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7->''"I never thought about what people would say about me. I was just a young guy who was excited to become a comedian and an actor, and I just wanted to get to do what I got to do."''
8
9Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966 in New York City, New York) is an American comedian, actor and producer.
10
11After several years as a ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' writer and cast member (from 1990 to 1995[[note]]That's from the middle of season 16 to the end of season 20. During those years, he, along with Creator/RobSchneider, Creator/ChrisRock, Creator/DavidSpade, and Creator/ChrisFarley, were known as "The Bad Boys of SNL" due to their penchant for gross, crass humor, which a lot of critics hated about ''Saturday Night Live'' during the early to mid-1990s[[/note]]), he went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over 4.8 billion USD at the worldwide box office and remains as a major box office draw. He is best known for his comedic roles, though he has [[TomHanksSyndrome ventured into more dramatic territory]].
12
13His characters usually fall under the JerkWithAHeartOfGold, but also with a healthy dose of ManChild with a serious need to grow up. Realizing that he can only take that role so far, he has sought to expand his range into a couple of dramas. Otherwise he takes much of the DeadpanSnarker behavior but adds some more complex motivation behind it.
14
15Responsible for Creator/HappyMadisonProductions, and often plays a music fan. Expect '70s and '80s music (like Music/LedZeppelin) to be not only part of the soundtrack, but [[WaxingLyrical part of the spoken dialog in some way, shape or form]]. Also expect Sandler's character to appear at least once wearing sports or college memorabilia (t-shirts, hats, etc.) with a New York or New England connection. Also expect blatant, shameless product placement, to the point that it's so absurdly exaggerated that it's actually funny sometimes ("WHERE'S MY SNAK-PAK?!" or "WILL SOMEBODY GET THE KID A HAPPY MEAL?!")
16
17Enjoys something of a reputation as "[[NiceGuy one of the nicest celebrities]] in RealLife".
18
19On ''Saturday Night Live'', Sandler's recurring characters include Opera Man (an opera singer who sings the news), Audience [=McGee=] (a random ''SNL'' audience member who interrupts the show), Cajun Man, Brian (an obsessed man who hosts a talk show called ''The Denise Show'' where he still pines for his ex-girlfriend), The Herlihy Boy (a shy boy whose loud, boisterous father [Chris Farley] yells at people to let his son hire him), Lucy Brawn (one of the Gap Girls [which was Sandler, Chris Farley, and David Spade dressed in drag as Valley Girls]), Hank Gelfand (the miserable husband and co-host to his cheerful wife and host, Beverly [Chris Farley], of ''Zagat's''), and Canteen Boy (a possibly autistic 27-year-old Boy Scout who is often bullied and ostracized for his behavior and, in a now-infamous sketch, was almost molested by his scout leader, Mr. Armstrong [played by frequent guest host Creator/AlecBaldwin). Sandler's notable celebrity impressions include: Creator/PaulyShore, Creator/BillCosby, [[Music/GunsNRoses Axl Rose]], Music/TomJones, [[Music/{{Aerosmith}} Steven Tyler]], UsefulNotes/CharlesManson, [[Music/{{U2}} Bono]], [[Creator/MarkWahlberg Mark]] and Creator/DonnieWahlberg, Creator/RichardLewis, and [[Music/PearlJam Eddie Vedder]].
20
21----
22!!Selected filmography:
23* ''Film/GoingOverboard'' (1989) - His first movie ever (though he [[CreatorBacklash doesn't want to admit it]])
24* ''Film/{{Coneheads}}'' (1993)
25* ''Film/{{Airheads}}'' (1994)
26* ''Film/BillyMadison'' (1995)
27* ''Film/HappyGilmore'' (1996)
28* ''Film/{{Bulletproof}}'' (1996)
29* ''Film/TheWeddingSinger'' (1998)
30* ''Film/TheWaterboy'' (1998)
31* ''Film/BigDaddy'' (1999)
32* ''Film/LittleNicky'' (2000)
33* ''Film/MrDeeds'' (2002)
34* ''Film/PunchDrunkLove'' (2002) - His first straight drama.
