Adam Sandler is definitely a man of many talents. He’s, of course, best known for being a comedian, but Sandler’s also a versatile actor. His talents are not only evident in his comedic films like Happy Gilmore or Billy Madison but also his dramatic work, such as Uncut Gems and Jay Kelly. It’s been said by Sandler’s co-stars that he usually appears to be quite chill on sets. However, the star himself just recently confirmed there’s one kind of scene he absolutely dreads, and he even dropped an F-bomb while talking about it.
The “Sandman” recently participated in The Hollywood Reporter’s Actor Roundtable, during which he discussed his role in Jay Kelly (which is now streamable with a Netflix subscription). Sandler also took some time to talk about how he approaches aspects of his work, and it appears there’s one part of a shoot that does rattle him – a crying scene. From there, Sandler explained why he doesn’t normally relish those on-camera moments:
When you see in the script that your character is crying out of control, you go, ‘Fuck, man.’ I don’t get excited for those. In real life, I think I’ve cried once — I’m just not a guy who cries a lot. But there were like three or four of those in this movie. The week before I’d go, ‘Fucking Wednesday’s going to suck. I’m going to let everybody down. How the fuck am I going to cry?’
I can definitely imagine just how challenging it would be for an actor to proceed with a crying scene. While there are those who’ve admitted to mastering the trick of crying on command, that’s not necessarily the case for everyone. Personally, the mere thought of having to act out a crying scene seems absolutely daunting to me. So I can see where the Waterboy star is coming from. With all of that in mind, though, I think Sandler has more than risen to the occasion whenever he’s had to get very emotional in certain scenes.
Adam Sandler has shed tears in both comedic films as well as his more dramatic movies. For instance, in 2006’s Click, Sandler cried during a particularly emotional moment that saw his character learn that his father had died. There’s also a solemn scene in 2007’s Reign Over Me, in which another character the star played tears up while delivering a heartbreaking monologue about his late family. In a more extreme instance, Sandler had to cry deliriously during a scene in Uncut Gems (a film that should’ve received Oscars love).
With Jay Kelly, writer/director Noah Baumbach also called for Sandler to shed some tears while playing Ron Sukenick, the manager of the titular character. Sandler gives a layered performance and, as of late, he’s been receiving awards buzz. Many have also been speculating that he could receive an Oscar nomination, though Sandler himself said he was just happy to have been able to reunite with Baumbach for his latest film.
I know the suit-sporting Sandler says he’s not much of a cryer in his personal life, but I’d be surprised if he didn’t shed at least a couple of tears of joy if he were to win a major award this year. All that aside, I’m impressed that the star is still able to firmly act out crying scenes despite his trepidation. Here’s hoping that, as time goes on, he continues to nail those scenes and continue to show his excellent range.
