He was destined for this life.
Johnny Brennan, the founder of the infamous prank call comedy group The Jerky Boys, credits his parents as sources of inspiration for his outlandish characters.
Now, decades after “The Jerky Boys: The Movie” was released, Brennan is gearing up for a return to film. This time, he’ll portray Tony in a new project tentatively titled “Don’t Hang Up,” which dives into how New York culture morphed into a pop culture sensation during the ’90s.
In a recent interview, he remarked, “My dad was just a regular guy talking to me,” recalling how things changed once his father, adopting the persona of Frank Rizzo, got upset. With a familiar tone, he mimicked his father saying, “Hey, come here, you king f-ck.” That voice only emerged when his father was either angry or ready to scold him and his siblings.
Sol Rosenberg, the anxious character he created, was inspired by his mother, Gloria, while other personas came from uncles and friends he grew up with in the ’60s and ’70s. He adopted distinct New York accents and scattered in phrases like “Sizzlechest,” gleaned from his upbringing.
Though his parents passed away in 2000 and 2017, respectively, Brennan shared that they never minded the notoriety he gained.
Looking back, Brennan, now 63, reflected on how extraordinary it was that he could mimic their voices to build these characters based on his family dynamics.
Before achieving success with his former partner Kamal Ahmed on the Billboard charts, he caused mischief in his chaotic Irish household, often described as “nuts.” Being the oldest of five siblings, he was the class clown at Matter Christie School until their family moved to Salisbury Hills in the ’70s.
Recording his voice became a pastime, often recalling moments with his father. One memory involved him teasingly recording a skit about an elderly neighbor’s mishap with a lawnmower. When he told his father about his tape-making, his father reacted, “Jesus Christ, boy, you’re crazy,” closing the door behind him.
By the late ’80s, Brennan’s homemade prank calls spread among friends and gained traction through pirated tapes nationwide. One tape featured a “victim” navigating a bizarre scenario, with Brennan’s Rizzo character asking someone to “float around like a piñata.”
The duo’s self-made comedy became so popular that it led to their film debut in 1995, featuring a plot with a Mafia twist and a cast that included Oscar winner Alan Arkin.
Brennan highlighted their enjoyment during the film’s production, acknowledging the enduring following the “Jerky Boys” has developed over the years, despite the film’s lukewarm reception at the box office due in part to a heavy snowstorm during its opening.
While they may have faced personal disagreements, especially when Ahmed pursued filmmaking in the late ’90s, Brennan noted that the landscape had changed significantly for prank calls since then.
“People aren’t the same anymore. Nobody picks up the phone… and if they do, they’re skeptical, thinking it’s some reality show,” he explained. It now takes many attempts to reach people effectively.
However, Brennan sees calls simply as a means to share his characters with the world. He mentioned various avenues that kept him engaged, such as popular cameo pages, a biopic project, and even a documentary by Seth MacFarlane about The Jerky Boys.
Brennan feels honored that fans still approach him with quirky requests even after four decades.
“I sometimes get calls asking about wrapping my head in a ratchet,” he recalled, adding that fans often apologize for their bizarre inquiries, but he insists he enjoys this connection.
“What’s wrong with you?” he asked playfully. “I created something people love, and they’ve cherished it for decades.”
