Pauly Shore: 'Maybe I Could Become the West Coast's Woody Allen'

Like Pink's Hot Dogs, Pauly Shore is a Los Angeles institution that can attract long lines (Encino Man, Son in Law and Jury Duty), has been accused of questionable taste (Bio-Dome, Junket Whore) and never claims to be good for anyone's health. Two decades after he debuted on MTV as a spacey VJ, the actor and comedian -- whose legendary family founded and continues to run the Comedy Store -- is reinventing himself with Adopted, a mockumentary about adopting an African child, while also working on a new MTV project and a film about a "slut vigilante."

Last week, while waiting for a call from Quentin Tarantino, Shore phoned Movieline to discuss his latest film, his "Bill Murray Strategy" and the Weez's newfound maturity.

Hey Pauly. I enjoyed Adopted. Thanks for making it.

Yeah, I felt kind of like Lisa Ling's sister except I didn't get captured. It was actually kind of scary filming down there, but I knew I was getting good stuff. It was just a pleasure to film on the street without people coming up to me because they recognized me. You know what I mean? It was just like freedom, you know?

So South Africa was not familiar with the Weez at all?

No. I mean, the white people that were at my show knew me, but the black people on the street just stared at me, which was awesome.

Did you run into any problems filming?

There were definitely times when I was shooting in some of the neighborhoods and the cameramen were saying, "We have to stop filming. Like, we are going to get killed." But then we kept filming and we ended up getting really good stuff. Like in one scene, this guy we met on the street who had no teeth -- remember him? -- invited us up to his apartment. That was all real. We did not set that up at all.

Did you have any bodyguards with you?

We had one guy. We were just trying to work really fast and get out. It was like we were running in somewhere to steal a diamond and then run out.

What was the most creatively satisfying part of the project for you?

I am really hands-on especially when it comes to my comedy. To have the freedom to direct myself and the people working with me -- to just be out there, not knowing how people are going to react -- to be doing it all on the fly is fun for me. It took 12 or 13 days to shoot the whole thing. We went out and got a bunch of B-roll for a couple of days. That's why there are so many nice shots, but as far as just filming on the streets, it was really fulfilling.

Both you and Sacha Baron Cohen made mockumentaries in which you adopted African kids. But in Bruno -- which was actually filmed after Adopted -- Sacha Baron Cohen made fun of everyone around his character while you seemed more content to mock yourself. Do you think that says anything about you as people or performers?

Well, he's more shock. His brand of humor is more Johnny Knoxville, kind of a harsh, Tom Green-style. Whereas mine is more innocent and sweet, heartfelt and kind of Son in Law-esque. I remember when I was on The Joy Behar Show, she told me that people found my film offensive. I mean, there were some parts that are offensive, but the movie as a whole, I don't think is offensive. I couldn't make a whole movie without anything offensive in it because no one would want to see it or hear about it. It would just be like this lame PG-rated thing, you know what I mean? There were probably three or four places where I crossed the line.

I guess I can see where the Blood Diamond line ("There's one last thing I have to do before I leave South Africa -- get my mom a blood diamond, because that is her favorite movie") might be offensive to some people if it is taken out of context. But that was one of my favorite lines actually.

Yeah, that was just one of those things that kind of came out of nowhere.

It was surreal watching the star of Encino Man contemplate raising a child, even if it was just for a mockumentary. The Weez has matured.

It's kind of like, "This is who I am now. That's my style of comedy." If you look at how you in your 20s looked and acted, it is a lot different than how you look and act a few decades later. It just comes from maturity and slowly kind of scraping off the person you used to be, without doing it purposely. It just kind of happens.

Do you feel like your '90s fan base has stuck with you through this transformation? Or are the people buying tickets to your comedy shows now new fans?

I think it's part new and and part old fan base. Thank God they continue to play my films on TV because I keep getting a new audience all the time, so I am very fortunate. I think my new style of comedy has helped attract people that didn't like my stuff before. It kind of happened with Pauly Shore Is Dead. That was the first time people said, "Hey, he isn't doing the Weez. He's totally making fun of himself, and this works for me."

You have worked on a few smaller budget films now from start to finish. Is this something you want to keep doing, or would you like to ideally return to acting in bigger box office films?

I think both. I think at the end of the day, if I continue to do good work, hopefully it will develop into a studio level. Like, maybe I could be the West Coast's Woody Allen, you know what I mean? Where I am doing my own little films. There is really nothing more gratifying than taking something that is in your mind and putting it down and seeing it all the way through to the end the way you see it.

Are you reading for parts now? Would you do Law & Order?

I would if they asked me. That's one of the things that we are trying to do. Get new roles that people wouldn't expect. I don't know if you saw any of my Funny or Die clips? Did you see the one when I am on an elevator with the girl -- Eliza Coupe?

I just saw that. I loved it.

So that's kind of why I did that piece. That's kind of what we are doing. We are trying to get me noticed and maybe cast in stuff that people wouldn't expect while I am continually developing shows and web shows and movies and stuff.

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