More than a decade has passed since Jersey Shore’s premiere on Dec. 3, 2009, but it remains one of the most well-known reality TV shows in U.S. history, spanning six seasons during its original run, until 2012. Proof of the show’s success are the many official iterations made in different countries, like Brazil, Mexico, the U.K., and even Russia. But that’s not all – the show’s immense success allowed for a revival titled Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, which made its way onto viewers’ screens in 2018 and is currently still airing.
The Jersey Shore concept is fairly simple: eight Italian-American people sharing a house in the coastal region of New Jersey, also known as the Jersey Shore, with their daily lives being watched by the whole country. During its first couple of seasons, the series’ main cast was composed of Paul “Pauly D” DelVecchio, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Michael “The Situation” Sorrentino, Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, Jenni “JWoww” Farley, Vinny Guadagnino, and Angelina Pivarnick.
While the original cast surely remained in viewers’ minds after the series’ end, the revival helped bring these reality stars back to the spotlight (except for Sammi Giancola, of course, who has chosen to stay out of this one). Seeing the cast’s reunion and how much they have changed in one way or another, it’s only natural for the audience to look back into the past of these stars. And with that, a question is raised: how old was the cast during the show’s first season?
Pauly D
Pauly D is the oldest member of the main cast, being 29 years old at the time of the show’s premiere. After Jersey Shore, his popularity skyrocketed, which served his musical career, as the DJ went on to release an EP in 2013, as well as a few singles over the years. In 2012, The Pauly D Project was released, a spin-off show following the reality star as he toured around the U.S., making him the first among the cast members to get this type of solo project.
Snooki
While most people know her only as a Jersey Shore cast member, that actually wasn’t Snooki’s first contact with reality television. In 2009, she made a one-episode appearance on MTV’s Is She Really Going Out With Him? and only later did she become part of the Jersey Shore cast. During the show’s first season, Snooki was only 22 years old and received mixed reactions from the public. Although a lot of people disliked her, her popularity was still high, and Snooki went on to make several other reality show appearances after Jersey Shore, the most notable being her participation in Dancing with the Stars.
The Situation
Being 27 at the beginning of Jersey Shore, Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino is one of the cast members with more notable changes over the years. In the past, The Situation was mostly known for his addictions, as well as his assault and tax evasion charges, but fortunately, it’s never too late to change your ways. The former party boy is now a sober 40-year-old living his best married life and enjoying the rise in popularity brought on by the reality show’s revival – this time as a fan favorite.
Sammi Sweetheart
In Jersey Shore, Sammi was best known for her tumultuous romantic relationship with Ronnie, as some viewers opined that she never really stepped out from her boyfriend’s shadow. The then 22-year-old fell in love with her castmate nearly at first sight, and the two maintained an on-and-off relationship for 5 years before calling it quits. Recently, Sammi turned away from reality show life, having declined the invitation to participate in the Jersey Shore revival to focus on herself and her business.
Ronnie
At the time of the show’s debut season, Ronnie was 24 years old, and like with Sammi, one can’t talk about his Jersey Shore participation without mentioning their relationship. Among all the fighting and making up, Ronnie was the perpetuator of one of the worst moments on the show, when he drunkenly destroyed almost all of Sammi’s personal possessions and tossed her bed outside. He was also known for cheating on his then-girlfriend during drunken nights out, but even that didn’t stand in the way of the couple for a long time.
Vinny
After auditioning for Jersey Shore as a joke, the then 22-year-old was surprised to be cast but went along with the new adventure. Despite being well-liked by the public at first, Vinny’s reputation started to decline a bit after some fans started considering him rude around the show’s third season, with some suspecting that fame went to his head. After the show, Vinny took acting lessons and has since been a part of a few scripted projects, as well as starring in his own talk show, The Show with Vinny.
Angelina
At 23 years old, Angelina had an extremely short-lived participation in the show’s first season, as she was evicted from the house on the third episode. Despite this, she became memorable to the audience as the girl who arrived with her belongings in trash bags – after all, who needs suitcases when a few bags will do the trick? They’re black, they’re big, and apparently, they’re multifunctional.
JWoww
Starting the show at 23 years old, JWoww entered the Shore house with a serious relationship outside of the show, but later cheated on her boyfriend with castmate Pauly D. However, this wasn’t enough to break the couple apart, as the relationship went on until season three. As for JWoww and Pauly D, they never officially dated, despite the flirty nature of their interactions. After Jersey Shore, the cast member starred in Snooki & Jwoww, a spin-off series following the two friends.
And there you have it, the answer to the question a lot of viewers have been asking recently. If you were a fan of the original show, tune in to the current season of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, you’ll probably like catching up with familiar faces.
