Adam Sandler is definitely one of Hollywood’s rare talents who can have an audience laughing uncontrollably in one scene and hitting them emotionally the next. If you first saw him only as Opera Man on Saturday Night Live or got mesmerized by his foolish charm in Happy Gilmore, it is really amazing how Sandler’s shift from comedy to drama has happened. Here are 10 performances that make us rethink the status of Sandman as just a comedy icon.
10. Click (2006)
Who would have thought that this film about a magic remote would make such an emotional impact? In Click, Sandler plays Michael Newman, an overwhelmed architect who stumbles upon a device that enables him to skip or accelerate time. Turning into a sentimental narrative about love, family, and neglected matters from life, the film’s blending of laugh and tear moments is quite rare, and Sandler accomplishes it perfectly.
9. The Wedding Singer (1998)
One of Sandler’s loveliest acting moments, The Wedding Singer features him as Robbie Hart, a struggling musician who unexpectedly falls head over heels with the last person he’d expect—Drew Barrymore’s cute and quirky waitress. The combination of the ’80s setting, catchy soundtrack, and warm humor made it an instant rom-com classic, and Sandler’s sincerity is what everything rides on.
8. Big Daddy (1999)
Big Daddy represents an emotional pivot for Sandler as he maximizes the slackerdom of his character. Sonny Koufax, a man who becomes a father abruptly and unexpectedly, hovers between madcap humor and real gentleness. It’s a mixed critical reaction, Big Daddy remains one of the most widely beloved early titles in Sandler’s filmography—a sign that, under the laughter, he could soften hearts.
7. Funny People (2009)
Funny People was the project where Sandler had the chance to turn inwards, portraying George Simmons, a stand-up comedian who faces his impending death. It is a self-aware and often solemn performance that his real-life persona and character are hard to distinguish. Whereas the themes dealt with in the film are quite grim, Sandler’s baring of his soul and emotional intricacy is like a spotlight on his dramatic talents.
6. The Meyerowitz Stories (2017)
With the light and deft touch of Noah Baumbach, Sandler delivers one of his least showy and most moving interpretations as Danny Meyerowitz, a son identified largely by the dysfunction of his family. Soft-spoken, truthful, and in the end, shockingly empathetic, the character combines a side of Sandler that even his die-hard fans haven’t seen—one of fragility rather than loudness.
5. Hustle (2022)
In Hustle, Sandler steps into NBA scouting wearing his love of basketball as a lapel pin for his character Stanley Sugarman, a luckless NBA scout looking for his last shot at the big time. The movie is a soulful sports drama where Sandler plays seriously and makes the character come alive. It is one of the most mature performances he has delivered, and he should be congratulated and considered for a SAG Award the most.
4. Happy Gilmore (1996)
Leading the way with probably the funniest comedies ever is not more or less than the masterpiece Happy Gilmore, where Sandler embodies the hilarious story of a hockey enforcer who breaks through his rough with unexpected golf skills. Andy Samberg’s exuberance and his hyperactive way of thinking go so perfectly with the title that one can’t get the film out of their minds after having seen it. From “The price is wrong!” to skirmishes on the golf course, the film really made the convention of his personality humor production, and it still serves after so many years.
3. Reign Over Me (2007)
In one of the most touching roles of his career, Adam Sandler is Charlie, a man who runs out of all his resources as a mourner after his family has been killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Conjuring deep emotions, Reign Over Me had him diving into a raw, intense feeling along with Don Cheadle, with whom he shared brilliant on-screen chemistry. It was a very downplayed, everyday human-like performance that elevated his dramatic capacity.
2. Uncut Gems (2019)
Imagine Howard Ratner, a jewel dealer who talks a lot but is ultimately addicted to gambling and lives a tragic life, was played by Sandler. Uncut Gems is a thrilling trajectory from start to finish, and Sandler is completely unreal, looking the part of a mess, hopelessly desperate, and still captivatingly cool. Quite a few of the critics went on and argued that he should have been granted an Oscar nomination for this movie, and I don’t see any reason to totally disagree with them.
1. Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
Who’s the happiest and the least typical actor from popular movies is exactly what Punch-Drunk Love is all about, the film that changed Adam Sandler forever and for all time. Giving up to social awkwardness with identity as a businessman, Barry Egan, who is seeking love, Adam Sandler transformed his classic clumsiness into something guiltless and real. With Paul Thomas Anderson as a director, he portrays a vulnerable, sensitive performance that earned him a Golden Globe nomination and made him an image of a serious actor.
Adam Sandler is one unexpected shock after another. He has always been a joker who could do funny over-the-top comedies and serious dramas and still be convincing. Whether he made the audience laugh, cry, or both at the same time, his strongest performances were always the times when he reminded us of why he was one of Hollywood’s most enduring and versatile stars.