Rumors of a biopic based on 80's fitness icon Richard Simmons have been making the rounds for nearly a year.
On Wednesday, The Wolper Organization and the project's lead actor, Pauly Shore, announced that the Hollywood film is officially "in development." There's only one hiccup: Simmons wants nothing to do with the project.
Simmons released a public statement after news of the biopic broke, stating, “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,” Simmons continued. “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.”
Shore recently portrayed Simmons in The Court Jester, a short film premiering in Park City, Utah, during the Sundance Film Festival. The short also stars Tamra Brown as Ellen Degeneres, among others. The Court Jester was written and directed by Jake Lewis, who went viral in 2021 with another short starring actor Jamie Costa as the late Robin Williams.
The film's title comes from Simmon's 2012 interview with Men's Health, where he said, "When the king gets depressed, he doesn't call for his wife or the cook. He turns to the little man with the pointed hat and says to the court jester, 'make me laugh.' And I am that court jester."
Back in September of last year, sources close to Simmons told outlets that while he appreciates the effort behind the biopic, mainly spearheaded by Shore, he wants to maintain a private life away from the spotlight. The sources noted that Simmons and Shore have been friends for decades, but that does not change the fitness guru's desire for privacy.
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The Encino Man actor has reached out personally to pitch the idea to Simmons with little success.
"I've noticed all the reactions to me playing Richard Simmons in a new biopic," Shore told the Hollywood Reporter at the time. "I heard he's living deep in Big Bear, California. We've been playing phone tag (yes, he still has a phone). I'm trying to make it happen for you guys. Be optimistic."
The currently unnamed biopic is slated to film this summer. However, a release date has not yet been set.
