Adam Sandler is the stand-up comedian whose success on TV's Saturday Night Live (1991-95) launched a successful career in slapstick movie comedies. A quirky jokester of the love-him-or-hate-him variety, Sandler began his film career playing lowbrow goofs in films such as Happy Gilmore (1996, with Bob Barker), The Waterboy (1998) and The Wedding Singer (1998, with Drew Barrymore). Sandler then showed his dramatic talents in Punch-Drunk Love (2002), Spanglish (2004, with Téa Leoni) and the 2005 remake of The Longest Yard. As a comedian Sandler has released several albums, including They're All Gonna Laugh At You (1993) and Stan and Judy's Kid (1999); he's known particularly for his novelty songs "The Chanukah Song" and "The Thanksgiving Song." His other films include Billy Madison (1995), Big Daddy (1999, with Dylan and Cole Sprouse), Click (2006, with Kate Beckinsale), the 9/11 drama Reign Over Me (2007, with Don Cheadle), and the pretending-to-be-gay comedy I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (2007, with Jessica Biel.
Allen Covert,
Frank Coraci,
Tim Herlihy,
Jon Rosenberg
Genre: Comedy
Active: '90s, 2000s
Instrument: Producer, Vocals, Guitar
Biography
Born September 9, 1966, in Brooklyn, Adam Sandler was raised in Manchester, New Hampshire. At the age of 17, his brother dared him to take the stage at a Boston comedy club's amateur night and was surprised at how well Adam performed. That planted the seed for his career, though he first attended NYU, receiving a Fine Arts degree in 1989. Not long after graduation, Sandler gained a position with the NBC-TV sketch-comedy show Saturday Night Live, and became one of the show's most popular actors during his five-year stint.
In 1993, Warner Brothers signed Sandler to a recording contract, and he delivered his debut album They're All Gonna Laugh at You that September. The LP became popular with college radio and sold well, earning a gold certification and a Grammy nomination. Sandler broke out in the cinema the following year, appearing in Mixed Nuts and Coneheads before his first starring vehicle, 1995's Bill Madison. His second comedy album, What the Hell Happened to Me?, was released in early 1996; it leapt into the Top 20 and eventually went platinum. By now one of the biggest comic stars in America, Sandler reeled off a string of blockbuster films including Billy Madison, The Wedding Singer, The Waterboy and Big Daddy before releasing his third album, Stan and Judy's Kid, in 1999. The 2000s found Sandler trying his hand at less comedic rolls (Punch Drunk Love), animation (8 Crazy Nights), but the box-office results were mixed. In 2004 he released his fifth album, Shhh...Don't Tell. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
Born: Sep 09, 1966 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York
Occupation: Actor, Writer
Active: '90s-2000s
Major Genres: Comedy
Career Highlights: Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison, The Wedding Singer
First Major Screen Credit: Going Overboard (1989)
Biography
One of the most endearing goofballs to ever grace the stages of Saturday Night Live, affectionately offensive funnyman Adam Sandler has often been cited as the writer/performer who almost single-handedly rescued the long-running late-night television staple when the chips were down and it appeared to have run its course. Though his polarizing antics have divided audiences and critics who often dismiss him as lowbrow and obnoxious, Sandler's films, as well as the films of his Happy Madison production company, have performed consistently well at the box office despite harsh and frequent critical lashings.
Born in Brooklyn, NY, in September of 1966, it may come as no surprise that Sandler was a shameless class clown who left his classmates in stitches and his teachers with a handful. Never considering to utilize his gift of humor to pursue a career, Sandler eventually realized his potential when at the age of 17 his brother encouraged him to take the stage at an amateur comedy competition. A natural at making the audience laugh, the aspiring comedian nurtured his talents while attending New York University and studying for a Fine Arts Degree. With early appearances on The Cosby Show and the MTV game show Remote Control providing the increasingly busy Sandler with a loyal following, an early feature role coincided with his "discovery" by SNL cast member Dennis Miller at an L.A. comedy club. As the unfortunately named Shecky Moskowitz, his role as a struggling comedian in Going Overboard (1989) served as an interesting parallel to his actual career trajectory but did little to display his true comic talents.
It wasn't until SNL producers took Miller's praise to heart and hired the fledgling comic as writer on the program that Sandler's talents were truly set to shine. Frequent appearances as Opera Man and Canteen Boy soon elevated him to player status, and it wasn't long before Sandler was the toast of the SNL cast in the mid-'90s. While appearing in SNL and sharpening his feature skills in such efforts as Shakes the Clown (1991) and Coneheads (1993), Sandler signed a recording contract with Warner Bros., and the release of the Grammy-nominated They're All Gonna Laugh at You proved the most appropriate title imaginable as his career began to soar. Striking an odd balance between tasteless vulgarity and innocent charm, the album found Sandler gaining footing as an artist independent of the SNL universe and fueled his desire -- as numerous cast members had before him -- to strike out on his own. Though those who had attempted a departure for feature fame in the past had met with decidedly mixed results, Sandler's loyal and devoted fan base proved strong supporters of such early solo feature efforts as Billy Madison (1996) and, especially, Happy Gilmore (1996).
