In our latest episode of WTF Happened to this Celebrity, we take a look at the career of one of the biggest comedy stars of all time, Adam Sandler. While critics have often savaged his work, it can’t be denied that with movies like Punch Drunk Love and the recent Uncut Gems, Adam Sandler has acting chops to spare and is a MAJOR talent. We take a look at his ups and downs, including his early days as a scene-stealer on Saturday Night Live, through his early classics, Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore, to his growth as a romantic lead in The Wedding Singer, through some of his misfires (That’s My Boy, Pixels) to his eventual, ongoing mega-deal with Netflix.
The latter generated a significant amount of backlash for Sandler, with many thinking, at the time, that him signing a deal with Netflix meant that studios no longer wanted to finance his films. That was back in 2014. My how times have changed. It turned out that Sandler, more than perhaps anyone else, knew how the tide was turning, and by signing on to Netflix, he got in on the ground floor or maybe the biggest entertainment conglomerate in the world (next to Disney). While his early films for the streamer, such as The Ridiculous 6 and The Do-Over, were panned, Sandler eventually found something of a groove there, with Hubie Halloween his best-reviewed comedy in years. He’s currently working on some more unconventional projects for them, which promise to stretch his talents somewhat. So in that regard, WTF Happened to Adam Sandler? Something good, it seems.
Enjoy this episode of WTF Happened to this Celebrity, which is narrated and produced by Taylor James Johnson, who also co-wrote with Brad Hamerly. The show is executive produced by Berge Garabedian. Check out some of our recent episodes below!