There was a time in the mid-nineties when Pauly Shore was a very big deal. Rising to fame as a VJ on MTV, he parlayed his alter-ego “The Weasel” into unlikely big-screen stardom. His first movie, Encino Man, introduced the world to Brendan Fraser as a caveman, and Shore was such a hit in it that he got his own solo comedy Son in Law (opposite a young Carla Gugino), which was a money-maker. His follow-up, In the Army Now, also made money, but that would be the end of Shore’s short-lived reign as a star. His next two movies, Jury Duty and Bio-Dome, would be flops, and a TV show, Pauly, would be cancelled after five episodes. Clearly, Shore’s reign at the top was short-lived.
Yet, there’s still something very likeable about “The Weasel,” mainly because Shore has always had a sense of humour about his place in pop culture. While he’s no longer a household name, most people who grew up in a particular era still hold a lot of affection for Shore, and in this episode of WTF Happened to this Celebrity, we look at his rise to fame, his fall, and where he is now.
This episode of WTF Happened to this Celebrity is written (with Brad Hamerly), narrated and edited by Taylor James Johnson. Do you have fond Pauly Shore memories? Let us know below!