35* ''WesternAnimation/EightCrazyNights'' (2002) - Adam Sandler as you've never seen him before...animated!
36* ''Film/AngerManagement'' (2003)
37* ''Film/FiftyFirstDates'' (2004)
38* ''Film/{{Spanglish}}'' (2004) - A {{dramedy}}, leaning closer to realistic, straight drama (and Sandler is the ''[[StraightMan straight man]]'' of a crazy family)
39* ''Film/TheLongestYard'' (2005 remake)
40* ''Film/{{Click}}'' (2006)
41* ''Film/INowPronounceYouChuckAndLarry'' (2007)
42* ''Film/ReignOverMe'' (2007) - His second straight drama.
43* ''Film/YouDontMessWithTheZohan'' (2008)
44* ''Film/{{Bedtime Stories|2008}}'' (2008) - His first family-friendly film.
45* ''Film/FunnyPeople'' (2009) - another dramedy, but equal parts comedy and drama. [[GenreShift As in]] [[HalfwayPlotSwitch both genres take turns]].
46* ''Film/GrownUps'' (2010)
47* ''Film/JackAndJill'' (2011)
48* ''Film/JustGoWithIt'' (2011)
49* ''Film/ThatsMyBoy'' (2012)
50* ''WesternAnimation/HotelTransylvania'' (2012)
51* ''Film/TheCobbler'' (2014) - another dramedy, this time with a touch of magical realism.
52* ''Film/{{Pixels}}'' (2015) - a science fiction comedy featuring retro gamers vs. video game characters.
53* ''WesternAnimation/HotelTransylvania2'' (2015)
54* ''Film/TheRidiculous6'' (2015) - a Creator/{{Netflix}} Original Film.
55* ''Film/TheDoOver'' (2016) - a Creator/{{Netflix}} Original Film.
56* ''Film/SandyWexler'' (2017) - a Creator/{{Netflix}} Original Film.
57* ''Film/TheMeyerowitzStories (New and Selected)'' (2017) - another dramedy. His performance has been acclaimed to the point that even Oscar buzz is being thrown around.
58* ''Film/TheWeekOf'' (2018) - a Creator/{{Netflix}} Original Film.
59* ''WesternAnimation/HotelTransylvania3SummerVacation'' (2018)
60* ''Film/MurderMystery'' (2019) - a Creator/{{Netflix}} Original Film.
61* ''Film/UncutGems'' (2019) - a Crime {{Thriller}} from Creator/TheSafdieBrothers.
62* ''Film/GoldmanVSilverman'' (2020) - a short film also by [[Creator/TheSafdieBrothers the Safdies]]
63* ''Series/HomeMovieThePrincessBride'' (2020) - as an actor only, playing The Grandfather.
64* ''Film/HubieHalloween'' (2020) - a Creator/{{Netflix}} Original Film.
65* ''Film/{{Hustle|2022}}'' (2022) - a Creator/{{Netflix}} Original Film.
66* ''WesternAnimation/{{Leo}}'' (2023) - a Creator/{{Netflix}} Original Film.
67* ''Film/YouAreSoNotInvitedToMyBatMitzvah'' (2023) - a Creator/{{Netflix}} Original Film.
68* ''Film/{{Spaceman|2024}}'' (2024) - a Creator/{{Netflix}} Original Film.
69
70!!Discography
71* ''They're All Gonna Laugh At You!'' (1993)
72* ''What The Hell Happened To Me?'' (1996)
73* ''What's Your Name?'' (1997) [[note]]His only album to be all songs and no skits.[[/note]]
74* ''Stan and Judy's Kid'' (1999)
75* ''Shh... Don't Tell'' (2004)
76* ''100% Fresh'' (2018)
77
78----
79!!The price is WRONG, Website/TVTropes:
80* TheAllegedCar: His song "Ode to My Car," from his album ''What the Hell Happened to Me?'', a [[ClusterFBomb profane]] {{Reggae}} with the hook "Piece of shit car." The radio version made great use of the SoundEffectBleep which arguably made the song even funnier.
