A professional pilot, mustachioed Richard Simmons was reportedly discovered by Louis B. Mayer while vacationing on a dude ranch near Palm Springs, CA. Mayer signed the strapping six-footer to a stock contract right then and there, promising the neophyte "outdoor roles." As it turned out, the tycoon couldn't quite keep his promise and Simmon's roles -- in such fare as Sergeant York (1941), Thousands Cheer (1943), Love Laughs at Andy Hardy (1946), and Battle Circus (1953) -- proved minor. In fact, the actor had to pay his dues in little more than walk-ons for nearly a decade before finally reaching stardom -- and then it was on the small screen. Filmed in color in central California, Sergeant Preston of the Yukon teamed Simmons with Yukon King, a handsome malamute, and Rex, an equally impressive stallion, and the trio became a mainstay on children's television from 1955 to 1958 and in syndication ever since. Simmons, who also guest starred on such shows as Perry Mason, Rawhide, The Brady Bunch, and ChiPS, should not be confused with the frenetic video exercise guru of the same name.
by Hans J. Wollstein
biography
