The eccentric face of ’80s aerobics, Richard Simmons, 75, has spoken out about the release of his biopic, which is is set to star actor Pauly Shore.
Leading the past few decades of his life reclusively, Simmons has condemned the upcoming film in a Facebook post.
Watch the video above.
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“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,” he wrote.
“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.”
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Variety reports that the film’s production company, The Wolper Organization said: “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.”
They added: “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.”
Titled The Court Jester, a short film will also premiere on Jan. 19th, at the Sundance Film Festival, it will then be available to watch on YouTube, it will also star Shore as Simmons, but is unrelated to the biopic.
Written and directed by Jake Lewis, the trailer depicts Simmons, played by Shore, giving advice to a production assistant who is overweight.
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The biopic is still in production, though Shore has been interested in playing Simmons since the COVID-19 pandemic when he created a series of workout videos called “Sweatin’ with the Wiez,” his versions of Simmons’ popular “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” aerobics workout videos.
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Last year, Shore told Entertainment Weekly that he failed to obtain Simmons’s blessing, though they intended on moving forwards anyway.
“If we stay consistent to his story, once we start writing it, I think he’ll be all right. But my attitude is: If we build it, he’ll come. That’s my hope,” Shore told EW.
“My hope is that he sees that it looks good, it feels good, it’s right. And then he might just say, fuck it at some point – “I’m down. I’ll help you guys, I’ll be part of it, and I’ll hold your hand.” We’ll all hold each other’s hands and we’ll work together.”
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Shore also feels he has deep similarities to the fitness icon: “I am him,” he said. “I like helping people. I like health. I like putting that energy out there. Through my mom and [The Comedy Store], she helped a lot of people and it kind of got passed down to me — I help comedians and people, and so I really relate to Richard.”
“And I’ve been going to the gym since I was a kid. And I think I’m a little over the top as well, so I feel like I connect with him. And I’ve known him for years from back in the day. I started in the ’90s… I used to always see him and I was always giving him hugs and high fives and stuff.”