Pauly Shore will play Richard Simmons in the biopic of the reclusive fitness star.
However, before the feature film, Shore, 55, can already be seen playing Simmons, 75, in a short film called The Court Jester, which will screen during the Sundance Film Festival, although it is not in the official section of the festival. line up.
Shore has even joked with fans that his performance could land him an Oscar in 2025.
The Court Jester will be released on YouTube following the premiere of The Cabin in Park City on January 19.
Last year, Encino Man star Shore revealed his intentions to play the beloved ’80s fitness icon, known for his effervescent personality and colorful gym attire.
Pauly Shore, 55, can already be seen playing Richard Simmons, 75, in a short film called The Court Jester (pictured above).
Now Pauly will play Richard Simmons in an official biopic.
“I’ve been noticing all the reactions to my portrayal of Richard Simmons in a new biopic, so I reached out to him,” he wrote on Facebook in September.
Simmons, who has not been seen in public since 2017, is said to be uninterested in participating in the biopic.
Shore added in his post: ‘I heard he lives deep in Big Bear. We’ve been playing tag (yes, he still has a phone). I’m trying to make this happen for you.
‘Be optimistic. In the meantime, check out Hulu, Amazon, Disney, HBO, and all the big producers. I can definitely transform into this guy. I’ll see you at the 2025 Academy Awards.’
Reviewing: Richard Simmons, who has largely hidden from the public eye, issued a rare statement last July to celebrate turning 75; seen in October 2013 in New York
Shore previously said how her fans have commented on her resemblance to Simmons.
Last July, Simmons made an extremely unusual public statement to celebrate his 75th birthday.
Although he did not share a personal message with the public and his fans, he did allow his representative to speak on his behalf.
‘This is a great milestone. I just want to see him happy, and he is,” his rep Tom Estey told ET of the special occasion.
It was a rare form of communication from the former fitness guru, who has largely hidden from the public eye since 2014.
He was previously seen in 2017 when he left a hospital after being treated for severe indigestion.
However, he tried to avoid being seen by covering himself almost from head to toe in a blanket, which then forced his housekeeper to lead him to a waiting car.
Despite Simmons’ recent lonely years, fans showed that he was still in their hearts and minds when they stopped by his house on Thursday to wish him a happy 75th birthday in person.
Although they probably didn’t see it in person, two people were seen carrying birthday balloons and a sign that said “Happy Birthday, Richard!” We love you!’
His departure from the spotlight surprised many friends and admirers at the time, and even spawned an investigative podcast, documentaries, and half-baked claims that his housekeeper was holding him hostage.
Shore has told fans that his performance could even land him an Oscar in 2025.
Pauly is known to many for starring in the 1992 film Encino Man.
Since 2014, Simmons has only spoken to the public through a few phone interviews and rare statements from his representatives.
Fans got previous news from the Sweatin’ To The Oldies star when a friend shared details about her current life with ET in 2018, just before her 70th birthday.
‘He’s doing very well. He is his jovial self. “He spends most of his time at home and in his garden,” the source claimed at the time.
They added that it had been making progress in its “read” queue and that it “does what it wants to do.”
“He deserves this time to himself,” the friend continued. “Seventy years is a milestone, but he doesn’t see it that way.”
Simmons’ quiet years couldn’t be a greater contrast from when she was at the peak of her fame in the 1980s and ’90s, when she opened her own fitness studio after losing more than 100 pounds.
The Beverly Hills studio, which became known as Slimmons, proved to be a popular place for those looking to lose weight, as Simmons felt that gyms at the time were more focused on catering to people who were already in perfect shape, in instead of those who seek to be healthier.
He further raised his public profile with a series of appearances on game shows, talk shows and even soap operas, but it was his line of videotapes on Sweatin’ To The Oldies that made him an inescapable part of the culture.