You may’ve noticed a lot of the same actors appear in Adam Sandler’s production company Happy Madison’s movies… Here’s why.
The 57-year-old actor, comedian and filmmaker formed his own production company alongside Jack Giarraputo in 1999.
Happy Madison Productions has gone on to create some absolute comedy hits – think Grown Ups, Murder Mystery and Bedtime Stories – and often feature a lot of the same people.
Well, Sandler and his friends have since reflected on why.
Take Grown Ups for an example. Sandler was inspired to write the movie because of his friends and the cast is made up of his – not just on-screen but real life – friends, including David Spade, Kevin James, Rob Schneider, Chris Rock and Steve Buscemi.
Sandler said in an interview with Collider: “Me and Fred Wolf wrote the movie. The whole idea was about putting together old friends that get to hang out for a weekend.
“These guys are my old friends, so it made total sense. I’m glad they said yes to it.”
Spade has previously addressed Sandler’s inclusion of his friends in so many of his movies, joking to Rob Lowe on his podcast he’s ‘only been in about 40’.
Spade reflects: “He assembled a team like the Golden State Warriors. Get guys that have their own movies and we’ll all be in one when there’s a lot of competition.
“It was a good trick. And when we shot it, he spread out the jokes, so we all got to score.”
And it’s not just Sandler’s friends who make regular appearances in his production company’s work, but members of the actor’s family too, including his wife, Jacqueline, and two daughters, Sunny and Sadie, in That’s My Boy.
Fans of the filmmaker are flooding to social media in praise of Sandler’s inclusion of friends and family in his work, some not having realised he was doing it until recently.
One Instagram user wrote: “I realized this when I kept seeing David Spade, Rob Schneider and Kevin James in like 90 percent of his movies. Figured they were friends in real life.”
“Awesome all of his friends are always amazing in the movies so No complaints,” a second added.
A third commented: “We all need a friend like Adam Sandler,” as another simply said: “He’s a walking W.”
And a final resolved: “And that’s what you call a real one.”