In 2018, fans of MTV’s Jersey Shore were beside themselves at hearing the news that the old gang would be reuniting for Jersey Shore: Family Vacation. 2 years on, and we’re now in the third season of a show that’s proving to be just as popular as its predecessor. Learn more about one of its stars, Vinny Guadagnino, with these ten little facts.
1. Law Student
Guadagnino’s life could have been so, so different had it not be been for Jersey Shore. Prior to joining the show, Guadagnino was all set to become a lawyer. On the very same day that Jersey Shore premiered, he was in the middle of his LSAT exams, and had his sights firmly set on enrolling in Law school. After the show went stratospheric, he put his legal dreams on hold.
2. Las Vegas Residency
In 2019, Guadagnino was invited to host and star in the Chippendales show in Las Vegas. By then, the reality star had chiseled his body down to a work of art, and clearly had no problems in standing in front of a crowd of baying women with his shirt off. He proved an instant hit, with one Chippendale resident telling Page 6, “He was definitely one of the best-received guest hosts we have had. He basically sold out almost every performance.” Guadagnino was just as enamored with his co-workers as they were with him, saying, “Those big meatheads on the show are some of the most chill people I’ve ever worked with.”
3. From Fact to Fiction
After making his name on reality TV, Guadagnino decided to try his hand at scripted features for a change. He’d already had a few minor successes with the likes of The Gate of Fallen Angels (2009), but after Jersey Shore shut up shop, he decided to get serious. After embarking on a series of acting classes, he started doing the rounds on the audition circuit. Over the past few years, he’s shown up in everything from The Hard Times of RJ Berger (2011) and 90210 (2011) to Silent Library (2011), and Jersey Shore Shark Attack (2012).
4. Brothers in Arms
It’s not always been smooth sailing between the cast members of Jersey Shore, but there’s one person, in particular, Guadagnino can always count on to have his back, DJ Pauly D. “Pauly D is like my brother. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be able to get through it,’ he told the Huff Post.” Me and him could be around each other 24 hours a day. We never get sick of each other.” Which is probably just as well… as well as staring in Jersey Shore and Jersey Shore: Family Vacation together, the two have also appeared alongside one another in the 2019 reboot of A Double Shot at Love.
5. The ‘Keto Guido’
You don’t get asked to appear in the Chippendales if you’re hefting around a few extra pounds, and these days, Guadagnino is doing anything but. In between his last appearance on Jersey Shore and his first appearance on Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, the self- proclaimed ‘Keto Guido’ transformed from average to ripped, crediting his “no carb” policy for his new physique. During one particular episode of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, we got to see just how far he’d go to maintain his abs when, after a night on the booze, he ended up licking the cheese off the top of a pizza to avoid the carby crust.
6. Beating Anxiety
Guadagnini has always been open about his anxiety issues, saying “When my anxiety starts to interfere with my job, my school, or things that I do in my everyday life, it starts to become a problem.” Determined to help others with the same condition, he’s even released a self-help book titled ‘Control The Crazy: My Plan To Stop Stressing, Avoid Drama, and Maintain Inner Cool.’
7. Multi-Millionaire
Granted, his wealth may not be in quite the same league as his buddy Pauly D’s (who’s currently sat on a cool worth of $20 million), but the native New Yorker isn’t exactly doing too badly for himself these days. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Guadagnino‘s multiple TV appearances (not to mention his time as a Chippendale) have paid off to the tune of $3 million. Maybe that decision to give up on law wasn’t such a bad idea, after all….
8. Huge Foodie
He may be on a strict keto diet these days, but Guadagnino is still a foodie at heart. In 2017, he combined his love of food with his talent for TV in Vinny & Ma Eat America, a series that followed him and his mother as they journeyed across America in search of new delicacies. “I’m a huge foodie. My mom spoiled me with food my whole life and my entertainment career has allowed me to travel to many places and develop loves of new foods,” he told Sizzling Seats. “I can’t go a few days without cooking! But my dream would be to have a cooking show. It would have to be my kitchen though!”
9. Big Hearted
Since Jersey Shore gave him a platform, Guadagnino hasn’t hesitated in using it for good. In 2011, he launched a brand of clothing called IHAV (for “I Have a Vision”), with all proceeds going towards the anti-bullying campaigns and projects of the charity Do Something. He’s also an active supporter of LGBTQ rights and has participated in charity auctions for the animal rescue organization, Much Love.
10. Motherly Love
Guadagnino‘s time on Jersey Shore had its share of embarrassing moments, but the star’s most humiliating moment of all was when his mother, Paola, decided to broadcast some very intimate details about her son to the world. “The most embarrassing thing that my mom has ever said about me was that I wasn’t circumcised,” he told PEOPLE. “That trumps everything! She said that when Jenny McCarthy came to do the show. I ran out of the room and I was like, ‘No, no!’”
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