Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American comedian, actor, musician, screenwriter and film producer. After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, he went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over US$100 million at the box office.^[1] Though he is best known for his comedic roles, such as in the films Billy Madison (1995), Happy Gilmore (1996), Big Daddy (1999) and Mr. Deeds (2002), he has also had success in romantic and dramatic roles, such as in the films, The Wedding Singer (1998), Punch-Drunk Love (2002), Spanglish (2004), and Reign Over Me (2007).

Biography

Early life

Sandler was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Judy, a nursery school teacher, and Stanley Sandler, an electrical engineer.^[2] Sandler was raised Jewish.^[3] When he was five, his family moved to Manchester, New Hampshire, where he attended Manchester Central High School. He found he was a natural comic, and nurtured his talent while at New York University by performing regularly in clubs and on campuses. He graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1991.

Later in his career, he would often draw on his earliest memories for material for his comedy and movies. The song "Lunchlady Land" is dedicated to Emalee, the lunchlady at Hayden Dining Hall at New York University. In the movie Click, Sandler goes to Lake Winnipesaukee, the largest lake in New Hampshire, where he went to summer camp.

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 show Remote Control, on which he made appearances as the characters "Trivia Delinquent" or "Stud Boy". Early in his career, Sandler performed in comedy clubs, taking the stage at his brother's urging when he was only 17. He was discovered by comedian Dennis Miller, who caught Sandler's act in Los Angeles. Miller 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, 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 film career.

Sandler reads 'An Ode to Bob' during a Price is Right appearance

Although his earlier films did not receive critical praise, his more recent films, beginning with Punch-Drunk Love (2002), have received almost uniformly positive reviews. Some critics concluded that Sandler possessed considerably more 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 US$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), Spanglish (2004) and Reign Over Me (2007). He played a loving father figure in Big Daddy (1999). During filming, he met Jacqueline Samantha Titone ? his future wife and mother of his daughter ? who was cast as the waitress from The Blarney Stone Bar.

The handprints of Adam Sandler in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre.

At one point, Sandler was considered for the part that went to Jamie Foxx in Collateral (2004).^[5] He also was one of the finalists along with Jim Carrey and Johnny Depp for the role of Willy Wonka in Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005).^[5] He returned to more dramatic fare with Mike Binder's Reign Over Me (2007), a drama about a man who loses his entire family in 9/11 and rekindles a friendship with his old college roommate (played by Don Cheadle). He starred in the film I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (2007) alongside Kevin James, as a New York City fireman pretending to be gay keep up an insurance scam so that his best friend's children can have benefits. Sandler's most recent film is You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008), a comedy about a Mossad agent who fakes his own death and moves to the United States to become a hair stylist. The film was written by Sandler, The 40-Year-Old Virgin writer-director Judd Apatow (who was an old roommate of Sandler's when both were starting out), and Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog creator Robert Smigel, and was directed by Happy Gilmore director Dennis Dugan.

"Like Will Ferrell, Sandler has layers of tenderness under layers of irony under layers of tenderness — plus a floating anger like Jupiter?s great red spot," wrote David Edelstein of New York magazine in a review of You Don't Mess with the Zohan. "Some performers become stars because we can read them instantly, others — like Sandler — because we never tire of trying to get a fix on them."^[7]

He recently finished production on Bedtime Stories (2008), a fantasy film directed by Bringing Down the House director Adam Shankman, about a stressed real estate developer whose bedtime stories he reads to his niece and nephew begin to come true. This will mark Sandler's first family film and first film under the Walt Disney banner.^[8] Keri Russell and English comedian Russell Brand co-star and the film is set to be released on Christmas of 2008.

His next film will be Judd Apatow's third directorial feature Funny People. Sandler stars as a very successful stand up comedian who finds out he has a terminal illness and he takes a young inexperienced comic, played by Seth Rogen, under his wing. Other co-stars include Eric Bana and Apatow's wife, Leslie Mann. The film will contain more dramatic elements than Apatow's previous efforts.^[9] Filming began in October of 2008 with a tentative release date of July 31, 2009.^[10]

At one point, Sandler was in talks to star in Quentin Tarantino's World War II film Inglourious Basterds, which he confirmed, but he said he will not be in it due to a scheduling conflict with Funny People.^[11] In June 2007, it was announced that his production company, Happy Madison, had made a preemptive acquisition for Mitch Albom's screenwriting debut.^[12]

Happy Madison Productions

Sandler at Cannes, May 2002

Sandler is known for consistently working with a core group of friends and associates through Happy Madison, frequently casting fellow SNL peformers in various roles in his films. Happy Madison produced David Spade's Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star^[13] and Sandler cameoed as a special audience member in an episode of The Showbiz Show with David Spade.

SNL contemporary Kevin Nealon has appeared in nine Happy Madison productions or Sandler films, including Happy Gilmore, The Wedding Singer, Little Nicky, Joe Dirt, Eight Crazy Nights, Anger Management, Grandma's Boy, You Don't Mess with the Zohan and the Dana Carvey vehicle, The Master of Disguise.

He appeared as the featured guest on the final episode of John McEnroe's eponymous CNBC talk show, airing in late 2004. McEnroe appeared as himself in three of Sandler's films (Mr. Deeds, Anger Management, and You Don't Mess with the Zohan).

Sandler and Happy Madison produced SNL contemporary Rob Schneider's vehicles Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo (1999), The Animal (2001), The Hot Chick (2002), and Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo (2005), with Sandler making cameo appearances in the latter three. Meanwhile, Schneider has appeared in cameo roles in Sandler films The Waterboy, Little Nicky, Mr. Deeds, Click, The Longest Yard and I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry. Schneider had larger roles in Sandler films Big Daddy, 50 First Dates, Eight Crazy Nights, and You Don't Mess with the Zohan.

Others who frequently appear in Sandler films include Steve Buscemi, John Turturro, Jon Lovitz, Clint Howard, Norm MacDonald, and longtime Sandler pals Allen Covert, Peter Dante, and Jonathan Loughran.

Personal life

On June 22, 2003, Sandler married actress Jacqueline Samantha Titone, and they are the parents of two daughters, Sadie Madison Sandler, born May 6, 2006, at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, ^[14] and Sunny Madeline Sandler, born November 2, 2008.^[15] Sandler lives with his family in Los Angeles, though he also has a home in New York.

In 2007, Sandler made a million-dollar donation to the Boys and Girls Club in his hometown, Manchester, NH.^[16] He also donated $2100 to the primary campaign of Rudy Giuliani the same year.^[17]

Filmography

Discography

References

External links

• Official website
• Adam Sandler fanlisting
• Adam Sandler's Charity Work

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