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- - USA TODAY and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article. Pricing and availability subject to change.Adam Sandler dishes on what he's most proud of in 'Happy Gilmore 2'
Brian Truitt, USA TODAYJuly 25, 2025 at 4:30 AM
Adam Sandler has grown up at least a little bit in the past three decades.
His "Happy Gilmore" co-star Julie Bowen noticed. In the first film in 1996 featuring Sandler as the accidental golfer, Happy's "happy place" is a dreamy scene where love interest Virginia (Bowen) is clad in white lingerie and double-fisting pitchers of beer. (Happy's bad place? Virginia in black lingerie and canoodling with rival Shooter McGavin, played by Christopher McDonald.)
Cut to 29 years later. In "Happy Gilmore 2" (streaming now on Netflix), Sandler, 58, includes a moment when present-day Virginia shares screen time with her younger self and quips to Happy that she "can't believe" this was his happy place. "I'm sorry," he says, and Virginia replies: "Oh, sweetie, don't worry. I'm not here to judge your fantasies."
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Original "Happy Gilmore" stars Julie Bowen and Adam Sandler reunite for the Netflix sequel.
"When I read that he wanted to update it a little bit and comment on it, I wasn't sure anybody even needed that," Bowen, 55, says in a video chat with Sandler and McDonald. "I love that scene. I love it when it's the bad place and Shooter grabs my (rear). I didn't feel objectified. It was too much with the tongue, though." ("Oh, sorry," jokes McDonald, 70.)
Filming the new scene felt "exactly right" to Bowen, though, "because Happy would have grown up, too," she says. Bowen figures that Sandler was making a little "love you" ode to his two daughters "as far as saying 'Yes, maybe I was a little immature.' But maybe I am really immature because I always liked that scene."
Adds Sandler: "Seeing you at this age talk to a young version, you still look phenomenal and you're sweet as hell and people love you. It was nice to watch it."
In the sequel, co-written by Sandler, Happy has left golf behind after a tragic accident years ago. When he needs to raise $300,000 to send his daughter Vienna (Sunny Sandler) to a prestigious ballet school in Paris, Happy hits the links again, where he runs into old pal Shooter (and his celebratory finger guns). Happy also has to save traditional golf when an energy drink mogul (Benny Safdie) tries to popularize a more extreme version of the sport.
The OG "Happy Gilmore" trio have a freewheeling chat with USA TODAY – and goof on one another – about the long-awaited reunion:
Happy (Adam Sandler, center) breaks out his signature golf swing as caddie Oscar (Bad Bunny) looks on in "Happy Gilmore 2."
Q: Adam, it takes Happy a few holes to get his signature swing back. How about you in real life?
Sandler: I didn't practice at all before the movie. I don't know why. And then I was like, "Oh, yeah, how's this go again?" And then it came back pretty quick. The beauty of the movie is you can swing and miss and then they say, "OK, let's do another take." We got a few chances to get it right.
Julie and Chris, this movie is packed with cameos. Who were your favorites to see walk on set?
Sandler: None of them would talk to Julie.
Bowen: Also, my trailer was a mile away from set.
McDonald: By design.
Bowen: The call sheet was coded. It did not have anybody's names on it and there were 135 different cast members. I was flying back and forth because I still have kids in school in California and we shot in New Jersey. I would see Polaroids in the hair and makeup trailer and I saw a person that no one's mentioned yet. And I'm like, "When was he here?!" "He's Newscaster No. 4." And I'm like, "Are you kidding me?"
Adam Sandler (left) has a laugh with pro golfer Rory McIlroy on the set of "Happy Gilmore 2."
Sandler: Bubba Watson. You loved your Bubba. Julie knows her golf, by the way.
McDonald: He's a good man, Bubba Watson. I have known a few of these golf legends and legends-in-training. But seeing them one-on-one, it's like: "Oh, my God, that's Rory McIlroy. That's Bryson DeChambeau. That's Scottie Scheffler." It was mind-blowing for me. And I came in on my days off just to hang out with them.
Sandler: They all love seeing Shooter.
Adam Sandler (center) poses with wife Jackie and daughters Sunny and Sadie Sandler at the "Happy Gilmore 2" world premiere in New York.
Adam, both your daughters and wife are in the sequel. What does it mean to you to have these kinds of movies that you used to make with your friends now become part of this bigger family legacy?
Sandler: It is just all happening fast. Kids are growing up − they really are into acting and movies, and it's always been our thing to work with our friends and family. It's cool to see them getting better. They work hard and they go to school for it, and they love it. So, yeah, I'm just proud. Couldn't love them more.
Christopher McDonald breaks out Shooter's finger guns at the world premiere of "Happy Gilmore 2."
Was there anything from the first movie that you all used in the new movie?
Bowen: I got my hair back. Was that your OG jersey?
Sandler: I got a different size (laughs). The hockey jersey went from a medium to a something. There were a couple Xs in there. The real grandpa's clubs (from the first film) are in the movie.
Bowen: Finger guns?
McDonald: I brought the kids out.
Chris, how many times in a week do people do the finger guns to you?
McDonald: Well, it depends on where I am. Airports, 4,000. Walking the city streets of New York, 9,000. It seems like it's every day when I'm out in public. It's really cool. People are kind enough just to go, "Shootah!" and we have a good laugh. The fans are what keeps this classic going. So I have no problems at all pulling out the guns when necessary.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Happy Gilmore' reunited stars reveal behind-the-scenes stories
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