Milton Teagle Simmons

nickname

Richard, Dicky

Sun sign

Krebs

Place of birth

New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

nationality

training

Richard Simmons attended Cor Jesu High School in New Orleans, which has since been renamed Brother Martin High School. After graduation, he was enrolled at the University of Southwestern Louisiana .

However, he did not complete his studies there and instead moved to Florida State University . During his studies he went to Florence as an exchange student. He graduated from Florida State University with a BA in Arts.

occupation

Fitness guru, actor, comedian

family

• Father – Leonard Douglas Simmons, Sr. (retired master of ceremonies, thrift store clerk)
• Mother – Shirley May (Former Traveling Fan Dancer, Cosmetics Store Clerk)
• Siblings – Leonard Douglas Simmons Jr. (Older Brother)

Manager

William Morris Endeavour Entertainment

Build

Athletic

Height

5 feet 6½ inches or 169 cm

weight

61 kg or 134.5 lbs

girlfriend / boyfriend / spouse

Richard Simmons dated –

• Daniel Holt (1992) – The aerobics and fitness guru is said to have teamed up with Swiss star Daniel Holt in 1992. Daniel passed away a year after their brief affair.
• Bruce Headrick – Bruce, a gay hustler, has claimed in many interviews that Richard Simmons was one of his best clients in the ’80s. Their first encounter took place at Richard’s house while his mother was sleeping upstairs. Although these rumors have never been confirmed, Richard has never denied them either.

race/ethnicity

White

Richard has Russian-Jewish ancestry on his mother’s side.

hair colour

Hellbraun

eye color

dark brown

sexual orientation

Controversial

distinguishing features

• Light brown afro hairstyle
• Glittery and gold leotards

measurements

His body specifications can be –

• Chest – 96.5 cm or 38 inches
• Arms/biceps – 30.5 cm (12 in)
• Waist – 79 cm or 31 inches

shoe size

unknown

brand promotion

Over the years, Richard Simmons has used his star power to land numerous fitness-related endorsement deals. He has appeared in television advertisements for the following –

• ESPN Sports Center
• Citibank
• GEICO
• Yoplait
• Sprint
• Fruit of the Loom Underwear
• Deal-A-Meal
• Bridgestone

He also became a co-host for the Projekt Hoffnung infomercial promoting the progressive training system.

Religion

Roman Catholic

Known for

• Make a sweat at the Oldies series of aerobic videos.
• His eccentric and unique style of clothing.

first movie

His first work in a film was in the 1969 drama fantasy film Fellini Satyricon as the slave of the nymphomaniac. His role was uncredited.

First TV show

His first television appearance was on Daily as himself in a March 2, 1979 episode .

Personal trainer

Richard Simmons himself is a celebrity fitness trainer and the owner of the recently closed Slimmons gym in Beverly Hills . He is known for his intense training. Even at his advanced age, he still relies on aerobics and great dance-inspired routines to keep his body in shape.

When it comes to nutrition, he believes in a balanced diet that has at least seven servings of fruits and vegetables and two servings of low-fat dairy products daily. He also makes a point of drinking plenty of water and avoiding packaged foods.

Richard Simmons favorite things

His favorite things are not known.

Richard Simmons Facts

1. Simmons took his first name, Richard, in honor of an uncle who had given him money to pay for his college tuition.
2. He took his first job at Leah’s in New Orleans growing up, selling chocolates, a confection made with nuts, sugar, and cream.
3. His famous pseudo-Afro hairstyle is the result of severe hair loss he suffered at the age of 19 through crazy dieting and three subsequent hair transplants.
4. Richard Simmons found his famous gym, Slimmons , in the late 1980’s after being dissatisfied with the established gyms, which mostly favored fit people and discouraged beginners.
5. At one point Richard weighed around 25kg before he was encouraged to lose weight after reading an anonymous note on his car which read: ‘Fat people die young. please don’t die “
6. While appearing on the show, General Hospital, Richard was famous for personally answering every fan mail.
7. Simmons makes hundreds of phone calls to those seeking his weight loss help. He also has weekly chats with fans on his personal website.
8. As he got older, Richard became famous for his reclusive demeanor. It was even speculated in 2016 that he was being held hostage by a housekeeper, which he denied in an audio interview.
9. Visit his official website @ richardsimmons.com.
10. Connect with Richards on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube.