Pauly Shore
Paul Montgomery Shore, known professionally as Pauly Shore, is an American comedian, actor, and filmmaker born on February 1, 1968, in Los Angeles , California . He rose to prominence in the early 1990s through his distinctive "Weasel" persona, characterized by a high-pitched voice and slacker humor, first developed during his stand-up routines at The Comedy Store .
Shore was born into a family deeply embedded in the comedy world; his father, Sammy Shore , was a veteran stand-up comedian who opened for acts like Elvis Presley , while his mother, Mitzi Shore , owned and operated the iconic Comedy Store nightclub in West Hollywood. Growing up surrounded by performers such as Robin Williams and Sam Kinison —whom he credits as a mentor—Shore began performing stand-up at age 17, honing his act at his mother's venue. His early film appearances were minor roles in movies like 18 Again! (1988) and Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge (1989), but his breakthrough came in 1989 when he joined MTV as a video jockey (VJ), leveraging his energetic on-air style to build a national following. This led to his own MTV series, Totally Pauly (1990–1994), a sketch comedy show that ran for four seasons and solidified his status as a teen idol of the era.
Shore's film career peaked in the mid-1990s with a string of lead roles in broad comedies produced by Disney's Touchstone Pictures. He starred as the dim-witted caveman sidekick Stoney in Encino Man (1992), opposite Brendan Fraser and Sean Astin, which grossed over $40 million at the box office. This was followed by Son-in-Law (1993), where he played a fish-out-of-water college student navigating family life; In the Army Now (1994), a military farce; Jury Duty (1995), a satirical take on the legal system; and Bio-Dome (1996), a sci-fi spoof co-starring Stephen Baldwin. Shore also lent his voice to the character Bobby Zimuruski in Disney's animated A Goofy Movie (1995) and its sequel An Extremely Goofy Movie (2000), expanding his reach into voice acting. By the late 1990s, however, his theatrical films like The Curse of Inferno (1997) shifted to direct-to-video releases, and his mainstream popularity began to wane amid critical pans for his formulaic style.
In 2003, Shore wrote, directed, produced, and starred in the semi-autobiographical mockumentary Pauly Shore Is Dead , which playfully lampooned his fading stardom and featured cameos from celebrities like Charlie Sheen and Pamela Anderson ; the film received mixed reviews but earned cult status. He later produced the TBS reality series Minding the Store (2005), featuring his family, and appeared as himself in episodes of HBO's Entourage . Shore continued voice work in projects like Futurama and the 2022 animated film Pinocchio: A True Story , where he voiced the title character. More recently, he has focused on independent films, such as the comedy Guest House (2020) from Lionsgate, and live performances, including his one-man show Pauly Shore Stands Alone (2014), which explores his childhood and career. As of November 2025, Shore remains active in stand-up comedy , touring nationwide, hosting the podcast The PMS Podcast Show , and developing content like the YouTube series Hooray for Paulywood , while occasionally advocating for sequels to his classic films. In August 2025, he underwent surgery to remove a noncancerous pancreatic tumor but has since recovered.
Pauly Shore was born Paul Montgomery Shore on February 1, 1968, in Hollywood, Los Angeles , California , to comedian Sammy Shore and nightclub owner Mitzi Shore . His father, Sammy Shore , was a prominent headlining comedian known for opening acts for Elvis Presley during his Las Vegas residency at the International Hotel and on road shows through 1972, as well as performing alongside stars like Barbra Streisand , Tony Bennett , and Sammy Davis Jr.
