Pauly Shore hasn’t given up on his dream of playing Richard Simmons in a biopic, despite the legendary fitness guru’s well-documented disapproval.
Last week, Shore shared his reaction to news that Simmons is in talks with “major studios” about a big-screen biopic. If it gets made, the Simmons-approved movie would potentially conflict with a previously announced film, to which Shore has been attached for some time.
In a lengthy note on Instagram, Shore said he’d been “up all night crying” in response to Simmons’ post on X, formerly Twitter, in which he outlined his biopic plans while coldly dismissing the one in which Shore is set to star.
“Richard, how do you not approve of this movie? I mean, really, who’s better to play you in a movie than ME?” the actor and comedian wrote. “Leonardo DiCaprio’s not gonna play you. Brad Pitt’s not gonna play you. I’m perfect. Everyone already thinks I’m you. We’re the same. Beautiful, inside and out.”
After pointing out that Simmons hasn’t “even heard the pitch” for the first movie, Shore added: “You’re my old buddy. Richard, you’re going to love our movie. We’re going to make the most beautiful cinematic masterpiece that’s going to honor you in a way that you’ll drop to your knees and cry with joy and happiness.”
Assuming that Simmons doesn’t budge, however, Shore seems determined to get his biopic made, noting that acclaimed films about late celebrities like Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley have been produced without the endorsement of their subjects. He ended his note with a final plea to Simmons, noting that he and screenwriter Jordan Allen-Dutton would personally “pitch you in your living room” with their plans.
The note is signed: “Your old friend Pauly Shore.”
Shore first announced his plans to portray Simmons in a film in January, after noting on social media that fans had been pointing out for some time that the two men share a physical resemblance. That same month, he appeared as Simmons in “The Court Jester,” an unrelated short film that was screened at the Sundance Film Festival.
Watch a clip from “The Court Jester,” featuring Shore as Simmons, below.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Shore said he viewed the feature film as his opportunity for a career comeback like his “Encino Man” co-stars, Brendan Fraser and Ke Huy Quan, have recently experienced.
“Everyone wants to have that opportunity and that shot to go get back out there again with the right script and the right director and the right story,” he said. “I mean, look at Mickey Rourke and ‘The Wrestler’ when he had that run — it happens all the time. So hopefully my stars will line up.”
His hopes were quickly dashed, however, when Simmons responded to the casting news with a rare — and less-than-enthusiastic — Facebook post.