Former fitness guru Richard Simmons, who has withdrawn from public life in recent years, has spoken out against a new biopic, saying in a rare statement that: “I have never given my permission for this movie.”
The as yet unnamed film was announced on Wednesday morning by the comedian and actor Pauly Shore, who was cast in the role after his physical resemblance to Simmons became the subject of a viral meme.
The 55-year-old actor has also played Simmons in an unrelated short film titled The Court Jester, which will premiere at Sundance film festival on Friday.
After the biopic was announced, 75-year-old Simmons wrote on Facebook: “Hi Everybody! You may have heard they may be doing a movie about me with Pauly Shore. I have never given my permission for this movie. So don’t believe everything you read. I no longer have a manager, and I no longer have a publicist. I just try to live a quiet life and be peaceful. Thank you for all your love and support. Richard.”
Simmons became a household name in the US in the 1980s with his appearances talking about health and fitness on talkshows, his successful Sweatin’ to the Oldies aerobics videos, and his eccentric, energetic demeanour. He unwittingly became the subject of a 2017 podcast titled Missing Richard Simmons, which sought to find an answer for his disappearance from public life. Simmons later came forward to say he simply appreciated his privacy, with critics describing the podcast as “morally suspect”.
The biopic, which is reportedly being developed as a “dramatic and heartfelt feature in the tone of Little Miss Sunshine”, will be produced by Warner Bros subsidiary the Wolper Organisation. The production company told Variety: “While we would love to have [Simmons] involved, we respect his desire to privacy and plan to produce a movie that honours him, celebrates him and tells a dramatic story.
“We know he is deeply private and we would never want to invade that, however he is an amazing person that changed millions of peoples lives, and the effect he has had on the world needs to be recognized.”
Shore has previously said that he has tried to personally contact Simmons. “I’ve noticed all the reactions to me playing Richard Simmons in a new biopic,” he wrote on Facebook in September. “I heard he’s living deep in Big Bear. We’ve been playing phone tag (yes, he still has a phone). I’m trying to make it happen for you guys. Be optimistic.”
Announcing the biopic on Wednesday, Shore said: “Simmons represented mental health, getting people in shape and being his authentic silly self! Whenever he was on TV you could never take your eyes off of him and he brought such a joy to his appearances that represented nothing but a good time.”
