When Hustle premiered in June, the Netflix basketball drama once again earned Adam Sandler high scores for delivering a winning performance in a serious role.
At this point Sandler’s ability to shed his funny-guy shtick should not come as a surprise. The former Saturday Night Live player, who made his name in lowbrow-comedy sketches followed by equally lowbrow-comedy movies, won an Independent Spirit Award for 2019’s shell-shocking Uncut Gems, which many critics and fans (as well as Kathy Bates) thought should have earned Sandler an Oscar nomination. Before that there was The Myerowitz Stories (2017), Reign Over Me (2007), Spanglish (2004)… even 2007’s Funny People featured a far more solemn Sander than usual.
But the Billy Madison’s star foray into drama all started with Paul Thomas Anderson’s Punch-Drunk Love, which was released in theaters 20 years ago, on Oct. 11, 2002. Fresh from his worst-reviewed comedy to date, 2000’s Little Nicky, Sandler rebounded with instant accolades for playing a toilet-plunger entrepreneur prone to anxiety and rage who falls in love with one of his seven sisters’ co-workers.
In a recent interview where he was joined by Hustle co-star Queen Latifah, Sandler reflected on the opportunity that was Punch-Drunk Love.
“It felt exciting,” he told us (watch above). “It felt like a free gift from a guy who called me up and said, ‘I wrote you a movie.’ When that happens, it’s incredible. You’re just like, ‘OK, man, thanks.’ I knew it was different. But I just followed what the man told me to do. I was excited.”
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In characteristic fashion, Sandler shrugged off the significance of crossing over from comedy to drama.
“We get a little benefit of the doubt that we’re doing something different,” he said.
Added Latifah: “I honestly think that comedians don’t get enough recognition as actors. Because there’s so much that goes into it. In comedic films, but most also in more dramatic turns. Even in the comedic ones, there’s just so much physicality. It’s not easy to do.”
Yet Sandler has made it look that way for 20 years now.
—Video produced by Kyle Moss and edited by Jimmie Rhee
Watch Adam Sandler and Queen Latifah talk about working together on Hustle:
