What Happened To Pauly Shore? (2025)

After enjoying massive success in the 1990s, the comedian Pauly Shore seemed to disappear from the public eye. Shore became known for his manic comic delivery, which appropriates 1990s surfer speak and makes use of his signature line, “Hey Buuuddy!” It was a controversial persona, one which ruffled all the right feathers in the 90s, earning Shore fame and notoriety as the personification of the MTV-watching, authority-hating slacker stereotype that was so prominent during this time.

Shore’s candle burned brightly in the 90s, but as soon as the moment moved on, he was left behind. His decline in popularity was as rapid as his rise, but the star never went away entirely. Unfortunately for Shore, his most enduring legacy, his movies, is his least popular work. While many overlooked 90s movies have undergone critical reappraisal in recent years, most of Shore’s 90s star-vehicle movies are unlikely to see the same treatment. Nevertheless, Shore is a unique talent who captured the zeitgeist, and it’s worth inspecting what happened, and where he is now.

Pauly Shore's Popularity In The '90s Explained

Shore Was An MTV VJ

Pauly Shore began his entertainment career as a stand-up comedian. Shore’s father was a co-founder of Hollywood’s legendary stand-up venue, The Comedy Store, which passed to his mother following their divorce. Bolstered by their influence and connections, Shore soon gained popularity as a stand-up, which led to his first big break as a VJ (video jockey) for MTV in the '90s. MTV was a cultural titan at the time, and its on-air personalities became celebrities in their own right. Shore’s abrasive comic persona and surreal humor made him one of MTV’s biggest breakout stars, resulting in his own reality show, Totally Pauly.

Shore’s increasing popularity as a comic personality inevitably led to a foray into film. In 1992, Shore played a supporting role in the comedy Encino Man. The movie was a modest hit, making $40 million on a $7 million budget and proving a breakout role for Brendan Fraser. Shore’s next film, the 1993 comedy Son in Law, was a full-on star vehicle, and again proved a commercial hit, although slightly less than Encino Man. As his career progressed, Shore's appeal as a movie star gradually wore thin, with each movie making slightly less than the one before.

Son in Law was followed by In the Army Now, Jury Duty, and Bio-Dome. All five of Shore’s theatrically released comedy vehicles received savage critical reviews, but audience opinion gradually diminished as well. After Bio-Dome made only $13.4 million at the box office, the experiment of pushing Shore as a movie star came to an unceremonious end. Shore’s next movie, 1997’s Curse of The Inferno, was released straight to cable. With his movie career more or less dead and his reality show coming to a close, 1997 marked the beginning of the end for Shore’s time in the spotlight.

Is Pauly Shore Still Acting?

Shore Has Done A Lot Of Voice Acting

Nevertheless, Pauly Shore never stopped acting altogether. Throughout his most prolific period, Shore’s best-received role was a voice acting performance in Disney’s underrated A Goofy Movie as Bobby Zimuruski. He returned for the follow-up, An Extremely Goofy Movie, and continued to pursue voice acting. Shore has voiced characters in numerous high-profile animated TV shows, including Futurama, King of The Hill, Star vs. the Forces of Evil, and The Midnight Gospel. He has also lent his voice to American re-dubs of international animated films, such as The Big Trip, My Sweet Monster, and The Little Penguin Pororo’s Dinosaur Island Adventure.

Shore has likewise continued to act in live-action films, although the projects do not approach the profile of his '90s heyday. Shore self-funded, co-wrote, and co-directed the 2004 mockumentary Pauly Shore Is Dead, but the film did not see success. The actor continues to perform in low-budget comedies, generally destined for TV, streaming, or on-demand release. Such titles include Bonerville, Opposite Day, and The Guest House. Shore also occasionally plays himself or resurrects his persona, The Weasel, for projects such as Entourage, Workaholics, and Comedy Bang! Bang!Shore most recently played Richard Simmons in The Court Jester, a controversial 2024 short film.

Pauly Shore's Pinocchio Role Explained

Shore Voiced Pinocchio In 2022's Pinocchio: A True Story

Pauly Shore recently found himself at the heart of a viral trend due to his work on the movie Pinocchio: A True Story. The film, one of three Pinocchio movies to come out in 2022, became a meme when internet users began to notice the peculiar reading of a line in the trailer. The phenomenon only gained steam when further inspection revealed that Shore was voicing the wooden boy. In an interview between Pauly Shore and Screen Rant, the actor responded to the unexpected trend: “that was cool […] because of the internet now, you just don’t know what people respond to.”

Shore’s part in the film is part of a longstanding relationship with Lionsgate. The studio has repeatedly hired Shore to deliver voice work on American dubs of foreign animated films. Shore’s other work with the company includes The Big Trip and My Sweet Monster. While hiring a younger actor to play the puppet child might have seemed the more rational move, Shore’s role in the film worked out in favor of Pinocchio: A True Story, generating an authentic internet phenomenon that boosted awareness.

Why Pauly Shore Is Still A Massive Part Of '90s Culture

The '90s Define Shore's Work

Pauly Shore's entertainment career in the '90s was the epitome of what '90s pop culture looked like, which is why he's still referenced when looking back on that time period. From being an MTV VJ to starring alongside Brendan Fraser and Sean Astin in the 1992 movieEncino Man, Shore's time in the spotlight in the '90s was significant. Plus, his comedic performances in movies and stand-up were renowned. As a result, when one thinks of Shore, it's easy to immediately imagine his work in the '90s.

What Is Pauly Shore Doing Now

Shore Is A Recording Artist

Pauly Shore is still active in the entertainment industry. On top of his continued acting pursuits, Shore has once again taken up his career as a recording artist. The star’s new band, based in Las Vegas, is called Pauly Shore and The Crustys. Shore has a considerable online presence, hosting a podcast called The Jam in The Van Show, as well as regularly uploading content such as web series and comedy shorts to his own YouTube channel.

Additionally, Shore was working on a five-part docuseries in 2022, which was supposed to chart the progression of Shore's career, from the peak of his '90s popularity to his rapid fall from stardom, and the years since. However, there have been no announcements regarding the docuseries since. Shore is also interested in reprising older roles. In 2021, Shore took to Instagram to campaign for Encino Man 2 with Brendan Fraser, although the project may never materialize. Most recently, though, the comedian came under fire for starring as Richard Simmons in a biopic, which Simmons reportedly didn't permit Shore to do.

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Encino Man (1992)

PG

Comedy

Encino Man is a 1992 comedy film directed by Les Mayfield. It stars Sean Astin and Pauly Shore as two high school students who discover a frozen caveman, played by Brendan Fraser, in their backyard. After thawing him out, they attempt to integrate him into modern society while navigating the social challenges of high school. The film explores themes of friendship and cultural adaptation with a humorous twist.

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*Availability in US

Director

Les Mayfield

Release Date

May 22, 1992

Distributor(s)

Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

Writers

George Zaloom , Shawn Schepps

Cast

Sean Astin , Brendan Fraser , Mariette Hartley , Richard Masur , Pauly Shore

Runtime

88 Minutes