Richard Simmons
Milton Teagle "Richard" Simmons was an American fitness instructor and television personality. He was a promoter of weight-loss programs, most prominently through his television show, The Richard Simmons Show and later the Sweatin' to the Oldies line of aerobics videos.
Simmons began his weight-loss career by opening his gym Slimmons in Beverly Hills, California, catering to the overweight in a supportive atmosphere, and he became widely known through exposure on television and through the popularity of his consumer products. He was often parodied and was a frequent guest on late-night television and radio talk shows, such as the Late Show with David Letterman and The Howard Stern Show.
He continued to promote health and exercise through a decades-long career and later broadened his activities to include political activism, such as in 2008 in support of a bill mandating non-competitive physical education in public schools as a part of the No Child Left Behind Act.
Early life
Simmons was born Milton Teagle Simmons in New Orleans, Louisiana on July 12, 1948, to Leonard Douglas Simmons, Sr. and Shirley May. He was born to "show-business parents" and raised in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Simmons had an older brother Leonard Jr. Their father was raised Methodist and worked as a master of ceremonies and later in thrift stores while their mother was Russian Jewish and was a traveling fan dancer and later a store cosmetics saleswoman.Simmons became a practicing Catholic in adolescence and attended Cor Jesu High School. He attended the University of Louisiana at Lafayette before graduating from Florida State University with a Bachelor of Arts in art.
He became obese during his early childhood and adolescence. He began to overeat and became overweight as early as the age of 4 and by the age of 5, he knew it was perceived negatively. At the age of 15, he weighed. As a young man, he considered being a priest, but decided against it. As a young art student, he appeared among the "freak show" characters in the Fellini films Satyricon and The Clowns and he eventually reached a peak of.
In an interview with the Tampa Bay Times, Simmons explained he adopted the name Richard after an uncle who paid for his college tuition. His first job in New Orleans was as a child, selling pralines at Leah's Pralines.
Career
Fitness career
Following his graduation, at the age of 26, Simmons traveled around the country for a job. Upon moving to Los Angeles in the 1970s, Simmons worked as the waiter and maître d'hôtel at Derek's Second Floor, a restaurant in Beverly Hills. Eventually, celebrities and producers arrived and one producer offered Simmons a job to portray himself on General Hospital. He developed an interest in fitness. Exercise studios of the day favored the already fit customer, so little help was available for those who needed to gain fitness from an otherwise unhealthy state. He established gyms and his interest in fitness helped him lose.He opened his own exercise studio, originally called The Anatomy Asylum, where emphasis was placed on healthy eating in proper portions and enjoyable exercise in a supportive atmosphere. The business originally included a salad bar restaurant called Ruffage, a pun on the word roughage ; though it was eventually removed as the focus of The Anatomy Asylum shifted solely to exercise. Later renamed Slimmons, the establishment continued operations in Beverly Hills and Simmons taught motivational classes and aerobics throughout the week. His success led to a recurring role in General Hospital portraying himself over a four-year period and then to his own television series The Richard Simmons Show, which aired from 1980 to 1984 and earned him multiple Emmy awards. Rising interest in aerobics during the 1980s led to the popularization of Simmons' line of fitness videos, particularly his Sweatin' to the Oldies series, which became one of the most popular videos during the decade.
In 2010, Simmons stated he had maintained his own 100+ pound weight loss for 42 years, had been helping others lose weight for 35 years, and that in the course of his fitness career, had helped humanity lose approximately 12 million pounds.
