Many famous actors originate from the Big Apple. Among them is Adam Sandler, the star of rom-coms created in the 2000s. The creative path of this actor was very variable and challenging. Read more on brooklynski.
Simple origins
Adam Sandler was born in 1966 in Brooklyn. The future artist grew up in an ordinary family, far from the world of cinema. Adam’s mother was a teacher and his father was an electrical engineer. Sandler’s ancestors were from Russia. This is common for Brooklynites. When the boy was five years old, the family moved to Manchester, New Hampshire. While living there, Sandler attended a local school. There, he discovered his talent for comedy. Adam noticed that he was able to make people laugh and have fun. He treated his talent responsibly. While studying at the university, Adam was able to make a living from it. Sandler performed regularly in New York clubs and on the university campus.
His career moved slowly. In 1980, he made his debut on the screen in the popular TV series The Cosby Show. The role was small. He only appeared in one episode but it was a good start. In 1989, he starred in the full-length film Going Overboard. Sandler got the main role of a guy named Shecky Moskowitz, a novice stand-up comedian. The role was perfect for Sandler. He was a comedian too and also knew Hebrew well.
Real breakthrough
When the famous comedian Dennis Miller met Sandler, he immediately invited him to Los Angeles. Adam did not hesitate and agreed to move. Miller helped him in his work. He recommended the novice actor on Saturday Night Live. Since 1990, he has been the author of this show.
However, Sandler didn’t enjoy writing. He started acting in sketches in 1991. In 1995, SNL fired him. The 90s brought Adam Sandler fame and a lot of work. In 1994, he starred in the film Coneheads with the novice stars Brendan Fraser and Steve Buscemi.
The comedy Billy Madison cemented Sandler’s reputation as a good comedian and a talented young man. A white stripe in his career started after its release. Sandler was offered to star in the film Very Bad Things. However, he refused in favor of the comedy The Waterboy. He was not mistaken. The movie became mega popular and the name of Adam Sandler began to be recognized by a larger audience.
Sandler also played in dramas and melodramas. Although critics did not appreciate all his early works. Sometimes, they smashed them to smithereens even when the audience liked the films. Some of the most successful melodramas with him were Spanglish and Punch-Drunk Love. Still, comedies with Adam Sandler were more successful. The film Big Daddy became a real hit and fateful for Sandler. He met his future wife on the set of this movie.
The best roles
Sandler’s success in comedies was undeniable. However, he tried to break this vicious circle and play in various films. Adam Sandler auditioned for the thriller Collateral. Still, the job went to Jamie Foxx. He was also considered for the role of Willy Wonka but the creators of the film chose Johnny Depp.
Sandler revealed the depths of his talent in the drama Reign Over Me. His fans were not used to seeing him in such a new role. His next comedy, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, received a lot of praise from the audience. Since the early 2000s, Sandler has been acting mainly in family films.
He often played the roles of stand-up comedians, as in the movie Funny People. Thus, even when Sandler was invited to non-comedy films, he failed to act in them. When he was approved for Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, he left the cast due to a busy schedule.
Perhaps Sandler’s career was somewhat monotonous. It mostly contained family comedies and romcoms. However, it brought him his share of success. Among his popular works are such films as Grown Ups, Just Go with It, That’s My Boy and 50 First Dates.
In 2015, Sandler started to work as a director. He shot a western commissioned by Netflix, The Ridiculous 6. Reviewers criticized the film of the novice director. However, this Western broke all viewing records on the streaming platform. Criticism did not stop Sandler and he continued to direct.
In 2017, his performance in the drama The Meyerowitz Stories received positive reviews. In 2019, all critics unanimously declared that the role in the film Uncut Gems is the best role of Adam Sandler.
Failure at work and success in personal life
Sandler founded Happy Madison Productions. The name is a combination of two of his best movies Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison. Unfortunately, the film studio did not become successful. Most of the movies were not only booed by critics but also failed at the box office. It is noteworthy that Sandler himself played in most of these films. Still, the company did not remain without orders. In 2014, cooperation between Happy Madison Productions and Netflix began. In 2020, they signed a contract worth $275 million.
In 2003, the actor married his colleague Jackie Titone. They have filmed together many times. The star wedding took place on the ocean coast in the company of many famous friends and colleagues. Their first daughter was born in 2006 and the second – in 2008. Adam Sandler is very fond of dogs, especially English bulldogs. He gives them nicknames in honor of his favorite food.