Pauly Shore Responds to Richard Simmons Disowning Biopic Movie

Days after Richard Simmons said he didn’t authorize a biopic to be made of his life, Pauly Shore—the actor who plays the weight loss guru in a new short film that just debuted—has responded with his defense. According to Shore, his take on the exercise icon isn’t mean-spirited in any fashion.

“My come from has always been love,” Shore told Variety while at the Sundance Film Festival. “It’s never been vindictive. I’m not Borat. 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. 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. We don’t want to bug him. We want him to be left alone and we don’t want to bug him. We want to pay homage to him and kiss his feet and say he’s done beautiful stuff. Who’s going to play Richard Simmons? Leonardo DiCaprio is not going to play Richard Simmons. I look like him.”

Shore plays Richard Simmons in The Court Jester, a short film that debuted at Sundance as the filmmakers behind the project look to secure funding to turn it into a feature length film.

“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. My parents passed away. My siblings, we don’t have a great relationship. I’m not married. When I am out touring, it’s very big and America.. and then 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.”

Since 2014, Simmons has removed himself from the public eye—enough so police were eventually called to perform a wellness check on him.

“Hi Everybody! 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,” Simmons posted on his verified Facebook page about the film earlier this month. “I no longer have a manager, and I no longer have a publicist. I just try to live a quiet life and be peaceful. Thank you for all your love and support. Richard.”