This Pop Culture Icon Was One of the Few People To Play Themselves in Their Own Biopic — and the Result Is Shocking

When Betty Thomas‘ Private Parts was released in 1997, Howard Stern was at the peak of his powers. The famed radio shock jock and self-proclaimed “King of All Media” had become such a monumental figure in American pop culture by that point that turning his 1993 best-selling book of the same name into a feature film was a no-brainer decision. The riskier choice, though, was having Stern play himself in his own biopic, but this decision actually proved to be vital to Private Parts‘ success. Due to the radio DJ’s outsized and brash persona, it would have been jarring for audiences to see someone else fill his shoes, especially given the fact that he was such an omnipresent force in culture at the time. Nearly three decades later, it’s hard to imagine a version of the movie without the real-life Stern at the center of it. Though his acting certainly wasn’t Oscar-worthy, the film found success not in spite of Stern playing himself, but because of it.

‘Private Parts’ Was Released at the Perfect Time in Stern’s Career for Him To Play Himself

Traditional celebrity biopics—like last year’s A Complete Unknown—usually tell people’s stories once they’ve grown older and their star has faded, or after they’ve passed away. Private Parts was a unique case in that it told the story of Stern’s meteoric rise in broadcasting while he was still in the prime of his career. This meant the radio host was young enough to play himself in the film, as it tracked things like his college days, his early gigs in radio, and his relationship with his first wife. Had the film come out even a handful of years later, Stern may not have been able to convincingly portray a younger version of himself on screen.

Another thing that separates Private Parts from other films about famous people’s humble beginnings and rise to the top is that Stern’s chosen profession is unlike many others in the public eye. He made a name for himself on the radio every day by tapping into pure authenticity. His show became so popular because it was the antithesis of well-manicured, cookie-cutter, corporate entertainment. As a result, Stern’s “real personality” was more intrinsically tied to his brand than other celebrities, like athletes, musicians, and actors. Long before parasocial relationships and “my favorite podcasters are my friends” became memes and cultural discussion points, there were millions of listeners who genuinely felt like they knew Stern because they tuned into him every day. That is why it would have been extremely hard for any performer to accurately and effectively star as Stern in a movie in a way that didn’t break the illusion for the viewer.

According to Stern, one name was once floated as a possible alternative to his playing himself in the film. On the SmartLess podcast, he told a story about how it took a long time to get the script to Private Parts right, with over 25 different drafts being completed. Since Stern had written into his contract that he had final screenplay approval, the movie could not be made until there was a script that he was happy with. But the constant rewrites were frustrating the studio that was financing the project, Rysher Entertainment. So much so that at one point they threatened to recast Stern in the movie with Jeff Goldblum. Thankfully, that never came to pass, and the screenplay was ultimately worked out after producer Ivan Reitman got more involved and advised that the film be a more realistic telling of Stern’s story rather than a silly or fantastical one.

Stern’s Acting Received Mixed Reviews

After debuting at number one at the domestic box office in its opening weekend, Private Parts went on to gross nearly $42 million against a reported $28 million budget. Despite Stern’s controversial and divisive reputation, the film received mostly positive reviews from critics. Today, it holds a 74% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Upon its release, legendary critic Roger Ebert called Private Parts a “surprisingly sweet movie.” Regarding Stern and his longtime sidekick Robin Quivers playing themselves in the film, Ebert wrote, “Stern and Quivers are both making their screen acting debuts here, and they do what seasoned actors claim is very difficult: They play convincing, engaging versions of themselves.”

The consensus at the time seemed to be that, while Stern certainly wasn’t poised to become the next Daniel Day-Lewis, his performance was better than expected and definitely didn’t diminish the film’s overall quality. Though he did receive a Razzie nomination for Worst New Star—most likely because of his celebrity status and not his actual acting—he did also earn a Best Actor in a Comedy nomination at the Golden Satellite awards and won Favorite Male Newcomer at the Blockbuster Entertainment Awards. While these aren’t exactly Oscars, they show that there was some praise for Stern’s performance back in 1997. However, one feels about his chops as an actor, the fact remains that Stern’s biopic would not have worked as well as it did with a different performer in the leading role. He really was the perfect person to guide his own story.