Adam Sandler
Hired as a writer for Saturday Night Live in 1990 and soon a featured player, Sandler built a following with silly songs like 'The Chanukah Song.' His 1995 film Billy Madison launched a string of self-produced comedy hits. It established the everyman-goofball persona that defined his career.
Brooklyn to SNL
Born in Brooklyn in 1966 and raised in New Hampshire, Sandler started in stand-up. He joined Saturday Night Live in 1990, becoming famous for absurd characters and comic songs.
Comedy Box-Office King
Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore launched a run of self-styled comedies that made him hugely bankable. In 1999 he founded Happy Madison Productions to keep control of his films.
Serious Side
Sandler repeatedly surprised critics with dramatic work, from Punch-Drunk Love to Uncut Gems. In 2023 he received the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
Career Timeline
- 1966Born in Brooklyn. Raised in Manchester, New Hampshire.
- 1990Hired as a writer on Saturday Night Live.
- 1994The Chanukah Song first airs on SNL.
- 1995NBC lets him go. Billy Madison opens.
- 1996Happy Gilmore.
- 1999Founds Happy Madison Productions.
- 2002Punch-Drunk Love.
- 2019Uncut Gems. Independent Spirit Award.
- 2023Mark Twain Prize, Kennedy Center.
Biggest Hits
- He founded Happy Madison Productions in 1999, named after his films Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison.
- His dramatic turn in 2019's Uncut Gems won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead.
Portrait: Georges Biard · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons