SPOILER WARNING: The following article may contain a few light spoilers for Happy Gilmore 2. If you have not yet seen the new 2025 movie, maybe you should keep off the green… or, just proceed with caution as you read.
I gotta tell you, as someone whose favorite Adam Sandler movie is Uncut Gems, I did not expect to enjoy Happy Gilmore 2 as much as I did. While watching the sequel, in which he reprises the title role of an unlikely golfing champ, with my Netflix subscription, there was rarely a time I was not laughing.
I even enjoyed the insane amount of cameos, which included golf pros like John Daly (who actually has a starring role as himself), musical artists like Post Malone, and all of the comedy actors who regularly show up in Adam Sandler’s movies… well, not all of them, actually. There is one important character from the original golf movie favorite whose absence left me dumbfounded.
Where Is Otto?
In 1996’s Happy Gilmore, when Happy discovers he needs to provide his own caddy for a golf tournament, he hires a homeless man he recently met named Otto. Considering just about every major character from the original film appears or, if having passed, is lovingly memorialized in the sequel, I anticipated that he might at least make a brief cameo. However, his sole contribution to the new Netflix movie is the following quote from Happy:
My regular caddie moved to Switzerland for tax purposes…
Otto’s absence is especially surprising, given that he was played by Allen Covert, who has been a staple of Sandler’s filmography, including movies the SNL star has produced like Grandma’s Boy, since 1989’s Going Overboard. Strangely, IMDb lists Covert as making an uncredited appearance as Otto, but I’m betting that came from some IMDb user who added him under a decidedly reasonable assumption that he would show up. As of now, the reason why Covert did not reprise his Happy Gilmore character (who even appeared in 2011’s Jack and Jill) has not been revealed.
On The Other Hand, Oscar Is An Awesome Replacement
You know, I have to be honest, I did not actually notice Covert’s absence in Happy Gilmore 2 until after the fact, and not just because I was invested in the story and trying to keep up with all the jokes. I think it had more to do with how much I enjoyed the actor who plays Happy’s new caddy, Benito “Bad Bunny” Ocasio.
I was surprised to learn that the Puerto Rican rapper and actor, who proved he had promising comedy chops as an SNL host and musical guest in Season 49, was going to have a major role in this absurd comedy sequel, of all films. However, I am glad he and Sandler shared a meet-cute of sorts that led to his casting because he is a major highlight of the film with a delightfully hilarious performance as Oscar.
Echoing Corey Chichizola’s golden Happy Gilmore 2 review for CinemaBlend, I would say everything worked out favorably for the sequel, despite one shocking character death that some fans are not so happy with. However, I am still curious about what is going on with Allen Covert, and cannot help but wonder about the status of his relationship with Sandler. Let’s see if he’s in the Sandman’s next comedy.
