Adam Sandler, the Sandman himself (sorry, Tom Sturridge!) is perhaps among the most colorfully divisive figures in the world of entertainment, mostly for good reasons that spill into bad ones. The 56-year-old comedian and actor is best known for two things; a tendency to cast his friends and family in films (think Kevin James, Rob Schneider, and David Spade, among others), and his iconic, if sometimes grating portrayal of a specific type of character.
Indeed, when one thinks of an Adam Sandler movie, one would be forgiven for thinking it was a mere side project for Sandler while he and his friends were out on vacation (looking at you, Grown Ups). Nevertheless, there’s no denying that he’s found something of a resurgence as of late, having starred in the critically-acclaimed A24 film Uncut Gems back in 2019, before starring in and producing the well-received sports drama Hustle earlier this year.
But the last couple of years haven’t just been an uptick in Sandler’s creative life. The actor has been brushing up on himself at very personal levels, which he revealed has helped him change his perspective on life to one that’s much healthier for him.
In an interview with AARP, Sandler opened up about how he turns to the advice his father once gave him whenever he’s faced with copious amounts of hate for his movies. The all-important reminder that not everybody is going to like you.
I always remember something my father said. He was a tough bastard. He went through ups and downs in his life, like not having work for a year or two and not telling us. I recall one time that something didn’t go right for me. I bombed onstage or didn’t get an audition. I was upset and probably embarrassed. And he said, ‘Adam, you can’t always be happy. People aren’t always going to like you. You’re going to fail.’
Sandler’s next appearance will be in Netflix’s Murder Mystery 2, a comedy-mystery film that will reunite Sandler and Jennifer Aniston in their leading roles from the film’s prequel. The film is currently in post-production, but there is no release date available at this time.