Pauly Shore Says He Will Star as Richard Simmons in New Biopic 'Whether He Likes It or Not'

Pauly Shore is determined to play Richard Simmons.

The Encino Man actor, 56, once again addressed the ongoing controversy over a planned biopic on the popular fitness guru’s life during his Netflix Is a Joke show at the Comedy Store in Los Angeles on Friday, May 3.

“I’m also gonna be starring in the Richard Simmons biopic … whether he likes it or not, Richard,” Shore said at the event, per Variety. “Just another f------ bump in my f------ road.”

Shore's latest comments come after Simmons, 75, blasted the Warner Bros. feature-length film in a post on X on April 24. At the time, he told fans that he “just read a man that I don’t know is writing” the biopic starring Shore and reiterated his disapproval of the project.

“I do not approve this movie. I am in talks with major studios to create my own bio pic with some help,” he said. “Wait for this movie.”

The upcoming project was first announced in January, just as Shore’s short film The Court Jester, in which he plays Simmons, debuted at the Sundance Film Festival.

After the event, Simmons confirmed on Facebook that he had “never given my permission for this movie.”

"The Pauly Shore biopic does not have my blessing. Some major studios are interested with me being involved in MY story. Who should play me? Tom Cruise lol," Simmons, speaking through his publicist Tom Estey, later said in an exclusive statement to PEOPLE last month.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest s -

Celebrity Moms Celebrating Their First M,...

tories.

In response to his comments, Shore shared a screenshot of Simmons’ Facebook statement and said that he was “up all night crying” about it. “Richard, how do you not approve of this movie? I mean, really, who’s better to play you in a movie than ME?" he added.

The How It Ends star went on to say that Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt were not likely to play Simmons, joking, “Everyone already thinks I’m you. We’re the same. Beautiful, inside and out.”

He also extended an invitation to Simmons to hear his and writer Jordan Allen-Dutton’s pitch for the biopic, and offered to bring “some warm matzo ball soup and a pastrami sandwich with dark mustard from Canters” to his house. 

“I know you, Richard. We used to hang out back in the day,” the comedian wrote. “I’d always see you at The Comedy Store. 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.”

In September 2023, Shore told PEOPLE he believes a film about Simmons is the "biopic that America needs."

"He helped so many people," he said at the time. "If you read people talking about him, they'd always be like, 'I was 400 pounds and Richard Simmons saved my life!' He was all about positivity and helping people. And there's so much angst and divisiveness in the world, so I think a dose of that positivity is what people need."

Related Articles

Follow Us

Federico Luis’ Sometimes Playful, ,...