Pauly Shore says he “cried all night” after Richard Simmons publicly distanced himself from the biopic, which would star Shore as the fitness expert.
“I just read that a guy I don’t know is writing my bio starring Pauly Shore,” Simmons wrote on her verified Facebook page earlier this week. “I do not approve of this film. I am in talks with a major studio to create my own bio photo with their help. Please wait for this movie.”
Simmons previously said shortly after news broke that a feature film about the fitness icon was in development with support from the Wolper Organization, that he was not involved in the biopic and had not given Shore 'permission' for it.
“You guys, I cried all night because of Richard Simmons’ tweet,” Shore wrote on Instagram Thursday. “Richard, how can you not approve this movie? I mean, who better to play you in a movie than me? Leonardo DiCaprio won't play you. Brad Pitt won't play you. I am perfect. Everyone already thinks I am you. We are the same. It's beautiful both inside and out. “It really is!”
He continued: “Richard, you didn’t even hear the pitch. If I come to your house and bring you warm matzo ball soup and a pastrami sandwich with Canteran black mustard and rub your feet, you can hear author Jordan Allen-Dutton say: What do we think? … Richard, you're going to like our movie. We will create the most beautiful cinematic masterpiece in your honor in a way that will bring you to your knees and weep with joy and happiness.”
Simmons also recently shared on his social media that he has been in direct talks with a studio to work on a separate biopic about his life.
“I’ve also heard great news that you’re in talks with a studio to make a biopic about yourself,” Shore said. “That’s amazing! The more movies there are about you the better! You deserve it. There should be hundreds of them made.”
that much Encino Man The actor captioned his post, “But as you know, many biopics are made without the consent of the subjects, including Elvis, Stephen Hawking, Marilyn Monroe, and Steve Jobs. Some of them turned out to be good, some turned out to be bad. Mine will make amazing balls.”
When Shore announced the project in January, he never claimed Simmons was involved. When a former fitness classmate expressed concern at the time, the filmmakers responded with their own statements.
“We want to engage him but respect his desire for privacy and plan to produce a film that honors and celebrates him and tells his dramatic story,” The Wolper Organization wrote. “We know he is a very private person and we never want to infringe on that. No matter how amazing he is, he has changed the lives of millions of people and the impact he has had on the world must be acknowledged.”