This year’s Oscars was marked by being the year of the comeback. Brendan Fraser won the lead actor category for his role in “The Whale” after years away from the spotlight. And Ke Huy Quan, who was a child star, returned to Hollywood after a 20-year hiatus, winning the Oscar for his supporting role in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”
The two acted alongside each other in the 1992 comedy “Encino Man,” and Jimmy Kimmel pointed out that fun Hollywood fact in his opening monologue at the 95th Academy Awards on Sunday night.
“Two actors from ‘Encino Man’ are nominated for Oscars,” Kimmel said. “What an incredible night this must be for the two of you, and what a difficult night it must be for Pauly Shore.”
Well, Pauly Shore, who also starred in “Encino Man,” was watching — the stand-up comedian had been publicly rooting for his old co-stars in the week leading up to the big event — and he had a few things to say about being the butt of an Oscars joke.
“We love to hate people when they’re on top. People wanted to smash me down and they did,” Shore, 55, told Page Six. “I was always nice to everyone, always cool, I put my heart into all my films.
“You’re buying and selling a human being,” he added of working in the entertainment industry. “Human beings have feelings, it’s not like selling real estate.”
Before the ceremony, Shore posted old shots of Fraser and Quan on Instagram with encouraging captions, “So very proud of Brendan Fraser and @KeHuyQuan Truly truly happy. Must be an amazing feeling to be knighted with @TheAcademy pixie dust. I’ll be rooting for both of you guys big time. Your old buddy, Stoney Brown from Encino Man, Pauly Shore,” he wrote. “Love you both, and knock ‘em dead this Sunday night.”
The ’90s comedy star best known for “Jury Duty,” “Bio-Dome” and, of course, “Encino Man,” told Page Six that he was happy for his old buddies. But he also opened up about how sitting on the sidelines can be bittersweet.
“I do truly miss acting and I miss being on set … hopefully it happens. … [I]t’s about just dreaming and hoping,” he said. “People are always like, ‘We want you back!’”
Shore is hoping for his chance to surprise audiences with something they haven’t seen from him. And waiting for the call that will allow him to do so.
“The directors and producers are the ones with the vision. Someone out there will say, ‘You know what, we’re going to do something you wouldn’t expect — we’ll put Pauly in this role that no one would expect,’” Shore said. “That’s where my heart is.
“I am not going to stop,” he continued. “I’m going to keep going. I know I’m going to get that call, and get that opportunity. That’s what’s it about.”
On Monday, Shore posted a video clip of Kimmel’s monolgue on Instagram with the caption, “I don’t know if you guys saw the Oscars last night, but @jimmykimmel poked fun at me in the monologue. If you haven’t checked it out, watch this clip. Very funny — I really loved it. But what I REALLY loved is that my old buddies from back in the day, Brendan Fraser and @KeHuyQuan, took home the Oscars. What a story. I mean really guys, what a f— story.
“If we can all learn something from this, never quit on your dreams. Keep dreaming, work hard, and put in the time, and if your stars line up and you’re in the entertainment business, one day Hollywood will hit you in the head with the pixie dust like it did for Brendan and Ke.”