All 7 Of Adam Sandler’s Movie Cameos Explained

Adam Sandler is known for having his friends make cameos in his movies, but he’s also made amusing cameos in quite a few films himself. The Sandman, as he’s often referred to, has been one of the biggest comedy stars in the world since 1990s films like Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore rocketed him to the A-list, which itself followed years making audiences laugh on Saturday Night Live with characters like Opera Man and Canteen Boy. Sandler may not be the fresh-faced youngster he once was anymore, but his fanbase is as large as it’s ever been.

This is hammered home by the massive success of his deal with Netflix, which has seen Adam Sandler star in and produce multiple films for the streaming giant, with more in the pipeline. While most of these have received bad reviews, and Sandler’s detractors love to criticize them, the numbers don’t lie, as Sandler’s movies are some of the most viewed additions in Netflix history. It’s no wonder that the two parties seemingly have no plans to discontinue such a lucrative agreement anytime soon.

It’s also no wonder why makers of movies not starring Sandler would jump at the chance to have him appear in a cameo role, as his recognizable face popping up will likely elicit a pleased chuckle from viewers. Here’s a full rundown of all the times he’s seen fit to do so.

Dirty Work (1998)

In the 1998 comedy Dirty Work, directed by Full House‘s Bob Saget, Adam Sandler makes a cameo as none other than Satan himself, who leads characters Mitch and Sam to hallucinate while eating a special kind of brownie. The cameo had originally been offered to co-lead Artie Lange’s radio boss Howard Stern, but Sandler took it after Stern said no. Sandler presumably agreed to appear due to the other lead being close friend and frequent collaborator Norm Macdonald. Sandler’s late buddy Chris Farley also cameos in Dirty Work.

Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo (1999)

Rob Schneider’s rather eclectic slate of leading comedic roles perhaps hit its apex with Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo. A critical target but box office success, Deuce Bigalow saw Schneider’s titular male escort at one point encounter an offscreen character named Robert Justin, voiced by Sandler. It’s unsurprising that Adam Sandler would make some type of cameo in Deuce Bigalow, as it was the first-ever film produced by Sandler’s now well-known company Happy Madison Productions. He and Schneider are of course also close friends going back to their days on SNL, and have made cameos in each other’s films many times.

The Animal (2001)

The Animal saw Rob Schneider play a man reassembled using animal parts by a mad scientist after suffering a terrible car accident. He then begins displaying animal-like behaviors, to the horror of some and the wonder of others. At one point an angry mob of townies assembles to hunt Schneider’s Marvin down, and among that mob is Sandler, pictured above. Sandler’s cameo in The Animal is a tribute and callback to a similar cameo character that Rob Schneider played in Sandler movies The Waterboy and Little Nicky. It’s up to fans to decide who played the part of townie that yells things out better.

The Hot Chick (2002)

The Hot Chick is another wacky comedy starring Rob Schneider, and of course, Sandler came along for the ride. He cameos as a bongo-playing stoner, also pictured above. The Hot Chick bizarrely sees Schneider play a teenage girl, after swapping bodies with a young Rachel McAdams. Along the way, Sandler imparts some historical knowledge about various items to the friends of Schneider/McAdams’ character, followed by letting them know they can also use the objects to store marijuana. The routine is based on a similar character Schneider once played on SNL. The joke would get really old if drawn out, but thankfully, Sandler’s scene is only long enough to get a few chuckles.

Pauly Shore Is Dead (2003)

Pauly Shore Is Dead is a meta mockumentary that Shore himself co-wrote, directed, produced, and starred in. It looks at his rise and fall, then charts a fictional accounting of Shore’s attempt to fake his own death in order to revive interest in his movies. Many celebrities make cameos in Pauly Shore Is Dead as themselves, including the above pictured Snoop Dogg, Ellen DeGeneres, Eminem, Ben Stiller, and even Britney Spears. Sandler makes a vocal appearance, exchanging expletives with Shore from offscreen. Shore presumably called in lots of favors for these bits, and filmed them primarily during breaks on other movie sets.

Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo (2005)

Sandler’s Happy Madison once again produced Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo, and unsurprisingly, he again made a cameo. This time though, Sandler appeared onscreen instead of off, playing a character named Javier Sandooski, who’s around long enough to make some rather rude gestures at Deuce. This is, to date, the last time Sandler has cameoed in a Schneider movie, although to be fair, Schneider hasn’t played the lead in many films since European Gigolo. He does continue to regularly cameo in Sandler’s movies though, including the recent Hubie Halloween. The pair’s commitment to each other is downright heartwarming, especially in an industry where friendships often don’t survive the long haul.

Top Five (2014)

Adam Sandler‘s most recent movie cameo appearance came in 2014’s Top Five, which Sandler’s longtime friend Chris Rock wrote, directed, and starred in. Rock essentially played a fictionalized version of himself in Andre Allen, a successful comedian and movie star. Andre is soon to get married, and while attending his bachelor party, hangs out and chats with fellow comedy heavyweights Jerry Seinfeld, Whoopi Goldberg, and of course, Sandler. The three comics offer Andre their own takes on marriage and relationships. While it’s been seven years since Adam Sandler appeared in Top Five, it’s likely only a matter of time before he treats fans to another fun cameo, either as himself or a wacky character. The man loves sharing the screen with his friends, and using his star power to add to their projects, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that impulse.

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