While funny man extraordinaire Adam Sandler can turn on the charm and
wit as masterfully as any of his hilarious Hollywood counterparts,
he has also experienced tons of hardship throughout his topsy-turvy comedy career.
While a young Adam Sandler was still trying to find his footing in Hollywood,
Sandler was fired from "Saturday Night Live" in 1994 just as his star was on the rise,
a move that almost left him stranded and directionless at the time. He
reflected on the firing during a 2019 appearance on "The Howard Stern Show":
"I was hurt because I didn't know what else I was going to do."
As he progressed in his career and became a bona fide movie star, Sandler racked up
even more unpleasant experiences, ranging from mere controversial movie projects to
more serious legal problems. In 2008, cartoonist Robert Cabell filed a lawsuit against Sandler,
accusing him of stealing his "Jayms Blonde" cartoon character and using
it as Zohan Zohan in the movie "You Don't Mess With The Zohan."
"You like to insult people?"
"Was that your feet?"
"Yes, that was feet. Feet uppercut."
Though he won the case, it didn't take long for Sandler to find himself in an
even bigger mess. Five years later, he was back in court after carpenter Richard Houpert
sued his production company for negligence, per The Hollywood Reporter. While working
on the set of "That's My Boy," Houpert lost a finger — an accident he claimed
could have been avoided if the production company had provided adequate equipment.
Sandler's legal troubles are, however, not the most tragic thing he has endured.
In a March 2023 interview with Variety, Sandler opened up about a hip injury he
suffered while filming stunts for his new movie "Murder Mystery 2," a sequel to the
2019 Netflix production starring Sandler and his longtime friend Jennifer Aniston.
"...Bonjour."
After wrapping, Sandler underwent hip replacement surgery to fix the issue. He told Variety:
"My god damn hip, I had to change that at the end of the movie. I kept saying,
'Something's going on with my hip, man. I'm in trouble.' And then during this and this
other movie I did, I was like, 'Yeah, I definitely gotta x-ray that thing,' and we were in trouble."
Speaking further, Sandler admitted he has gotten wary of injuries as he gets older, adding,
"You never know what the hell you're gonna get up from. I'm sluggy, man. My body hurts."
Though he did no physical training ahead of the movie,
regret soon set in for the "Hustle" star after seeing how out of shape he was.
Sandler had previously opened up to Page Six about his recovery process,
which he admits was no walk in the park. He told the outlet:
"It's only painful to say out loud. I say it was because of basketball so that feels
a little bit rugged, but then being unable to tie my own shoe didn't feel rugged."
Amid his unpleasant road to recovery, however,
the actor enjoyed the support of his wife Jackie Sandler and their two daughters, Sadie and Sunny.
Through the years, Adam Sandler has suffered a number of personal losses that have impacted his
life. In December 1997, beloved "Saturday Night Live" alum Chris Farley died of a drug overdose,
leaving many of his loved ones and co-stars heartbroken, Sandler included. Even in the
years that followed Farley's death, Sandler continued to mourn his friend.
During a December 2022 appearance on the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast,
Sandler admitted to missing Farley while revealing he still gets emotional whenever
he hears or performs the "Chris Farley Song" — a tribute tune he wrote for the late star.
"It's weird, but when that song starts, I go, 'Oh f---, alright,
don't cry and don't do that,' still. I've sang it maybe a hundred times already, but it rocks me."
Farley is, however, not the only one Sandler has lost through the years.
In 2003, the actor's father, Stanley Sandler, died of lung cancer. Stanley's legacy,
however, lives on in Adam, who has consistently, through the years,
continued to honor his father. In a 2020 tribute, he tweeted:
"My dad. The greatest man I ever knew. Great husband. Great son. Great brother. Great dad to my
sisters, my brother, and me. And always great to my wife! Love you so dad! I know I was a mistake,
but I know you had a good time! Thanks for having me, and miss you every day!"