81* AlliterativeName: Sandler's love interests tend to have this, especially with the letter "V". There's Veronica Vaughn (''Film/BillyMadison''), Virginia Venit (''Film/HappyGilmore''), Vicky Valencourt (''Film/TheWaterboy''), Valerie Veran (''Film/LittleNicky''), Lena Leonard (''Film/PunchDrunkLove''), Babe Bennet (''Film/MrDeeds''), Mary Mcgarrigle (''Film/ThatsMyBoy''), Lady Lisa (''Film/{{Pixels}}''), Courtney Clarke (''Film/SandyWexler''), and Violet Valentine (''Film/HubieHalloween''). If his fake husband from ''Film/INowPronounceYouChuckAndLarry'' took his last name, he would be Lawrence Levine.
82* BawdySong[=/=]IntercourseWithYou: "At a Medium Pace". You know the one.
83* BrilliantButLazy: He is actually a great actor, having studied at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and delivering his best work in several films such as ''Punch Drunk Love'', ''Reign Over Me'', ''Funny People'', ''The Meyerowitz Stories'' and ''Uncut Gems''. However, Adam seems to prefer making “stupid” movies with his friends that will be more successful at the box office and often will pick a location if he thinks it will be fun to shoot in. Hawaii was chosen for ''50 First Dates'' simply because he wanted a place to have a vacation while working.
84* BrooklynRage: He was born in Brooklyn and he's known for playing very short-tempered characters.
85* TheCameo: In quite a few of his films, especially from the late '90s and early '00s, there is often a scene toward the end in which Creator/RobSchneider stands up out of a crowd and shouts "You can do it!" in a cajun accent. It first appeared in ''Film/TheWaterboy''. In at least one Creator/RobSchneider film, Sandler returns the favor, appearing dressed as the same and shouting "You can do it!" to Schneider's character.
86* CardCarryingJerkass: Sandler's song "Steve Polychronopolous" is a first-person manifesto of a guy who likes to be a dick to everyone for nothing more than the love of being a dick.
87* DyeingForYourArt: While much of [[Film/YouDontMessWithTheZohan Zohan's]] [[LeParkour physical prowess]] was the result of stuntmen and serious suspension of disbelief, Sandler got into the best shape of his life (with a full-on six pack and HeroicBuild) to play the Israeli SuperSoldier.
88* EveryoneWentToSchoolTogether: He attended New York University along fellow SNL alum Creator/MollyShannon, personally endorsing her to the SNL producers.
89* FakeBrit: [[NarratingTheObvious Donald Heffington]] in The Champion.
90* FirstWorldProblems: A common observation about his more recent films, especially ''Film/GrownUps'' and ''Film/{{Pixels}}'', is that his characters tend to be, at their very worst, PotteryBarnPoor, and are often exceptionally well-off, without any events in the film putting their lifestyle at risk. More cynical viewers have suggested it's because he doesn't want to play someone worse-off than himself.
91-->'''WebVideo/HonestTrailers:''' Lenny's got Adam Sandler problems: he's too rich, and his wife is too hot!
92* GenderBender: He's been known to do this a lot. Sometimes it works ([[Series/SaturdayNightLive The GAP girls]], several of his album sketches), and other times not so much (''Film/JackAndJill'' won him a UsefulNotes/GoldenRaspberryAward for Worst ''Actress'').
93* HeAlsoDid: Has recorded five comedy music albums:
94** ''They're All Gonna Laugh At You''
95** ''What the Hell Happened to Me?''
96** ''Stan and Judy's Kid''
97** ''What's Your Name?''
