Most kids who grew up in the ‘90s remember Pauly Shore for his surfer-esque persona who uttered his drawled catch phrase “Hey, BU-DDY” in a number of slacker comedies.
While already working for MTV as a VJ (he’d often host the Spring Break parties and had his own show Totally Pauly), in 1992 the caveman comedy Encino Man launched his film career. Shore’s wild-man image heightened and he quickly filmed a number of other flicks, including Son in Law, In the Army Now, Jury Duty, and Biodome – banking over $140 million in box office hits.In a recent interview with REVUE Mid-Michigan, Shore said “The Weizel”* character was a natural progression that started during his earliest days at MTV.
“It wasn’t anything I sat down and came up with, like Pee Wee Herman,” Shore recalled. “It was something that just developed – it stumbled upon me. It just developed on MTV.”
By the end of the ‘90s, his career began to simmer down, though he still lives in his hometown of Los Angeles and works steadily as a comedian, director, and indie-film actor. In 2009 he spearheaded Adopted, a film spoofing celebrity adoptions, and he recently filmed a variety show for Showtime called Vegas is My Oyster, which will air in August. He has also contributed multiple skits for Will Ferrell’s comedy site Funny or Die.
Today, at 43, he said his party-hard lifestyle has also mellowed. Though he said he still has fond memories of his wild and hazy MTV days.
“It was great. As a kid, you love women, partying, and having a good time,” Shore said. “I’m lucky I’m alive after what I’ve been through, and the experiences that I’ve had.”
Since his out-of-control days are over, Shore said he now spends much of his time working, or coming up with new ideas for films and other comedy projects.
“When you get older, and get through the hoopla, you just settle down,” he said. “For instance, over Memorial Day weekend I went to Vegas with my friend and he did ecstasy and I didn’t. I mean, I’m 43 years old, I’m not going to do ecstasy at a club in Vegas – I’d probably have a brain hemorrhage. But my friend is in his twenties, so it’s cool.”
The notorious ladies’ man has also cooled his hormones, something that would have been out of the question for him 15 years ago.
“When you get in your forties, your priorities change,” he said. “Things aren’t as interesting as they were when you were younger. Getting laid isn’t a priority to me now. It’s not like, ‘Oh! I got to go out and get laid tonight! Whoo! Party!’ In my twenties that’s all I was thinking about.”
Today, since huge movie rolls aren’t rolling in like they were back in the day, Shore said he’s become involved in more aspects of his career.
“There’s not a lot of casting going on for me, it’s mostly people pick up the phone and ask me to do stuff here and there,” he said. “Now it’s a one man show. When you don’t have the managers, the big agents and all these big people representing you, you have to do stuff yourself and figure it out.”
“I was depressed, but I didn’t want to be the pity guy,” Shore explained. “I took the fall pretty hard when it came to not being wanted anymore in the business. I got depressed and wanted to make fun of the situation – that was my angle for the film, to fake my death to become famous again.
“It was a make believe story, but it was also dark and truthful,” he added. “To me, that was the beginning of the second part of my career – when you start taking more responsibilities for your actions.”
For complete information on Shore’s Michigan tour dates, visit: www.paulyshore.com
Pauly Shore in Michigan
June 21 @ Andiamo Theatre – Novi
June 22 @ Dr. Grins Comedy Club – Grand Rapids
June 24 @ Michigan Theatre – Jackson
June 25 @ Rockapalooza – Jackson (Shore hosts this event)
*Editor's note: While most websites, including Wikipedia, refer to Shore as "The Weasel" the comic's official bio on his website notes: "At 17, Pauly began writing and performing his own material, creating the persona of “The Weizel,” a character that quickly appealed to young audiences." So we're going with the German spelling. Besides, Wikipedia is open source material; it could have been written by a 7-year old.
