameo and, in return, Sarah Sherman or another vet from the NBC show can be a guest star on one episode? I think Sherman would be as perfect fit for that show as Joe Gatto would be for Saturday Night Live.
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