98** ''Shh..Don't Tell''
99* InkSuitActor: In ''Eight Crazy Nights'' and ''Hotel Transylvania''
100* InMyLanguageThatSoundsLike: Adam's [[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Sandler surname]] is a slang term for 'tramp' in [[UsefulNotes/GermanDialects Viennese German]] (roughly translating to sandal wearer).
101* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Sandler's early roles, his characters were these. Then once ''Film/TheWeddingSinger'' was made most of his characters were straight-up nice guys. Sandler himself is very much a NiceGuy.
102* LargeHam: Most of his roles during ''Saturday Night Live''. A few of his film ones as well, such as ''Hotel Transylvania''.
103* ListSong: "The Chanukah Song" and its sequels, which lists Jewish (or half[=/=]quarter) celebrities. (except O.J. Simpson, which was always there for "NOT A JEW!")
104* ThisLoserIsYou: A common theme in his films.
105* ManChild: His entire career is built on this trope, most notably ''Film/BillyMadison.'' [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]] in some of his other roles. In ''Film/BigDaddy'', for example, he portrays a character who [[BrilliantButLazy actually has the mind of an adult but is extremely lazy and irresponsible]].
106* ManOfAThousandVoices: In his albums and ''WesternAnimation/EightCrazyNights'', he voices dozens of characters of different vocal ranges, genders and accents. "Calling Home" features a cast of eight, of which he plays all but three.
107* NiceGuy: Adam Sandler seems to be a nice, sweet, friendly person in real life who many people seem to love working with. During production on ''WesternAnimation/EightCrazyNights'', he made an effort to know the name of every member of the animation staff and even asked about their families. In his "Questions Song", Creator/ThomasFWilson ([[Franchise/BackToTheFuture a classic example of this trope himself]]) said Adam was "the nicest famous guy [I] know" (though later performances of the song change his answer to Creator/MattDamon).
108* NoBudget: Subverted with his comedies, which would have budgets around $80 million despite showing otherwise. Allegedly, this is because he only uses around 5-10 million of that budget to actually make the movie. He gives the rest of the budget to his friends and single-handedly makes them rich.
109* OddFriendship: He is close friends with Creator/DanielDayLewis, [[https://www.wmagazine.com/story/adam-sandler-daniel-day-lewis-friends-uncut-gems believe it or not.]]
110* OldShame: He was NOT in ''Film/GoingOverboard''. At least, that's what his official website said.
111* PlayingWithCharacterType: ''Film/PunchDrunkLove'' and ''Film/{{Click}}''. More information on the trope page.
112* ProductPlacement: To the point that most of his movies shown on TV have to be censored to remove the brand names for legal reasons. ''Happy Gilmore'' even has an in-character example as Happy becomes a spokesman for Subway.
113* ProductionPosse: The films he makes at Happy Madison can have a lower cast/crew turnaround than a [[Creator/TheCoenBrothers Coen Brothers]] movie. For instance, he has a history of working with director Dennis Dugan and Peter Segal and actors Creator/DavidSpade, Rob Schneider, Nick Swardson, Creator/ChrisRock, Kevin James, Creator/ChrisFarley (before his death), Creator/SteveBuscemi, Creator/KevinNealon, and Creator/TimMeadows. Also, if you ever see Peter Dante, Allen Covert and Jonathan Loughran (especially the former two), you can bet the film is a Happy Madison Production. He's also done three romantic comedies opposite Creator/DrewBarrymore.
114* RuderAndCruder:
115** As a general rule, Creator/AdamSandler's stand-up, original songs, and comedy sketches are much more profane than his [=PG-13=] rated films -- some of them practically use swears as punctuation. If any of his sketches stand out for sheer profanity, "The Psychotic Legend of Uncle Donnie" stuffs a boatload of them into its 11-minute runtime.
116** Still, Sandler's sketches can't compete with ''Film/UncutGems'', his most profanity-laced film. It contains 506 uses of the F-Bomb, the fourth highest usage ''in film history''. And it's not a comedy.
