In the late 1980s, Pauly Shore became a cultural icon for the MTV generation as a hazy California surfer type, complete with his own dudified vernacular. He parlayed his time as an MTV veejay into a modestly successful acting career, performing in a string of daffy comedies in the early '90s.
But Shore insists above all else -- and before he uttered his first "Hey buuuddy" -- he has always been a comic.
"I'm a true stand-up," he said. "That's what I am. I'm a stand-up before anything. Really, that's who I am."
It was a natural career choice for Shore, whose mother, Mitzi Shore, founded the famed Los Angeles club The Comedy Store in the early '70s. The club saw a string of young comics pass through the doors on their way to stardom, from Robin Williams and Sam Kinison to David Letterman and Jay Leno.
"I popped out of my mom and I'm on the steps of The Comedy Store," Shore said. "It's something that's in my system. It's the family business but it's something I have to do or I get sick. I have to go on. I love performing."
After his film career waned, he found himself increasingly on the stand-up stage.
The 2014 documentary "Pauly Shore Stands Alone" follows Shore as he barnstorms through tiny Midwestern towns on a comedy tour. The film drew generally positive reviews, showing an unvarnished and sometimes somber side of Shore as he takes account of his personal life and career.
It's a career that stretches back nearly 30 years to when he created "The Weasel," when he first started performing onstage as a teenager.
It was that character, a partially charred but frisky surfer dude, which landed him at MTV after his early attempts to get on the network failed.
"It's just like anything, you go in and do bad you go back and do better," Shore said. "I went back to the drawing board. I was very persistent. I felt like it was very East Coast at the time and there was no West Coast vibe."
Once established, Shore headlined the second wave of veejays that included "Downtown" Julie Brown, Ed Lover and Doctor Dre.
"I didn't go to college," Shore said. "That college era was MTV, that five to six years. I went from high school to the pros, just like Kobe Bryant."
Shore admits the social and cultural significance MTV had in the '80s and '90s has since been completely erased.
"At the end of the day, it's all about the Internet," he said. "It's Periscope and Snapchat and Instagram. No one is rushing home after school to watch MTV."
Shore's first major film role was in 1992's "Encino Man," which was a commercial success. That led to a string of Shore-fronted vehicles, which had descending results at the box office and with critics.
"I feel very lucky, very fortunate," Shore said. "I starred in six to seven films in a row. People still know me today because of that run."
Shore believes his film career could've had more sustained success, but the character that brought him to fame held him back, both on screen and off.
"(People could be saying) he was the original guy, he was before Sandler and all of these other people," Shore said. "I got caught up in the character and the antics offstage. You can only do that bro shit for so long. It had to go."
While Shore's stand-up incorporates a little of his signature character, he said much of his act is a more organic give-and-take with the audience.
"I think people know who Pauly Shore is and they're interested in that style of comedy," he said. "I'm not just doing my shtick. It's just real. I talk about everything but mostly I just try to connect with the people."
Aside from his stand-up, "The Pauly Shore Podcast Show" has featured a number of big names from the world of comedy, including Judd Apatow and Garry Shandling.
"It's a pretty cool list (of guests) and I'll be coming out with video portions," he said.
Pauly Shore
7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5 at Chilkoot Charlie's (sold out)
7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6 at the Blue Loon in Fairbanks
7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7 at Suite 907 in Juneau