July 17, 2017 | Miles Brucker

28 Goofy Facts about Adam Sandler.


"Mr. Madison, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul." – Principal in Billy Madison.

Best known for his comedic roles in Billy Madison, The Wedding Singer, and The Waterboy, Adam Sandler has carved out an incredible career.

Here are a few things you might not know about Adam Sandler.


28. Where It All Began

Sandler was born in Brooklyn, New York. His mother Judy was a nursery school teacher, and his father Stanley was an electrical engineer. His family lineage traces back to Russian and Israeli Jewish immigrants.

Adam Sandler Facts

27. Manchester Not By the Sea

He moved to Manchester, New Hampshire when he was six. Well, his parents moved. He went with them.

Adam Sandler Facts

26. Young Buck

Adam started performing as a stand-up comedian when he was 17. There are clips online of a less confident, younger Sandler telling jokes in front of pretty small audiences.

Adam Sandler Facts

25. Resident Gleeful

Sandler was a Resident Adviser for his fellow students during his time at New York University. Most of his advice probably consisted of him screaming, “No! They’re all gonna laugh at you!”

Adam Sandler Facts

24. The Goofy White Guy

One of Sandler’s first roles was Smitty, Theo Huxtable’s friend on The Cosby Show.

Adam Sandler Facts

23. Where’s My Remote Control?

Hardcore Sandler fans might remember his wacky performances on the MTV show Remote Control because, seriously, pretty sure nobody else watched that show.

Adam Sandler Facts

Adam Sandler in Happy Gilmore.

Sources: 1 2

22. It’s Miller Time

While performing at comedy clubs in LA, he was discovered by comedian Dennis Miller who recommended him to Lorne Michaels and resulted in him getting a writing job on Saturday Night Live.

Adam Sandler Facts

21. A Song For Every Holiday

A year after landing a writing gig, he became a featured player, making a name for himself by performing amusing original songs like “The Thanksgiving Song” and the “Chanukah Song.”

Adam Sandler Facts

20. In Good Company

NBC fired Sandler from the show in 1995. Chris Farley was fired alongside him. Luckily for them, they went on to film success and neither had to move into a van down by the river.

Adam Sandler Facts

19. Cruise Control

In his first film, Adam Sandler played an unsuccessful stand-up comic on a cruise ship that is taken over by terrorists. Having seen some seriously bad comedy, we’re sure audience members were probably relieved at the respite.

Adam Sandler Facts

18. Tears of a Clown

In one of his first dramatic roles, Sandler earned positive reviews from Roger Ebert for his performance in Punch Drunk Love. Ebert concluded that Sandler had been wasted in his earlier films, which had poor scripts with no character development.

Adam Sandler Facts

17. Living the Dream

In the film Billy Madison, Adam Sandler went full method and really whipped those dodgeballs at the children. Apparently, they cut the take right before a few kids started to cry.

Adam Sandler Facts

Sources: 1 2

16. Admit It!

Conan O’Brien was the deadpan voice of the Dean of Admissions on Sandler’s first comedy album, They’re All Gonna Laugh At You!

Adam Sandler Facts

15. It’s All Academic

In 2010, Sandler, along with 134 other people, was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which means he actually gets to vote on who wins Oscars.

Adam Sandler Facts

14. Keeping it in the Family

Sandler provided the voice of Dracula in the animated film Hotel Transylvania. His wife and daughter provided the audio for Dracula’s wife and infant child.

Hotel Transylvania

13. Off His Rocket

Sandler was considered for the voice of Rocket Raccoon in Guardians of the Galaxy, but the role went to Bradley Cooper instead because when it comes to playing cartoon vermin, looks matter.

Adam Sandler Facts

12. Out-Foxxed

Sandler was considered for the role of Max the taxi driver in Tom Cruise’s film Collateral. The role went to Jamie Foxx instead, who received an Oscar nomination for his work.

Adam Sandler Facts

11. Not Accounting for Taste

In 2015, Sandler starred in the Western comedy film The Ridiculous 6, distributed by Netflix. The film was viewed more times in 30 days than any other movie in Netflix history.

Adam Sandler Facts

Sources: 1 2

10. Don’t Encourage Him

Sandler has a four-movie deal with Netflix. Aparently, they were pretty stoked about the views on The Ridiculous 6.

Adam Sandler Facts

9. The Maker of Mirth

Sandler has a film production company called Happy Madison Productions (The Happy is from Happy Gilmore and the Madison is from Billy Madison), which has produced most of his films since 1999.

Happy Madison productions

8. They Was Robbed

The first film produced by Happy Madison Productions was Rob Schneider’s Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, where Rob Schneider has to become a male prostitute in order to buy a fish.

Adam Sandler Facts

7. Wrestling

Sandler is a huge wrestling fan. Many of Sandler’s films reference wrestling and even have cameos by wrestlers. Examples of this can be seen in The Waterboy, Billy Madison, and The Longest Yard.

Adam Sandler Facts

6. He Doesn’t Give a Sheet

Before he became famous, Adam Sandler was roommates with Judd Apatow, sharing a $900/month apartment in the Valley where Sandler slept on a mattress with no sheets.

Adam Sandler Facts

Sources: 1 2

5. A Lovely Walk

Sandler received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2011. He got so famous that now people can walk all over him.

Adam Sandler Facts

4. Rocky is Still the Champ

Having starred in more than his fair share of duds, Sandler is in second place for both Raspberry Award wins and nominations. In both cases he is second only to Sylvester Stallone.

Adam Sandler Facts

3. Better Together

In 2003, Sandler married actress Jacqueline Titone and they have two children together. Fourteen years and still going.

Jacquiline and Adam Sandler

2. Working for Peanuts!

In a bizarre case that started in 2010, Adam Sandler’s former nanny alleged that while she was working at their home and caring for his children, her work environment and compensation amounted to slavery. It sounds absurd, but it’s a common claim that personal assistants and live-in nannies make about celebrities.

Even though the case held little merit, Adam Sandler decided to pay to make the matter go away: he paid $48,000 to the former nanny and $32,000 to her attorneys. In exchange, she agreed the matter was resolved and signed a confidentiality agreement. In 2014, she changed her mind and tried to sue HP Production. An arbitrator quickly ruled she violated the confidentiality agreement, and she had to pay back the $80,000 she was paid to keep quiet. At least there was justice in the end for Sandler, who was unfairly pulled into a legal proceedings... twice.

Adam Sandler Facts

1. A Worthy Cause

In 2007, Sandler donated a million dollars to the Boys and Girls Club in his hometown of Manchester.

Adam End

Sources: 1 2

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