Stanley Sandler influenced Adam Sandler’s personal and professional life even after his death from lung cancer on September 9, 2003, at the age of 68.
His Father’s Taste In Comedy Shaped His Style
Photo Credit: Adam Sandler – Instagram
While his brother Scott was the first one to push him towards the genre, his parents’ love for it was what truly motivated him.
Pointing at a photo of the Marx Brothers during a New York Times interview at the Hillcrest Country Club, he once recalled how his father would wake him up to watch ‘Duck Soup or A Night at the Opera.’
Sandler grew up enjoying the comedians his parents admired, such as Buddy Hackett and Johnny Carson. He especially wanted to be like the latter because “he’s making my dad happy.”
He Offered Support For Any Possibility
Photo Credit: Adam Sandler – X
By college, Stanley was a supporter of Adam’s dream to make it in Hollywood though he still presented a backup plan to join him in his electrical contracting business if things didn’t pan out by his mid-20s.
The actor once told CBS News that his mother Judy would easily laugh at his jokes even if she didn’t understand them. But making his father laugh was particularly rewarding: “When he laughed, boy, you were excited. You were excited that the big man was good and thought it was funny, because he was a smart guy.”
Stanley played a crucial role in critiquing Adam’s performances. The ‘Uncut Gems’ star shared with 60 Minutes that while his mother unconditionally praised him, his father kept him grounded by telling him, “You’re great, but you ain’t that great.”
A Life With Stanley Influenced Adam’s Work
Photo Credit: Adam Sandler – X
He still had Adam’s back in his artistic and athletic interests by buying him his first guitar (which he still uses on stage) and waking up in early mornings to play baseball with him.
The actor’s late father even joined some of his projects, voicing a character alongside his wife in the 2002 movie ‘Eight Crazy Nights.’ To honor his contributions to Adam’s life, the actor’s first movie after Stanley’s death, 2004’s ‘50 First Dates,’ featured a special dedication that read, “My father, my mentor, my teacher, my coach, my idol, my hero, my family’s leader, my mom’s best friend, and by far the coolest guy I will have ever known. We will miss you every day, but we will always try to make you proud.”
Years later, Adam continues to draw inspiration from his father. He played a Philadelphia 76ers basketball scout named Stanley Sugerman in honor of Stanley Sandler in 2022’s ‘Hustle.’
