In this episode, I sit down with my buuuuuddy Pauly Shore for an honest, wide-ranging conversation about getting older, looking back, and figuring out what still matters. We talk about fame in the ’90s, the pressure of being Mitzi Shore’s son, how MTV changed the course of his career, and why he still feels pulled toward acting more than comedy. Pauly opens up about regrets, missed opportunities, and what it’s like to be “a thing” while still wanting more.
We also get into Hollywood’s shifting rules, being boxed in by success, how critics and politics changed the business, and why reinvention isn’t as simple as people think. It’s funny, raw, reflective — and very real.
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About Pauly:
Pauly Shore is a comedian, actor, and cultural icon who rose to fame in the early ’90s through MTV and a run of hit films including Encino Man, Son in Law, In the Army Now, and Bio-Dome. The son of Comedy Store legend Mitzi Shore, Pauly became one of the most recognizable personalities of his generation. Today, he continues touring, creating independent projects, and exploring new chapters in his career.
Follow Pauly Shore
Instagram: https://instagram.com/@paulyshore
Facebook::https://www.facebook.com/OfficialPaulyShore
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/paulyshore/
Website: http://www.paulyshore.com
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Discussed in This Episode
00:00 — “We’re in Our 50s… How Did This Happen?”
01:01 — “The Scan That Changed Everything”
15:56 — “Before MTV: Acting, Auditions, and the Other Path”
18:08 — “The Fork in the Road That Defined My Career”
22:47 — “Being a ‘Thing’ vs Being Respected”
26:23 — “MTV Didn’t Believe in Me — Until It Was Too Late”
41:38 — “What Fame Took That No One Talks About”
45:59 — “The Comedy Store Pressure Nobody Sees”
58:24 — “Why I Actually Love Acting More Than Comedy”
01:05:04 — “Still Chasing the Second Act”
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Support the Pod
💥 Patreon: patreon.com/thejamiekennedy
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Pauly Shore podcast, Pauly Shore interview, MTV 90s comedy, Mitzi Shore, Comedy Store history, 90s Hollywood, comedian career regrets, Pauly Shore acting, Jamie Kennedy podcast, Hollywood reinvention
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