His mixture of grandma-loving sweetness and pure, unfiltered comedic rage continued with his role as a slow-witted backwoods mama's boy turned football superstar in The Waterboy (1998), and that same year found Sandler expanding his persona to more sensitive territory in The Wedding Singer. Perhaps his most appealing character up to that point, The Wedding Singer's combination of '80s nostalgia and a warmer, more personable persona found increasing support among those who had previously distanced themselves from his polarizing performances.
As the decade rolled on, Sandler also appeared in the action-oriented Bulletproof (1996) and the even more affectionate Big Daddy (1999). In 2002, Sandler starred in a re-imagining of Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, titled simply Mr. Deeds.
Beginning in the late nineties, Sandler's Happy Madison production company launched such efforts as Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo (1999), Little Nicky (2000), The Animal and Joe Dirt (both 2001). Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo appeared in (2005), and Grandma's Boy in (2006). Despite critical castigation for scraping the bottom of the barrel with these efforts, Sandler's commercial instinct remained intact; the films all hit big at the box office and drew an ever-loyal base of fans who gravitated to any feature with Sandler's name attached.
The early 2000s also saw Sandler attempting to branch out in a number of unusual directions, which included the animated "Hanukkah Musical" 8 Crazy Nights (2002). Sandler also began dipping his toes into the realm of drama with a starring role in the eccentric, critically acclaimed tragicomedy Punch-Drunk Love (2002), directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Sandler also starred in the Jim Brooks-helmed comedy/drama Spanglish (2004), an unsually subdued and gentle turn away from the irascible types that Sandler usually played. The critical receptions were, again uneven, as reviewers loathed 8 Crazy Nights, justifiably praised Punch-Drunk across the board, and espoused mixed feelings about Spanglish.
Perhaps well aware of the extent of these risks that he was taking with his career, Sandler continued to sustain his popularity with a steady (and reliable) stream of crowd-pleasing star vehicles throughout the early 2000s. 2002's self-produced Sandler vehicle Anger Management (which teamed him up with a maniacal Jack Nicholson); the 2004 effort 50 First Dates, in which he co-starred with fellow Wedding Singer alum Drew Barrymore; and the 2005 remake of Robert Aldrich's The Longest Yard all made box office gold.
In 2006, Sandler starred in yet another hit: Click, a surrealistic comedy directed by Frank Coraci, co-starring Sean Astin, Kate Beckinsale and Christopher Walken. The film was a big hit and, having spent the past few years playing it safe, Sandler decided it was a good time to take another chance. He signed on to star with Don Cheadle in the 2007 drama Reign Over Me, playing a man who lost his wife and children in the 9/11 attacks, and is headed for complete self-destruction. The critics weren't as enamored with this dramatic attempt as they were with Punch-Drunk Love, but Sandler was mostly well received even when the film wasn't. Always tempering his risks with more predictable career moves, the actor next signed on to appear alongside King of Queens star Kevin James in the buddy movie I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, a comedy about two straight firefighters who pretend to be a gay couple to receive domestic partner benefits. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Sandler was born in Brooklyn, New York to Judy, a nursery school teacher, and Stanley
Sandler, an electrical engineer.[2] He had a
Jewish upbringing.[3] His
family later moved to Manchester, New Hampshire. The song "Lunchlady Land" is
dedicated to the lunch lady at Central High. Sandler went to summer camp
at Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire.
Acting career
In the mid to late 1980s, Sandler played Theo Huxtable's friend Smitty on The Cosby
Show (1987–1988). He was a performer for the MTV game showRemote Control, on which he made appearances as the characters "Trivia Delinquent"
or "Stud Boy". Sandler started performing in clubs early on, taking the stage at his brother's urging when he was only 17. He was
then discovered by comedian Dennis Miller, who caught Sandler's act in Los Angeles. Miller
immediately recommended him to Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels. Sandler was hired as a writer for SNL in 1990 and became a featured player the following
year, quickly making a name for himself by performing amusing original songs on the show, including "The Chanukah Song".[4] He left
the show in 1995 to focus on his acting career.
Sandler's first successful starring role was in 1989 when he starred in the movie Going
Overboard. In 1995 he starred in Billy Madison, in which he plays a
grown man repeating grades 1–12 to earn his father's respect back, along with the right to inherit his father's
multi-million-dollar hotel empire. He followed this movie up with other financially successful comedies such as
Bulletproof (1996),Happy Gilmore (1996)
and The Wedding Singer (1998). He was initially cast in the
bachelor-party-themed comedy/thriller Very Bad Things (1998), but had to back out
due to his involvement in The Waterboy (1998),[5] one of his first hits.
