Comedian Pauly Shore channels fitness guru Richard Simmons in upcoming short film
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LOS ANGELES - Comedian and actor Pauly Shore adamantly advocated, and he got his wish, playing the energetic and flamboyant fitness personality Richard Simmons in an upcoming short film.
The trailer for "The Court Jester" was released Monday, giving viewers an insight as to what's to come as the project.
According to the video's YouTube page, the film is set to premiere on January 19 in Park City, Utah, alongside the Sundance Film Festival, although the biopic isn't part of the film festival's line-up. It will be available to stream on YouTube later that night.
According to Variety, Shore will star in another feature film about Simmons which is currently in development.
Shore became vocal about playing Simmons after a meme went viral detailing how the celebrities look alike. Shore later made note of it on his Instagram page in September 2023.
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"I’ve noticed all the reactions to me playing #RichardSimmons in a new biopic," he posted.
Shore said he and Simmons even played phone tag, trying to contact one another. No word if Simmons was involved in the film projects.
Many have wondered what became of Simmons after his popularity skyrocketed in the 1980s and lasted for decades. Simmons has not been seen in public since 2014, and his withdrawal from the public eye has sparked rumors and concern from fans.
According to FOX News, Simmons turned 75 years old last year.
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There were allegations in 2016 that Simmons was being held hostage by his housekeeper, which Simmons denied in a phone interview on "Today."
In 2022, a documentary titled "TMZ Investigates: What Really Happened to Richard Simmons," was released, claiming the reason for his absence was knee surgery that slowed down his exercise regimen, causing him to "sink into a deep depression" as he doesn’t want to be remembered as "this frail, old guy."
A spokesperson for Simmons told Fox News Digital at the time they had no comment about the allegations made in the doc.
Simmons posted on his own Facebook page at the time, simply writing "Thank you, everyone, for your kindness and love! Love, Richard."
The 75-year-old began his career in fitness when he opened a gym in Los Angeles in the 1970s, and rose to fame in the ‘80s and ’90s with his workout videos, "Sweatin’ to the Oldies," and flamboyant personality and costumes.
He was a frequent guest on daytime and late night shows, and routinely advocated for health and exercise.
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Simmons’ YouTube channel even released previous recordings of older workouts to encourage people to stay active during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.
"We have had an overwhelming request for Richard to return in some way as a comfort to all dealing with the pandemic," a representative for the star told Fox News in a statement. "We thought we would start by re-releasing some workouts and other inspirational content on his YT channel. Richard is very touched by the outreach."
FOX News contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.