In 2009, Jenni “JWoww” Farley was cast in MTV’s hit reality TV series, Jersey Shore. The series was a sensation, and fame came quickly for the cast. In the years since the show’s debut season, Farley has married and divorced, welcomed children, and dabbled in other projects. Still, she always finds her way back to reality TV. While Farley is happy with how things worked out, she admitted she acted like a “dumb***” during the audition process.

Jenni ‘JWoww’ Farley opens up about the casting process

It has been over 15 years since Jenni “JWoww” Farley and her costars took Seaside Heights, New Jersey, by storm. Late last year, Farley spoke with TV Insider about how she came to be on the beloved series. Farley told the outlet that she showed up at a hotel to audition for a series she knew absolutely nothing about.

For several days, she sat for interview after interview and was told she would either be gone for a few days or more than a month, depending on how the audition process panned out. At the end of the casting process, Farley recalled being told she was selected.

From there, she had to use a map to drive to the beach with a producer. Farley had no idea what the show was about, what the format was, or who she would be living with. Everything the cameras captured came about pretty organically.

Jenni Farley says she was a ‘dumb***’ for auditioning for ‘Jersey Shore’

While Farley insists everything worked out for the best for her, she seems unsure if she’d make the same decisions she did back then. She told TV Insider that she thinks she was a “dumb***” when she looks back on the audition process and what she was willing to agree to. Farley gave away her phone and her keys for the chance to audition for a show.

Many years older, she sees the inherent danger of handing over her phone and keys to perfect strangers in a hotel room. She’s not wrong. Giving up all ties to the outside world while having no information about where you are going, who you will be going with, or even how long you will be gone sounds like the plot of a bad thriller movie.

Why was ‘Jersey Shore’ so successful?

Jenni ‘JWoww’ Farley admits she had almost no information going into Jersey Shore. She also had no reason to believe it would be anywhere near as successful as it was. In fact, she told TV Insider that she expected to return to her regular life after the first season aired. After all, that is what happened to many other reality TV stars. So, what exactly made Jersey Shore different?

The series, which focused on seven strangers living and working together in a house on the New Jersey Boardwalk, just worked. The cast was perfectly balanced, their antics were wild without being totally outlandish, and the setting felt both familiar and attainable. The ideal mix made for a pop culture icon. MTV’s ability to capitalize on that year after year has made Farley and the rest of the cast household names.