Not long after Adam Sandler was fired from SNL, he got a strange call from his manager. NBC wanted him to appear on Conan’s talk show during sweeps week. He was, not surprisingly, taken aback, given they’d, you know, just fired him, but instead of saying no, he impulsively decided it was his chance to get even.
During the mid-90s, Sandler was arguably the most famous and popular cast member on Saturday Night Live. Ratings, however, weren’t particularly great for the show, and some NBC executives felt it may have been because the sketch comedy staple had gotten too silly. So, in a decision that still feels shocking thirty years later, NBC ordered Lorne Michaels to let go of Sandler and his castmate Chris Farley.
Not long after is when NBC, hilariously, reached out to Sandler and asked him to appear on former SNL writer Conan O’Brien’s talk show. The comedian, who had just made Billy Madison and was about to become one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, impulsively told his manager he’d only show up if NBC bought him a fax machine. They did, and he reminisced about the hilarious story and why he was so hellbent on getting a fax machine during a subsequent appearance on Conan decades later…
A week earlier, I asked my brother, I go, ‘Everybody’s got these fax machines, man, can I get one?’ And he goes, ‘They’re like 400 bucks!’ And I went, ‘Woah, let’s wait on that, man. Let’s wait on that, but eventually, I want to get one of them fax machines.’ Then this came along, and I was like, ‘There it is, baby!’
I really wish someone from NBC was around to explain what happened when they were told of Sandler’s request. Someone was probably like he’s making a demand in order to appear, and when they found out it was a fax machine, they were probably so confused. I’m sure they just said yes quickly, given it was a lot less expensive than ridiculous requests I’m sure other stars have made over the years.
To me, this story is a good representation of why everyone likes Adam Sandler so much. He’s very human in a likeable and relatable way. If he had demanded an outrageous amount of money, I don’t think anyone would have blamed him, but it wouldn’t make him seem so good-hearted and funny. If he had simply been mad and quietly gone back without any demands, it would have made him seem like a selfless person but also a little weak and spineless.
There’s something about demanding a fax machine that just balances those two extremes perfectly. He comes off like a schemer with a decent heart, which is basically the embodiment of most of the characters he’s played.
You can watch Sandler crack himself up while telling the story below..
It’s unclear if he got anything for the cameos and hosting spots he’s done on Saturday Night Live in the decades since he was let go, but fingers crossed he came away with something else that was emotionally satisfying and goofy.
