Richard Simmons, a prominent figure in the world of aerobics and fitness, known for his eccentric personality, will soon be brought to life in a new feature-length film from Warner Bros. subsidiary The Wolper Organization, per The Hollywood Reporter.
The lead role of Simmons has finally been cast with 55 year old actor Pauly Shore, best known for his roles in 90s comedy films, set to take the part.
“We all need this biopic now more than ever,” Shore, said in a statement. “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.”
It’s not the only time Shore will play Simmons. In fact, he plays the fitness instructor in a soon-to-be-released short film The Court Jester , which is due to premiere this week at Sundance Film Festival in Utah.
The resemblance between Simmons and Shore has not gone unnoticed in the public sphere, with one meme about the pair going viral. It featured their headshots side-by-side with the comment, “Someone is going to write a Richard Simmons biopic and Pauly Shore is going to win an Oscar.”
It seems showrunners really took this to heart.
The role is a personal one for Shore, who actually knows Simmons, having seen him around Hollywood multiple times throughout the years.
“I would always see him driving his Rolls Royce down Sunset Boulevard in the ’80s and ’90s, waving to everyone, and he’d always pull over and say hi,” Shore told People. “We’d mess around, and he’d come and see my mom Mitzi at the Comedy Store. It was just mutual joy when we’d see each other.”
He said Simmons and himself are “both very physical, we’re both over the top and silly…so there are all those parallels that make sense.”
The Wolper Organisation said that the meme had helped to bring the show into fruition, but that it had been thought of prior.
“[We’d] been dancing around the idea for years, but it never coalesced until several months ago when I saw the press about Pauly Shore being touted by social media as the ONLY person that could play Richard,” Mark Wolper said.
As for Richard Simmons’ take on the whole matter?
Shore told EW, “His people responded and they said that he loves me… but at this time he just wants to lay low and not really be involved. That was his response.”
