Pauly Shore plays Richard Simmons in a short film entitled “The Court Jester.” Shore is also set to further the role in a biopic which Simmons has disavowed. Howard Stern offered a hilarious solution to the feud.
Pauly Shore returns as Richard Simmons in ” The Court Jester”
Pauly Shore is back in a new short film called “The Court Jester.” The film is directed by Jake Lewis. In the movie, Shore plays weight loss guru Richard Simmons. The film premiered at The Cabin in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 19. Afterward, the short video went worldwide on YouTube later that night.
Two days earlier, a teaser trailer for “The Court Jester,” dropped on January 17. In the teaser, Shore dressed in Simmons’ iconic workout attire: short shorts and a sparkly tank top. Shore, 55, portrays Simmons spot on, exuding the workout guru’s trademark positivity and compassion.
The teaser begins with some behind-the-scenes action on a TV set during a Simmons show.
“What’s my first rule?” Simmons (Shore) asks in a voiceover. “Like yourself. Your weight doesn’t matter. If you like yourself, you’re going to be fine.
“But I’ve been where you are right now,” Simmons asks a crewmember. “And where I am right now is I just love myself. Every part of myself.
“And I think I can show you how to get here,” Simmons adds, then reaches out and touches the crew member’s nose tenderly.
“I’m really excited about sharing Richard Simmons’s life with the world. We all need this biopic now more than ever,” Shore told TODAY in a statement about the project. “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,” Shore added.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Shore said the idea to play Simmons came after people on social media pointed out how much he physically resembled the curly-haired.
However, Shore clarified that his similarities to Simmons extend beyond mere looks.
“I am him,” Shore told EW. “I like helping people. I like health. I like putting that energy out there.”
“I help comedians and people, and so I really relate to Richard,” Shore continued. “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,” Shore added. “I started in the ‘90s. I used to always see him and I was always giving him hugs and high-fives and stuff.”
Feud: Simmons disavows forthcoming biopic starring Shore, says never granted permission
While The Court Jester is a short film, Shore hopes the short will lead to a full-fledged movie. He is currently courting writers to pen the feature. The Simmons biopic is in development at Warner Bros. subsidiary, The Wolper Organization.
However, only hours after the full biopic was announced, Simmons spoke out on social media against the unauthorized project.
“Hi Everybody!” Simmons wrote on Facebook. “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,” Simmons continued. “I just try to live a quiet life and be peaceful.” “Thank you for all your love and support,” Simmons added in closing.
Simmons shot to fame as a fitness legend in the 1980s with his “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” workout videos. Now, the 75-year-old has become reclusive.
The Wolper Organization responded to Simmons’ comments in a statement to Variety.
“While we would love to have [Simmons] involved, we respect his desire to privacy and plan to produce a movie that honors him, celebrates him, and tells a dramatic story,” the WB production company said. “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.”
Still, Shore is undaunted and hopes to get the Simmons biopic off the ground as soon as possible. Shore also insists the film will be a tribute and is “all about love,” with or without Simmons’ blessing.
“My come from has always been love,” Shore said. “I’m not ‘let’s make fun of someone.’ It’s the opposite.”
“At this point, it’s an unauthorized biopic and they’re made every day,” Shore continued. “Yes, I want him to put his pixie dust on this and say, ‘Go for it, Pauly.’ It’s Richard being Richard. It’s sensitive.”
“I relate to him a lot,” Shore added. “I saw an interview he did recently and him saying how he’s by himself. He’s secluded. He doesn’t have any friends or family. He’s just alone. That is similar to me right now…I come home and I’m by myself. I definitely feel like I am him. I feel like there is a part of me that is very similar.”
Howard Stern urges Simmons to turn the tables on Shore
Shock jock Howard Stern says he has a solution for the feud between Pauly Shore and Richard Simmons regarding the unauthorized biopic in development.
“Richard Simmons should make a movie where he plays Pauly Shore and see if Pauly likes it,” Stern suggested. He turned to his cohost Robin Quivers. “What do you think of that?”
“Pauly says he wants the film to be more dramatic than funny,” Stern continued. “But I don’t know about that…never saw any evidence of ‘that guy.'”
Simmons was “always over the top,” Stern said.
“There’s no such thing as Richard Simmons being low-key off-camera,” Stern said, then added, “He’s a great guy…He’s a real caring human being.”
