Every 'Jersey Shore' Cast Member, Ranked

The cast of Jersey Shore has been mostly all together on the air since the original series started back in 2009 and the reunion series Jersey Shore: Family Vacation launched back in 2018. While a couple of cast members have come and gone over the years since that iconic first romp on the famed Jersey Shore (and then come back again), the sixth season of the reunion series is the first time they all appeared in the same episodes, even if they weren’t all together in the same room. It was nice seeing our favorite Shore gang back together again.

Each cast member adds something to the show, and Jersey Shore would not be the reality TV franchise that we all know-and-love without that crucial dynamic between them all that makes all the magic (and the spicy drama) happen. But there are a few cast members that Jersey Shore just wouldn’t be the same without. When it comes to how they rank, most fans would agree with where each cast member is ranked.

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9 Ronnie Ortiz-Magro

Stepped back in 2021 (Brief Return in Jersey Shore: Family Vacation Season 6)

Plagued with drama from the beginning, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro has had the most tumultuous journey of all cast members. Beginning with his toxic relationship with Sammi Giancola, which was central to the plot for much of the original series, it later culminated with a host of legal issues and a stint in rehab by the time Jersey Shore: Family Vacation had hit its stride.

Granted, Ronnie has been working on himself and being a good father to his daughter. In the sixth season of Jersey Shore, after a long absence from the show, he returned to try and make amends with his castmates for the way he hurt them and those around them. It was one of the most heartfelt moments in the series to date, leaving many of them in tears. Nonetheless, given all the heartache Ronnie has caused, as many of his castmates indicated, he needs to prove himself consistently before they would welcome him back with open arms. Indeed, many fans have called for Ronnie’s removal from the show altogether, solidifying his position as the least popular cast member.

8 Vinny Guadagnino

Appeared in All Seasons

Vinny Guadagnino is the only remaining cast member to still be single, and one of only two without kids. He has shown the least emotional growth, often still acting childish and leaning into his womanizing ways. While he has said he wants to settle down, he won’t settle for anything less than the perfect woman. Filling those shoes seems near impossible.

The cast members often joke about Vinny being miserable when he doesn’t drink, only wants to focus on eating healthy, and rolls his eyes at all the family-friendly activities the group wants to do. He’s still all about going to strip clubs and often seems like the odd man out of the group. The funniest storyline involving Vinny was when the group pretended to forget his birthday. Otherwise, what fans love seeing most about Vinny is his mother Paula and Uncle Nino.

7 Deena Cortese

Appeared in All Seasons

Deena Cortese has great qualities. She is the one who wants to steer clear of drama. She is always the first to mend fences with someone, including being the first to have a conversation with Angelina Pivernack after the group’s falling out from their speech at her wedding. She tries to avoid conflict and is often the voice of reason. She’s also the most upbeat and uplifting, always planning fun family activities for everyone, complete with matching T-shirts for a family photo at the end of the trip.

But sometimes, fans find Deena’s actions annoying and feel like she tries to act too much like the mother of the group. Deena always means well, however, and she’s arguably one of the most level-headed and mature of the group. She lets loose at times, but she’s never the one to start any of the drama, even if she’s often forced into the middle of it.

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6 Angelina Pivernack

Jersey Shore Season 1 & 2, Jersey Shore: Family Vacation

Angelina by far stirs up most of the drama on the show. But that’s also part of what makes the show interesting. However, she often takes it too far, lashing out at people when there’s no reason, always on the offensive.

However, the storyline about her upbringing, never feeling as though she belonged in her own family and feeling as though her father favored her siblings over her, makes fans sympathetic. The fact that Mike Sorrentino sometimes uses the way the girls feel about her to his advantage to cause conflict makes some take her side, too. Deep down, it’s clear Angelina deals with insecurities, and fans have hope that after learning the truth about her biological father, she could turn over a new leaf.

