A look back at Richard Simmons’ impactful career after fitness guru’s death

Richard Simmons died in his home on Saturday, July 13, his representative has confirmed. The Los Angeles Police Department responded to his house and reported that the fitness guru had died from complications of a fall.

Born on July 12, 1948, Milton Teagle “Richard” Simmons died just a day after celebrating his 76 birthday. Richard stepped away from the spotlight years before his death, but before that, he made quite a splash in the fitness and entertainment industry thanks to his vibrant spirit and uplifting attitude.

Richard got his start after opening his gym Slimmons in Beverly Hills, California, catering to overweight people looking for a lifestyle change. He became widely known through various television appearances and thanks to the popularity of the products he sold. He was frequently invited to appear on late-night television and radio talk shows and became a regular on shows like The Late Show with David Letterman and The Howard Stern Show.

He continued to be known for promoting health and exercise throughout his decades-long career. Here’s a look back at how Richard Simmons got his start and everything he accomplished in his career.

Click here to follow the Mirror US on Google News to stay up to date with all the latest news, sport and entertainment stories.

READ MORE: Reclusive fitness guru Richard Simmons insists he never gave permission for new biopic

READ MORE: Richard Simmons dies just one day after 76th birthday as heartbroken fans pay tribute

Richard Simmons opens his gym

After moving to Los Angeles in the 1970s, Richard reportedly worked as the maître d’hôtel at Derek’s, a restaurant in Beverly Hills. He then became interested in fitness. He realized that gyms and fitness studios catered to people who were already in shape, but ignored those customers who were looking to get healthy. He then established his gym, opening its doors in 1974, and reportedly lost more than 100 pounds in the process.

He opened gyms like The Anatomy Asylum, which focused on customers developing nutritious eating habits while having a space to work out in comfortably. The business was a success and was later rebranded under the new name “Slimmons”, where he taught fitness and aerobics classes. Through the gym and his popular home fitness videos, Richard helped millions of people lose weight. Slimmons remained open until November 2016.

Richard becomes a beloved TV personality

Thanks to the success of his fitness club, the health guru began to receive opportunities to appear on TV, on shows, and in countless commercials. Throughout his career, he was featured on shows like Real People, Battlestars, Body Language, Super Password, Win, Lose or Draw, Match Game (ABC), Hollywood Squares, and Nickelodeon‘s Figure It Out. He had memorable appearances on beloved shows like Whose Line Is It Anyway?, CHiPs, Saturday Night Live, The Larry Sanders Show, and Arrested Development.

He also landed a recurring role as himself on General Hospital, which lasted for four years. In the early 1980s, Richard hosted the show Slim Cookin and had his own talk show, The Richard Simmons Show, and in 1999 he briefly hosted the TV series DreamMaker.

He continued his work until he left the public eye

After the height of his popularity, Richard went on to voice animated characters in TV and film. He also hosted a radio show on Sirius Stars titled Lighten Up with Richard Simmons from 2006 to 2008. He stopped making public appearances in 2014 and withdrew from public life altogether. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, his 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.” Following concerns about his well-being and much speculation from the media and fans, Richard released a statement in 2022 telling the New York Post that he was “happy, healthy, and living the life he has chosen to live.”

He continued to be active on social media, sharing updates and stories with fans via X, and sent out his last message on the morning of his tragic death.