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
- 1990Hired as a writer on Saturday Night Live
- 1995Headlines first film, Billy Madison
- 1996Stars in the hit comedy Happy Gilmore
- 1996'The Chanukah Song' becomes a holiday staple
- 1998Romances audiences in The Wedding Singer
- 1998Scores big with The Waterboy
- 1999Founds Happy Madison Productions
- 2002Earns acclaim in drama Punch-Drunk Love
- 2019Wins raves for thriller Uncut Gems
- 2023Receives the Mark Twain Prize for humor
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