Adam Sandler and Happy Gilmore cast: then and now update
Three decades after the 1996 comedy hit, Adam Sandler still headlines Happy Gilmore's legacy with Netflix's Happy Gilmore 2, while Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald, and others remain active. Late co-stars Carl Weathers and Bob Barker are remembered for iconic turns that helped define the film.
Key Takeaways
- Adam Sandler returned as Happy in Happy Gilmore 2, which premiered on Netflix on 25 July 2025.
- Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald, Kevin Nealon, Allen Covert, and Ben Stiller also reprised roles.
- Carl Weathers and Bob Barker, among others from the original cast, have died since the first film.
- New sequel faces included Bad Bunny as Happy's caddy Oscar Mejías.
Where is Adam Sandler now after Happy Gilmore?
Adam Sandler, born 9 September 1966 in Brooklyn, New York, played the hockey-turned-golf star Happy Gilmore a year after leaving Saturday Night Live. He has since built a vast comedy filmography that includes Billy Madison, Big Daddy, 50 First Dates, Punch-Drunk Love, and Grown Ups.
In 2025, the Happy Madison star headlined Happy Gilmore 2 alongside daughters Sadie Madison and Sunny Madeline Sandler. He has also starred in multiple films with wife Jackie Sandler. For related culture and market buzz, browse our Fintech & Crypto Alerts hub.
Which Happy Gilmore cast members returned for the sequel?
According to a Legit.ng cast roundup, Christopher McDonald returned as rival Shooter McGavin and called himself a longtime ambassador for the film. Julie Bowen came back as Virginia Venit, though her character is killed early in the sequel—a twist she told Vanity Fair she found funny.
Kevin Nealon again played golfer Gary Potter, and longtime Sandler collaborator Allen Covert returned as Otto. Ben Stiller also reprised his uncredited original cameo as nursing-home orderly Hal L., telling Collider he was always ready to play the role again.
Happy Gilmore 2 added new faces, including Bad Bunny as caddy Oscar Mejías, plus Post Malone, Travis Kelce, Eminem, Benny Safdie, and Eric André, with golfers Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler.
Which original Happy Gilmore stars have passed away?
Carl Weathers, who played mentor Chubbs Peterson and was known as Rocky's Apollo Creed, died on 2 February 2024 in Los Angeles at age 76. Bob Barker, whose Price Is Right host cameo fight with Happy became a signature gag, died of natural causes on 26 August 2023 at 99. The sequel pays tribute to that fight scene.
Other original cast members who have died include Joe Flaherty and Frances Bay. Meanwhile, original kid caddy Jared Van Snellenberg left acting in 2003, earned a Columbia PhD, and works in psychiatry research at Stony Brook University.
Nearly 30 years on, Adam Sandler's Happy Gilmore still anchors a comedy franchise—and a cast whose careers, and losses, keep fans looking back.