In media
Simmons began to receive popularity and media attention due to the success of his health club that started with him on Real People, where he was shown at work. He introduced customers whom he had helped to lose weight. He later had guest roles in Battlestars, Super Password, Win, Lose or Draw, Body Language, Match Game, Hollywood Squares, and Nickelodeon's Figure It Out. Positive viewer reactions landed Simmons a recurring role as himself in General Hospital over a four-year period. This, as well as being in shopping malls, led to further media attention. In the early 1980s, Simmons hosted two shows — Slim Cookin and the Emmy Award-winning talk show The Richard Simmons Show, in which he focused on personal health, fitness, exercise, and healthy cooking. Simmons portrayed himself in the Amazing Stories episode "Remote Control Man." On November 18, 1997, Simmons was a guest on The Rosie O'Donnell Show, together with Celine Dion. He was a frequent guest on The Howard Stern Show, his last appearance coming in 2013.Simmons was also a guest on Late Night with David Letterman and the Late Show with David Letterman, but on November 22, 2000, they had a falling-out after an incident on that night's show. Simmons grabbed Letterman as if to hug or kiss him, to which Letterman responded by spraying Simmons with a fire extinguisher, which made Simmons have a severe asthma attack. Simmons did not appear on the Letterman show for six years, finally returning on November 29, 2006. During that time, Letterman once again set Simmons up for a prank; while Simmons was demonstrating a steamer branded with his name, Letterman insisted on placing a tray under the steamer which Simmons did not believe belonged there. When Simmons turned the steamer on, something in the tray exploded and caught fire, sending Simmons running for his life. Despite the scare, Simmons took the incident in fairly good nature, even joking that he "felt like Michael Jackson".
In 1998, Simmons provided the voice of Boone in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie. He featured as himself on numerous television series, including Whose Line Is It Anyway?, CHiPs, Saturday Night Live, The Larry Sanders Show, and in the Arrested Development episode "Bringing Up Buster." In 1999, he hosted the short-lived television series DreamMaker. On January 14, 2000, Simmons and Tribune Entertainment parted ways, following low ratings. In 2007, he filmed the PBS pledge-drive special Love Yourself and Win.
He also featured in television advertisements for Sprint, Yoplait, and Herbal Essence shampoos. In late 2007, he was in a This is SportsCenter commercial on ESPN as the show's "conditioning coach". In the Rocko's Modern Life episode "No Pain, No Gain", Simmons voiced an exercise trainer bearing his animated likeness, leading a class filled with large, anthropomorphic animals.
Simmons appeared multiple times on The Glenn Beck Program on HLN. From 2006 to 2008, he hosted a radio show on Sirius Stars titled Lighten Up with Richard Simmons. He provided the voice of Coach Salmons, a recurring character modeled after his own likeness, for Fish Hooks. In 2011, Simmons starred in "Fit to Fly with Richard Simmons", an Air New Zealand inflight safety briefing video modeled after his aerobic workouts. He is featured heavily in the film clip of "Hawker Boat" by Tobacco, taken from the album Fucked Up Friends.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Simmons' YouTube channel was updated with archival exercise videos to help people stay fit at home. A spokesperson said the move was motivated by an "overwhelming request for Richard to return in some way as a comfort" and added that Simmons was "very touched by the outreach."
In January 2024, an as-yet untitled biopic about Simmons, starring Pauly Shore, was announced, titled The Court Jester. Simmons stated on Facebook, "I have never given my permission for this movie." In April, he said he was discussing giving his approval for a different biopic.
Personal life
Religion
Simmons became Catholic as a teenager, having first asked his parents if he could convert as a younger child. He attended church with his brother Lenny for years until being baptized and confirmed on the same day. He considered the priesthood for a time, but decided against it.He lapsed as an older adult, but returned to the faith in his later years.
Personality
Simmons used his energetic, loud, and motivational demeanor to encourage people to lose weight. His high energy level was always featured in his workout videos. His trademark attire was tank tops decorated with Swarovski crystals and candy-striped Dolphin shorts.Simmons interacted at a personal level with fans and people using his products. This began by personally answering fan mail he received as a cast member of General Hospital. As late as 2008, he personally answered emails and letters and made hundreds of phone calls each week to those who would seek his help.
He claimed to have few friends, saying, "I don't have a lot to offer to one person. I have a lot to offer to a lot of people." Aside from his six Dalmatians and two maids, Simmons lived alone in Beverly Hills, California. Although his persona inspired speculation about his sexual orientation, he never publicly addressed the subject. After his death in 2024, Jane Fonda stated she had last seen him for lunch at the Polo Lounge, when he was accompanied by his new boyfriend.
In a 2012 interview with Men's Health, he was quoted: