Adam Sandler has enjoyed phenomenal success in the entertainment industry as an actor, writer, producer and musician.
Sandler is currently in production on BEDTIME STORIES for Walt Disney Studios, where he portrays a hotel handyman whose life changes when the lavish bedtime stories he tells his niece and nephew start to magically come true. The film is scheduled for release on Christmas Day.
Sandler next stars in Sony Pictures YOU DON’T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN about a Mossad agent who fakes his death so he can re-emerge in New York City as a hair stylist. Sandler was last seen in a starring role opposite Kevin James and Jessica Biel in Universal’s comedy I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK & LARRY, which opened #1 with a total of $34,233,750. Previously, he has been seen in the starring role opposite Don Cheadle in Sony’s REIGN O’ER ME for director Mike Binder and the box-office hits CLICK, starring with Kate Beckinsale, and THE LONGEST YARD, starring with Chris Rock and Burt Reynolds. He also starred in James L. Brooks’ SPANGLISH, opposite Tea Leoni; the romantic comedy 50 FIRST DATES, with Drew Barrymore; ANGER MANAGEMENT, with Jack Nicholson; and Paul Thomas Anderson’s PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE, for which he received a Golden Globe nomination.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Manchester, New Hampshire, Sandler’s first brush with comedy came at age 17, with a performance at a Boston comedy club. From then on he was hooked, performing regularly in comedy clubs throughout the state, while earning a degree in Fine Arts from New York University.
Sandler made his motion picture debut in CONEHEADS opposite Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtin. He has gone on to become an almost self-contained mini studio involved in all aspects of film production. HAPPY GILMORE was one of the most successful movies of 1996. With a budget of just $12 million, it grossed more than $40 million at the box office and $35 million on home video. THE WEDDING SINGER, in which he also starred with Drew Barrymore, was the first box office hit of 1998, with an opening weekend gross of more than $22 million. His next film, THE WATERBOY, had an opening weekend of almost $40 million. Other recent $100 million-plus grossing Sandler films include BIG DADDY, MR. DEEDS, ANGER MANAGEMENT and 50 FIRST DATES.
Sandler collaborated with writer Tim Herlihy on the screenplays for HAPPY GILMORE, LITTLE NICKY, BILLY MADISON, BIG DADDY, and THE WATERBOY. BILLY MADISON has become a cult classic for college students across the country, with “Billy” nights and “Sandler” festivals.
Sandler served as producer through his Happy Madison Productions on CLICK, THE BENCHWARMERS, DEUCE BIGALOW: EUROPEAN GIGOLO and DICKIE ROBERTS: FORMER CHILD STAR and the upcoming STRANGE WILDERNESS. He executive produced GRANDMA’S BOY, THE ANIMAL, JOE DIRT, THE MASTER OF DISGUISE, THE HOT CHICK and DEUCE BIGALO: MALE GIGOLO.
Sandler’s production company, Happy Madison Productions, has a deal with Columbia Tri-Star Domestic Television to develop shows for the studio including the current hit show “Rules of Engagement” starring David Spade and Oliver Hudson.
During breaks from his busy filming schedule, Sandler spends time in the recording studio. Several of his comedy albums on Warner Bros. Records which have gone multi-platinum. Collectively, they have sold more than six million copies to date. Several years ago, Sandler launched AdamSandler.com. This site is updated weekly with mini-movies featuring Sandler, the staff of Happy Madison, and his dog Matzoball -- all in their daily routines.
