Seven members of the “Jersey Shore” cast will be back in Seaside Heights, N.J., this weekend to begin production on the third season of the MTV show, the network announced.
No surprises here: The only cast member who won’t return for more televised fist-pumping is Angelina “Jolie” Pivarnick, 25, who bailed early in the first season but returned for the second, which was filmed in Miami in April and May.
That means that Paul “DJ Pauly D” DelVecchio, Michael “The Situation” Sorrentino, Jenni “J Woww” Farley, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola, Ronnie Ortiz- Magro and Vinny Guadagnino will be back. The second season of “Jersey Shore,” which premieres Thursday, will take place only in Miami.
The third season, scheduled to begin production this weekend, will air early next year, according to an MTV spokeswoman.
The “Jersey” cast shot the first season for $5,000 per episode each, then bargained for a raise of $10,000 an episode for the second season of the show. A source close to the negotiations said everyone received a raise for the third cycle, bringing everyone close to $30,000 an episode.
You can’t blame the cast for wanting a bigger payday. In recent interviews in Los Angeles, a few of them spoke about how being on the show has changed their lives besides putting a little extra change in their pockets.
J Woww: “I’m able to do things that I never thought I would. I’m taking my design company to another level. Going on the first show, I made all my clothes, but now I’m able to sell to people and people like my style. It’s a great feeling.”
Pauly D: “It’s been a real blessing. Music is my passion, and I’m a DJ. Now, I’m able to DJ all over the world. I have residencies in Vegas, in Chicago.”
Vinny: “From a life point of view, it’s really changed our lives. We entertain millions of people around the world and we’re known everywhere we go. I’m young. Everybody goes through a big initiation into the real world when they’re, like 21, and this is my initiation.
“It definitely put us on a platform where the world is at our fingertips sometimes and hopefully we have the brains and morals to do the right thing and continue it for the future.”
Snooki: “I think right now, we can do anything. We can start our own businesses. We can just do anything. We have the opportunity right now and I want to try it all: clothing, hair product line, bronzer. A book. Maybe try acting.”
The Situation: “It’s changed my life in so many ways. This is my job. This is what I do. I’m an entertainer. Pretty much ‘The Situation’ is a brand, it’s a household name.”
