Adam Sandler

Adam Sandler was born on September 9, 1966, in Brooklyn, New York, to a Jewish family of Russian descent, and raised in Manchester, New Hampshire, as one of four children. Displaying comedic talent early, he performed his first stand-up at age 17 in a Boston comedy club at his brother's urging. He honed his skills at New York University, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1991, while appearing on The Cosby Show as Smitty in 1987 and as a 'Stud Boy' or 'Trivia Delinquent' on MTV's Remote Control. His film debut came in 1989's Going Overboard, but breakthrough came via comedian Dennis Miller recommending him to Saturday Night Live (SNL) producer Lorne Michaels; Sandler joined as a writer in 1990 and performer in 1991, creating iconic characters like Opera Man, Cajun Man, Canteen Boy, and songs such as 'The Chanukah Song' and 'Lunchlady Land' until 1995. After SNL, Sandler transitioned to films, starring in and often writing/producing hits like Billy Madison (1995), Happy Gilmore (1996), and The Waterboy (1998), establishing his man-child comedy persona and grossing hundreds of millions. He founded Happy Madison Productions in 1999, enabling creative control over lowbrow comedies like Big Daddy (1999) and Mr. Deeds (2002). Sandler diversified into drama with Punch-Drunk Love (2002), earning a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of socially awkward Barry Egan, and later Uncut Gems (2019), a critically acclaimed crime thriller. In the 2000s–2010s, he starred in comedies like You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008), Bedtime Stories (2008), Grown Ups (2010), and Netflix successes including Murder Mystery (2019) with Jennifer Aniston, which set a streaming record, and its 2023 sequel. He returned to SNL as host in 2019, earning an Emmy nomination, premiered stand-up 100% Fresh on Netflix in 2018, and received the Mark Twain Prize in 2023. Sandler maintains a private family life, married to Jackie Titone since 2003 with two daughters, balancing prolific output with select dramatic roles.