Pauly Shore, 1990’s Comedy Movie Star, Cast as Exercise Guru Richard Simmons

Pauly Shore Slated to Play Richard Simmons in Upcoming Film

1990’s comedy movie star, Pauly Shore, will be returning to the screen playing exercise guru extraordinaire, Richard Simmons, in a forthcoming film.

Despite disapproval from Simmons, there will, indeed, be an upcoming feature which will showcase the one-time big box-office draw, Shore, in the leading role. Pauly Shore is currently soon going to be seen as Simmons in the Sundance Film Festival short movie, The Court Jester.

Shore was an annoying, but successful, 1990’s movie personality/star who appeared in films such as Encino Man, Son in Law, In the Army Now and Jury Duty. The comic actor rode his success through to the end of the 1990’s where his star dimmed somewhat when compared to his early pictures’ impressive box-office grosses.

When he was an MTV VJ in the late 1980’s, it was clear Shore belonged to a very exclusive club which only his true fans were fond of. Critics despised Shore’s movies with many of them turning up on the top 10 worst of the year lists. Roger Ebert gave Son in Law a very lukewarm two-star review and many other critics followed suit on that picture although it was a bona-fide financial success and an audience favorite.

Simmons, himself, was once a tremendous ball of energy whose enthusiasm was unparalleled. Besides the physical similarities between Shore and Simmons, there is a lot of that underdog mentality that was showcased in their work. Shore always seemed to play an “every man” in his films whereas Simmons has always tried to appeal to the average, every day person who wanted to get in shape.

When Simmons made  the exercise video, Sweatin’ to the Oldies, he promoted good mental health and hygiene as well as the power of positive thinking. Simmons disappeared from the public spotlight much like Shore himself did after the actor’s brief run of back-to-back successful films. Eventually, people grew tired of Shore’s annoying personality, but that type of distinct charisma could work well for Shore as he focuses that “personality” into bringing the character of Simmons to life for screen viewers.

Though this feature film project seems to be of interest to both Shore fans and Simmons fans, the exercise guru, himself, has not given his blessing to the project. On the contrary, Simmons claims to have never “OK’d” the biopic and it will take some convincing from Shore to get Simmons on the side of the filmmakers.

This feature film will be made by the Wolper Organization, which is a Warner Bros. sub-division. You can check out the short film, The Court Jester, at Sundance in two days while waiting for the feature with Shore in the lead to be made and unveiled to the public. Shore also appears as Simmons in The Court Jester, as previously stated.

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