Although most of his earlier films were almost universally despised by movie critics, many of his recent films starting with
Punch-Drunk Love (2002) have received almost uniformly positive reviews, leading
many movie critics to believe that Sandler possesses considerable acting ability that they believed had been previously wasted on
poorly written scripts and characters with no development.[6] Audiences have remained faithful to Sandler's slapstick humor to the tune of $100-million-plus
grossing movies. Sandler has moved outside the genre of goofball humor to take on more serious parts such as the aforementioned
Punch-Drunk Love (for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe), and
Spanglish (2004). He also plays a loving father figure in Big Daddy (1999). Ironically, during filming, he met Jacqueline
Samantha Titone -- his future wife and mother of his daughter. Jackie was cast as the charming waitress from The Blarney
Stone Bar.
In June, 2007, it was announced that his production company, Happy Madison, had made a
preemptive acquisition for Mitch Albom's screenwriting debut.[12]
Themes in Sandler's films
Cheering at the end - His films sometimes end with a scene in which his character is being cheered on by a large
audience for one reason or another which is occasionally followed up with a judge going the opposite direction of the crowd
sentiment and ruining the moment (the Billy Madison contest and the trials in Big Daddy and I Now Pronounce You
Chuck and Larry being several examples).
V-girls - In many of his movies, the lead female character's name starts with a V (i.e., Veronica Vaughn, Virginia
Venit, Valerie Veran, Vicki Vallencourt, Vanessa).
Styx - will often feature their music in his movies.
New York Jets - Click, when he is a young
boy wearing a Jets jersey; Mr. Deeds, when the helicopter pilot informs him that he now
owns the Jets; Big Daddy, when Sonny and Julian go to a sports bar and the waitress
asks Julian which football team he wanted to win and he replies by saying "the goddamn Jets"; Little Nicky, When Dan Marino tries to sell his soul to win
the Super Bowl. Satan Harvey Keitel refuses, Dan leaves, and the Satan informs Nicky that
he's a Jets fan.
Elderly Irony - Sandler's movies often include elderly people behaving ironically
uncouth ("If peeing your pants is cool, consider me Miles Davis" from Billy Madison, "Now
you've had enough... bitch" Bob Barker in Happy
Gilmore, "Fuck yeah" Old Japanese guy in Click, "Only you and my grandfather pee every 30
seconds" from Big Daddy), "Look at those two Shitheads" Old Hawaiian man from 50 First Dates.
O'Doyle - this is the surname of bullies from both Billy Madison and
Click.
Food - Sandler's characters often have a love for specific foods, such as Popeye's Chicken (Little Nicky), Subway
(Happy Gilmore) and Hunt's Snack Pack (Billy Madison).
Genital Size - He has a small penis.
Cameos & other work
Sandler reads 'An Ode to Bob' during his Price is Right
appearance
Sandler made a cameo appearance on an episode of The Price Is Right during the "Happy Gilmore Showcase." Host Bob Barker appeared in the movie Happy Gilmore which featured a famous fight scene with Sandler's
character (where Barker wins). He also appeared on Bob Barker's tribute show on May 17, 2007, in which he read a poem to Bob and
congratulated him on his retirement from TPIR.
On March 20, 2007 Sandler was scheduled to be a guest on
The Late Show with David Letterman. However, due to a minor illness,
Letterman could not host the show and Sandler filled in as host.
The Longest Yard, where Sandler stars, Schneider suggests to the
prisoners around him that they hug in the showers. Even though he says similar lines as the Townie, he is credited as 'Punky' in
this movie.
Little Nicky, where Sandler stars, Schneider is an angry man (Townie) in riot
based on the same character from The Waterboy.
Big Daddy, where Sandler stars, Schneider plays a delivery man named Nazo.
Mr. Deeds, where Sandler stars, Schneider makes two short appearances as Nazo; Schneider's
character in Sandler's movie, Big Daddy.
50 First Dates, where Sandler stars, Schneider plays a Hawaiian friend of Adam's
character with one eye and is the presiding minister at his wedding.
The Waterboy, where Sandler stars, Schneider plays an angry Townie.
Eight Crazy Nights, where Sandler stars, Schneider voices a Asian waiter who
doesn't like Sandler's character, and also provides the narration
Click, where Sandler stars, Schneider plays Prince Habeeboo, a potential foreign
customer for Sandler's architect firm.
On June 22, 2003, Sandler married actress Jacqueline Samantha
Titone (now Jackie Sandler), and they are the parents of Sadie Madison Sandler, born
May 6, 2006 at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles.[13] Sandler lives with his family in Los Angeles, though he also
has a home in New York.
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