Adam Sandler, known as the Sandman to his friends, didn’t always dream of working as an actor or comedian. His father, Stanley, worked as an electrical engineer and his mother, Judy, taught in a nursery. Born on September 9, 1966, in a Brooklyn hospital, the future actor only spent a few years in Brooklyn before his family decided to move. Manchester, NH, was a long way from his old home, and the actor admits he had trouble adjusting to his classmates.
While attending Manchester Central Secondary School, he became the class clown. Sandler found that it was more fun to make his classmates laugh with him than at him. After graduating from high school, he attended New York University and began honing his craft at clubs around town. In 1988, he finished classes at the Tisch School of the Arts and launched his career.
Unlike many other actors, who struggle in their early days, it didn’t take long for Sandler to find success. While still in college, he landed a major role on “The Cosby Show,” playing the best friend of one of the characters. After graduating from college, he got a role in “Remote Control”. The show, which aired on MTV, gave her a chance to hone some of his humorous characters. Despite landing several roles, his big break came a few years later. Dennis Miller saw Sandler perform and recommended that Lorne Michaels see Sandler’s act.
Michaels was so impressed by her talent that he gave her a job writing for “Saturday Night Live.” The show’s writers have the opportunity to write themselves into sketches and write sketches for other actors. Sandler slowly began pitching a few ideas that made their way onto the show, and eventually began writing sketches that showcased his own talents. He wrote several memorable characters and created songs that made it to the United States, including “The Chanukah Song.”
While still on the show, he starred in a handful of movies, including “Airheads” and “Mixed Nuts,” but it was “Billy Madison” that launched his film career. Playing a man sent back to elementary school, he won over a legion of fans with his patented brand of raunchy humor. The same year “Billy Madison” landed in theaters, Michaels fired Sandler and several other “Saturday Night Live” actors.
Sandler didn’t let that stop him. “Billy Madison” became a cult classic and more than made back its box office budget, and studios took notice of the actor. He starred in seven more movies before 2000, and many of those movies were box office hits, including “The Wedding Singer” and “Happy Gilmore.” Sandler signed on for the black comedy “Very Bad Things,” starring Christian Slater, but then dropped out to work on “The Waterboy.” His next big movie was “Big Daddy,” in which Sandler played a man forced to grow up. While working on the film, he met a young actress named Jackie Titone. The actress appeared in several of her films and now the two are married with two children.
Despite a string of successful comedy films, Sandler wanted to venture into darker territory. His first break came with the 2002 movie “Punch-Drunk Love.” He received a Golden Globe nomination for his role and many critics wondered if he would focus more on dramas. He auditioned for roles in “Collateral” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” but lost those roles to Jamie Foxx and Johnny Depp. Although he appeared in “Reign Over Me” and some other dramas, he decided to go back to his roots.
Sandler is close friends with actor Kevin James (“Grown Ups”), and the two worked together in 2007 on “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry.” The film starred the two men as firefighters who agree to marry for the profits they make from their insurance company. The two also appeared together in “Grown Ups” and its sequel “Grown Ups 2,” and Sandler also appeared on James’s television show “The King of Queens.”
Sandler returned to comedy with “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan” before starring in the drama “Funny People.” The actor played an older comedian who starts working with a younger comedian, played by Seth Rogen (“Knocked Up”), after learning he is dying. The role led to an invitation from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
While still starring in successful movies, Sandler decided to try working behind the camera. He launched Happy Madison Productions, which produced the films “The House Bunny” and “Here Comes the Boom,” among others. He also founded the Scary Madison label to produce horror movies like “The Shortcut.” Sandler is starring in movies that are in production for release in 2013 and 2014, proving that he loves working in front of the camera as much as he enjoys producing movies and that fans can look forward to seeing more of him.
