ABC News/Steve Iervolino(NEW YORK) — After nearly 25 years, Johnny Brennan and his prank phone call alter egos Frank Rizzo, Sol Rosenberg and countless others are back, in a new self-titled Jerky Boys album.
And it’s not a minute too soon, the multi-platinum prankster and voiceover star tells ABC Audio. “You know, the crap going on, you know, all that unrest, you know, and the Jerky Boys — it’s just at the perfect time,” Brennan says.
He explains, “You don’t know how many thousands of emails I got over the years — or people coming up to me and just saying — ‘Johnny, you have no idea how your work and the Jerky Boys got me through some really rough times.’ And I really appreciate that.”
Johnny is a regular on Family Guy, playing Mort Goldberg. He was hired by longtime Jerkys fan and Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane, which has only broadened the Jerkys fan base, Johnny B explains.
“It’s funny, a lot of the younger ones now they’re getting in through Family Guy, so they come in the back door kind of thing,” says Brennan, “and a lot of them just grow up with parents that love to share the Jerky Boys with them. And so it’s…just very cool.”
He adds, “It really blows me away to see how the people have really loved this project, and I firmly believe it’s because of the characters. You know, the characters are so endearing.”
On the new album, Johnny occasionally plies his handiwork on a very deserving target: telephone scammers trying to bilk people out of their Social Security information, and also overseas customer service operators. “People have been asking me to get those guys for years,” Brennan says with a laugh.
The fifth Jerky Boys album is now available.
By Stephen Iervolino
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