5 Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi

Appeared in All Seasons (Main or Recurring)

Nicole Polizzi came out of Jersey Shore in the original show as one of the most popular cast members. From her signature hair poof and leopard-print outfits to her hard-partying ways, she is big fun in a small package. Her outings with Deena and Ron in the early episodes were always some of the most entertaining to watch, and were often in the most rewatchable episodes. Fans would laugh so hard while watching their silly antics.

What makes fans love Nicole even more now is that she’s a dedicated mother and a successful entrepreneur. She still lets loose on the show, but also sometimes misses outings because of activities with her kids. Her family always comes first, and while she might be the one to get the most carried away while out and about, she also tries to avoid drama. Nicole is all about just having a good time (her catchphrase is “the party’s here!”), and everyone can get behind that.

4 Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino

Appeared in All Seasons

Mike is the most changed on the show, mostly in the time frame between the original Jersey Shore and the reunion series. After being rude, mean, and womanizing in the original series, he was humbled following his arrest and spending time in prison. He did the work to get clean and has been sober for years. Now happily married with kids, he is a walking advertisement for becoming a better version of oneself.

Filled with inspirational sayings, being the one person Ronnie could lean on during his darkest days, and doing what he can to help his friends, including spearheading a search for Angelina’s biological father, Mike truly cares about his show family. With that said, glimpses of the “old Mike” are still there, and sometimes, he loves to plant seeds and cause trouble for the sake of entertainment. As Vinny and Pauly imitate, Mike ignites the fire then puts his hands in the air to absolve himself of any involvement once it starts to burn.

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3 Jenni “JWoww” Farley

Appeared in All Seasons

Jenni Farley comes across as the most mature of the group. She has even earned the nickname of Prickly Elder from her girlfriends, who joke about how she gets cranky and goes home to sleep instead of staying out to party. She has been through a lot with a tumultuous divorce, some of which was played out on Jersey Shore: Family Vacation. But she focuses her energy on her kids and her new boyfriend/fiancé Zack Clayton.

Jenni wants nothing to do with drama but always seems to find herself at the center of it, often because of her fractured friendship with Angelina. If pushed, she would defend herself passionately. But mostly, Jenni just wants to sit back and enjoy time with her family, and the odd wild night out. She’s the kind of friend anyone would want to have but would never want to have on their bad side.

2 Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola

All Seasons of Jersey Shore, Jersey Shore: Family Vacation Season 6-Present

Having only just returned for the sixth season of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, Sammi has been away the longest. But her return proves she has changed and matured by leaps and bounds. She is in a loving relationship with a man who she says is totally supportive of her. She has left all the Ronnie drama behind her and expressed no desire to see him. But she was also mature enough to tell her friends that she totally understood if they were still friends with him and would never want to get in the way of that.

Even though Nicole and Deena tried to bring Sammi into their hard-partying nights out, she was not interested in going overboard. She’s often seen with water in her wine glass, drinking sparingly and never getting intoxicated to the point of acting ridiculous on camera. Her fresh eyes have been able to help keep the peace between the girls and Angelina, but she’s also not afraid to call either side out if she thinks they’re doing something wrong. The fact she was welcomed back with such open arms proves that fans never got to see the true Sammi on the original show. Her identity was so wrapped up and lost in her toxic relationship with Ronnie. But based on the new version fans see, Sammi is a loyal friend and a good person.

1 Paul “Pauly D” DelVecchio

Appeared in All Seasons

Pauly DelVecchio is the most successful of the group, having starred in several other reality TV shows (usually with Vinny) and becoming a wildly successful DJ. He has his life together with a secure job, a steady girlfriend, and a daughter he gets to spend time with. The group’s vacations are often based around where Pauly is playing a gig at the time.

He always has a smile on his face, rarely gets into arguments with anyone, and largely stays out of the drama. He is the one, it seems, that everyone gets along with and trusts. While he has gotten serious at times when needed, such as when the boys confronted Ronnie over his actions or when Angelina got into a tiff with his girlfriend Nikki Hall, Pauly D is usually all about the comic relief and lightening the mood when things get tense. His affinity for pranking his housemates and his hilarious side comments, even during the most heated moments, make Pauly the most fun-loving, sweet member of the cast.

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