117* RefugeInAudacity: His comedies tend to mock everybody, including minorities (every ethnic stereotype in the book), low-class louts (who would make even Creator/JohnWaters flee in terror), the wealthy (inbred idiots and liars), the physically disabled or stunted, and gay people. When minority groups complained that his films were homophobic, he responded with ''Film/INowPronounceYouChuckAndLarry''.[[note]]Which was deemed homophobic.[[/note]] Then he made ''Film/YouDontMessWithTheZohan'' to show that Jews can take as much as they dish out.
118* RunningGag: When ''Film/AngerManagement'' was a coming attraction, a reviewer pointed out that he sings in most of his films, if not all of them.
119* SungThroughMusical: Opera Man, which even adds some GratuitousItalian/[[AsLongAsItSoundsForeign Italianesque]] words for good measure. Adam wears a tuxedo with a cape like Vampire in appearance, and handkerchief, like similar to Pavarotti style.
120* TrueCompanions: was this with Creator/DavidSpade and Creator/ChrisFarley. Sandler said once in an interview on ''Series/{{Conan}}'' that whenever the hot tempered Farley would get into a fight with Spade, Sandler would be the one to calm Farley down again. In 2018, as part of his ''100% Fresh'' tour, Sandler sang a tribute song he wrote about Farley.
121* UglyGuyHotWife: A recurring theme in his movies is that his characters end up with women who are way out of his league, especially considering that his characters are lower-class louts or straight up have personality issues. While his first two movies as a lead, ''Billy Madison'' and ''Happy Gilmore'', played this straight, subsequent films tried to subvert it in different ways (''Little Nicky'' had Patricia Arquette, but in the film she was made to look as much as HollywoodHomely as possible, and ''Mr. Deeds'' had Winona Ryder, but it was invoked, as it turns out that she's a cutthroat tabloid news reporter who poses as a sweet, innocent girl-next-door type in order to get close to Sandler's character, only to fall for real for him), before playing it straight again from ''Click'' onwards, in which his character's wife is played by Kate Beckinsale and her gorgeous looks are complimented by several characters (though in the meantime, Marisa Tomei played his girlfriend in ''Anger Management'').
122** Lampshaded in his 2019 SNL hosting appearance during his Opera Man sketch, making fun of Seth Rogen's use of the same trope in ''Film/LongShot'' and then following up with a self-deprecating "Where have I seen this before-o?"
123* UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist: Many note how Sandler often [[http://www.rogerebert.com/scanners/adam-sandlers-house-of-cruelty takes this trope too far]]. His films frequently insult anyone who isn't him in an almost bullying manner.
124* VacationDearBoy: He's openly admitted to setting several of his movies in exotic spots simply so he can go on a paid vacation.
125* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Was on [[Creator/QuentinTarantino Quentin Tarantino's]] short-list for the role of Donny Donowitz (The Bear Jew), in ''Film/InglouriousBasterds''. The role ultimately went to Creator/EliRoth.
126* WishFulfillment: [[WebVideo/HalfInTheBag Many]] [[Creator/NathanRabin critics]] note how his films tend to be this. He often plays a schlubby guy who ends up with [[UglyGuyHotWife a hot girl who's several years his junior]], is rich, hangs out with his friends and various athletes and goes on expensive vacations to various countries. And in his earlier films, he often played the friendly schmo who would give obvious bullies their just desserts (and steal their hot girlfriends).
127* WrittenByCastMember: Co-wrote ''Film/BillyMadison'', ''Film/HappyGilmore'', ''Film/BigDaddy'', ''Film/LittleNicky'', ''WesternAnimation/EightCrazyNights'', ''Film/JackAndJill'', ''Film/TheRidiculousSix'', ''WesternAnimation/HotelTransylvania2'' and did re-writes on ''Film/{{Pixels}}''.

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