Brian Michael "Q" Quinn (born March 14, 1976) is an American podcaster, improvisational comedian, and actor. He is a member of The Tenderloins, a comedy troupe also consisting of Sal Vulcano, James Murray, and formerly Joe Gatto. Along with the other members of The Tenderloins, he stars in the television series Impractical Jokers, which premiered in 2011, on TruTV.
Brian Quinn | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Quinn in August 2022 | |
| Born | Brian Michael Quinn March 14, 1976 New York City, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Brooklyn College |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Firefighter career | |
| Department | New York City Fire Department |
| Service years | 2005–2013 |
Early life
editQuinn was born on March 14, 1976, in the borough of Brooklyn in New York City, but moved to Staten Island before he was two years old. He is of Irish and Italian ancestry. Quinn attended Monsignor Farrell High School. Along with Murray, Vulcano, and Gatto, he was a member of his high school's Improvisation Club.[1][2] He studied at Brooklyn College before joining the New York City Fire Department, where he served for eight years.[3][1]
Career
editEarly career
editDespite not being an initial member of his friends' comedy troupe The Tenderloins, after one of the original members, Mike Boccio, left the group in 2006, Quinn became the troupe's then-fourth member.[4]
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".[5]
Impractical Jokers and other television shows
editImpractical Jokers premiered on December 15, 2011, on TruTV. The first season was watched by over 32 million viewers. The show quickly became the most popular series on TruTV, and has boosted Quinn into the public eye.
Quinn had a cameo in the first episode of the second season of 12 Monkeys, which first aired in the US on April 18, 2016.
In October 2019, Quinn, 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's card game "Shit Happens".[6]
Quinn was in the 6th episode of Tacoma F.D., 'Full Moon Fever', released May 2, 2019.
Impractical Jokers: The Movie was released on February 21, 2020.
Quinn also had a cameo in the fourth episode of the second season of Star Trek: Picard, which first aired in the US on March 25, 2022.
Podcasts
editTell 'Em Steve-Dave
editQuinn is also a co-host of the podcast Tell 'Em Steve-Dave!, which he hosts with Bryan Johnson and Walt Flanagan. The podcast started in February 2010 with Quinn in the role of the off-mic audio engineer, then shortly after as occasional commentator and ultimately co-host.
The Tenderloins Podcast
editThe group began hosting a podcast in April 2012. It is available on their official website and iTunes.
What Say You?
editWhat Say You?, an occasional podcast hosted by Sal Vulcano and Quinn, was named Best New Show at the 2013 Stitcher Awards.[7] The increased popularity of What Say You sparked a friendly competition among the comedians, spurring Joe Gatto and James 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. Vulcano and Quinn have stated that the podcast is their own side project, not a replacement of The Tenderloins Podcast.[8] 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
editQuinn suffers from arachnophobia.[9] He has three cats, Brooklyn, Boris, and Chessie. Along with that, he has a tattoo that says, "38. Lives alone. Has 3 cats" from the result of a triple punishment on Impractical Jokers in 2014. Quinn has suffered from depression, and has been very open about his struggles throughout the years.[1]
While taking a trip to Germany in 2009, Quinn was arrested for disorderly conduct while visiting Oktoberfest. An assailant punched him in the face, knocking his tooth out. Quinn was escorted back to the United States by German police, and was bailed out by his Tenderloins troupe members.[10]
Since his time on Impractical Jokers, Quinn has donated $50,000 to the New York City Fire Department, and he occasionally meets with his former coworkers.[11]
In August 2019, Quinn revived the Rubsam & Horrmann Brewing Company on Staten Island.[12]
Quinn is a Kentucky Colonel.[13]
Filmography
edit| Year(s) | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Big Helium Dog | Vance | |
| Dogma | Man in Airport | Uncredited | |
| 2000 | Vulgar | Traffic Cop | |
| 2011–present | Impractical Jokers | Himself | Main cast (289 episodes) |
| 2013 | Jay & Silent Bob's Super Groovy Cartoon Movie! | Bystander | Voice role |
| 2016 | 12 Monkeys | Dale | Episode: "Year of the Monkey" |
| 2017 | Drunk History | Himself | Episode: "Alexander Graham Bell & James Garfield/The Dambusters" |
| Victor Crowley | Austin | ||
| 2017–2021 | Impractical Jokers: After Party | Himself | Main cast (21 episodes) |
| 2019 | Tacoma FD | Soup Man | Episode: "Full Moon Fever" |
| Jay and Silent Bob Reboot | Convention Attendee | ||
| 2019–2021 | The Misery Index | Himself | Main cast (50 episodes) |
| 2020 | Impractical Jokers: The Movie | Himself | |
| MacGyver | Dale | Episode: "Mac + Desi + Riley + Aubrey" | |
| Loafy | Himself | Voice role, 2 episodes | |
| 2020–2021 | Impractical Jokers: Dinner Party | Himself | Main cast (18 episodes) |
| 2022 | Star Trek: Picard | Dale | Episode: "Watcher" |
| Clerks III | Auditioner | ||
| 2025 | Screamboat | Mitch McEverly |
References
edit- ^ a b c O'Shei, Tim (January 19, 2018). "Impractical Jokers' success is rooted in a deeper vulnerability". The Buffalo News. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
- ^ Hanson-Firestone, Dana (December 3, 2019). "10 Things You Didn't Know About Brian Quinn". TVOvermind. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
- ^ Taylor, Chris (September 20, 2019). "No Joke: How Fireman-Turned-Comedian Brian Quinn Tapped into the Brewery Business on Staten Island". Fortune. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
- ^ "About The Guys". The Official Website of The Tenderloins. Archived from the original on May 1, 2021. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
- ^ "About". The Tenderloins. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
- ^ "The Misery Index". tbs.com. Archived from the original on January 4, 2020. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
- ^ "What Say You?". stitcher.com. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
- ^ "What Say You?". stitcher.com. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
- ^ "Impractical Joker Brian "Q" Quinn's Tarantula Terror". Tattoodo. October 19, 2016. Archived from the original on January 4, 2020. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
- ^ Quinn, Brian Q. (April 11, 2015). "Last time I was in Germany I was beaten up and arrested. So, yes. Don't know when though". @bqquinn. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
- ^ Steussy, Lauren (October 21, 2015). "Q donates $50K: FDNY, not 'Jokers,' is proudest moment". silive. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
- ^ Bailey-Millado, Rob (August 20, 2019). "'Impractical Jokers' star is serious about reviving Staten Island beer". New York Post. Archived from the original on August 20, 2019. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ "Famous Colonels". The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
External links
edit- Brian Quinn at IMDb