Pauly Shore’s Oscar Bid as Richard Simmons

We’re back at Sundance in the Vulture Spot, where we’re interviewing the casts and creators of the year’s buzziest films. Check out all our coverage from the film fest here.

The inception of The Court Jester, a short starring Pauly Shore as fitness guru Richard Simmons that premiered during Sundance 2024, was a sick burn. Director Jake Lewis said he heard a football commentator say the Detroit Lions had as good of a chance to win the Super Bowl as Pauly Shore has of winning an Oscar. “The critics, they shit on me a lot,” Shore said. “It was harsh. That was one of the reasons I went away. But then here we are, after the dust has settled, 20/30 years later, and people miss me.” Check the video above for more deets on the Shore-Simmons experience, including:

➼ Whether Richard Simmons is more like Gandhi or the Pope.
➼ Host Jay Jurden presenting Shore with a Leaning Tower of Cheese-a (and Shore pitying the poor PA that probably constructed it).
➼ A good look at Pauly Shore’s gams.

Shore addressed the controversy that arose when Simmons disavowed this short and another upcoming Simmons biopic starring Shore. “First of all you should be happy that Pauly Shore is doing this, because I’m a good person,” he said. “It’s done with love.” The Court Jester is streaming now on YouTube.