Wrong Missy: Why Adam Sandler Isn’t In The Movie (But His Family Is)

Netflix viewers may know about Adam Sandler’s business deal with the streaming service, but could be surprised to learn that he’s not part of The Wrong Missy cast. The 2020 comedy features Sandler’s wife and kids, and stars his former Saturday Night Live colleague David Spade. So, what’s the deal? The simple answer is that Sandler has a development deal with Netflix through his company Happy Madison Productions, allowing him to produce movies that he doesn’t actually appear in.

In the early ’90s, Sandler wasn’t necessarily regarded as a visionary entertainer. His Saturday Night Live characters were typically simple-minded people with zany voices; a comedic template that was later applied to feature films such as Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore. By 1999, Sandler had crossed over into the mainstream with the endearing romantic comedies The Wedding Singer and Big Daddy. That same year, he founded Happy Madison Productions and began making movies with family and friends. Fifteen years later, Sandler signed on the dotted line with Netflix and began producing accessible movies that align with the service’s algorithm design, and also provide him the opportunity to work behind the scenes.

Like The Wrong Missy (which co-stars newcomer Lauren Lapkus), the first Happy Madisons Production didn’t feature Sandler in a leading role. In 1999, Rob Schneider starred in the sex comedy Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, this coming after he’d previously worked with Sandler at Saturday Night Live, and had also appeared in The Waterboy, delivering the memorable line “You can do it!” in a cameo role. For Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, Schneider enlisted a young actress named Jacqueline Titone to play the character Sally. In the latest Happy Madison Productions film, The Wrong Missy, Titone co-stars as Jess aka “The Barracuda” – only now the actress is called Jackie Sandler, and is Adam Sandler’s wife.

Adam and Jackie met while making Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo. Four years later they were married, and they now have two daughters, Sadie and Sunny. Jackie has appeared in several Happy Madison films, and also played Cindy in the series Kevin Can Wait. The Sandler children typically appear in Happy Madison productions as well, along with Sandler’s close circle of friends. In The Wrong Missy on Netflix, Sadie and Sunny play two girls at a Hawaiian hotel, and Adam’s nephew, Jared Sandler, portrays Stuart.

By not appearing in certain Happy Madison films, Sandler gives the spotlight to his family and friends instead. Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo turned Schneider into a mainstream franchise star, while the 2001 comedy Joe Dirt provided a platform for Spade. Similarly, the 2006 film Grandma’s Boy – now somewhat of a cult classic – features comedy veterans such as Allen Covert and Nick Swardson, both of whom appear in The Wrong Missy. Sandler doesn’t always make critically-acclaimed films, but his system does indeed suit Netflix’s needs. For the next Happy Madison film on Netflix, Sandler returns to the screen for a starring role in Hubie Halloween.

About The Author

Q.V. Hough
(1892 Articles Published)

Q.V. Hough is a senior writer at Screen Rant. He’s also the founding editor at Vague Visages, and has contributed to RogerEbert.com and Fandor.

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