Katey Rich: Hello and welcome to Little Gold Men, the award season podcast from Vanity Fair. Speaker 2: It's such an honor to present this next award. And here are the nominees ... and the Oscar goes to- And the Oscar goes to- And I can't deny the fact that you like me, right now, you like me. I'm the king of the world. There's a mistake. Moonlight, you guys won Best Picture. Katey Rich: I am Katey Rich, and I'm here to tell you all about the interview you're about to hear, uh, which I did with Adam Sandler. Uh, you know who Adam Sandler is. Uh, but on this occasion we were talking about his movie hustle, which came out on Netflix earlier this year. I watched it as someone who doesn't know all that much about basketball, doesn't know that much about, you know, Adam Sandler movies, beyond that he's been very- [laughs] famous my whole life. Um, and I was just completely bowled over by it. It is a sports movie, uh, really, I've been recommending it as a movie for anyone who loves a training montage, this has a really good one. It's directed by Jeremiah Zagar, who had a movie called We the Animals a few years ago. And it's this really heartfelt, funny, um, kind of in some ways quintessentially Adam Sandler movie, where he's playing this guy who, you know, is kind of down on his luck, and he's trying hard, he's a NBA scout who's trying to make his way up to coaching. And he kind of hitches his wagon to this Spanish, uh, potential breakout star, Bo Cruz, played by a real NBA star. There's a lot of real NBA stars in the movie, which, um, you might know. I didn't know, because I didn't recognize them, 'cause I don't know anything about the NBA, but that did not stop me from enjoy the movie. Uh, and I loved talking to him so much. You know, Adam Sandler had this huge run with Uncut Gems, uh, back in 2019. Uh, at the start of the interview, I told him that I had seen him in person at our Oscar party in February 2020, little did we know what was gonna come after that. And I think it's really interesting, not just to talk about Uncut Gems and the acclaim he got for that, but just how you figure out how to spend your days and what to do with your time, when you have so much success like he does, and have the, the ability to pick and choose your own projects, which not a lotta people do. So I thought he was really thoughtful about that, about getting out on the road to do standup, and, you know, just figuring out what's next for him after the success of Hustle. Um, so I really enjoyed it, I hope you do too. Let's hear my conversation with Adam Sandler. How long has it been since you've been on tour? Adam Sandler: Yeah, we were gonna do the tour. Then the pandemic happened, we canceled the tour. We were literally doing shows, getting ready, and then re- just, I remember going, "We, I don't think we can do th- we, we can't go out there-" Katey Rich: [laughs] Adam Sandler: ... "and have people sit with each other and stuff." So we canceled the tour, and that was, wha- how long ago was that? A couple years ago. Katey Rich: Yeah, two and a half years ago. Um, I actually, I wanted to start by asking, 'cause I saw you in person i- the last party I went to for a long time at our Oscar Party in 2020. Uh, you were there with the Safdies, and- Adam Sandler: Oh yeah. Katey Rich: ... I was just, U- you know, that Uncut Gems process was kind of a whirlwhind, and I wondered about the day after that. Like, when that party was over, when the Uncut Gems tour was over, like, what did you feel ready for? Where was your head at when that all wrapped up and you had to figure out what was next? Adam Sandler: Boy, yeah, I just remember that whole process was fun, getting to know those guys, getting to be with those guys, feel like, kinda felt like the old days, like early Saturday Night Live, hanging out with, um, a group, going places together, uh, being, believing in a project together, and, uh, just felt like I had great teammates there. And, and I just, I do- I don't know how, I just remember it being nothing but, uh, exciting and, and f- and, and fun, and, um, great connection. Katey Rich: Did, did that change what you wanted to do next? Was wha- you know, deciding to do the standup tour partly coming off of Uncut Gems and saying, "Hey, now that I've done this, I wanna go in this direction." Adam Sandler: I think they a- it all, always goes like that. It's, it's whatever you're feeling in a moment, you enjoy that moment, and then you say, "What, what can I do to" ... I mean, it doesn't happen every time, but y- you say, "What can I do, what feels right next, what, what do I think is gonna be exciting for me or might be interesting to the audience?" Uh, you try to mix things up and do stuff that, uh, makes you wake up and go, "Oh man, I gotta, I gotta go crush this." Katey Rich: Yeah. Well, so then a month after that Oscar party, COVID hits. You're, cancel a standup tour. Then what do you decide you wanna do? Like, what i- what is it like in that moment as you figure out how to, you know, keep working at all? Adam Sandler: That was all, all just making, you know, like everyone else on the planet, just making sure tha- i- family was safe and everybody was good, and, uh, f- friends, and, uh, figuring out what life's going to be like, and, uh, then, eventually as, as it started to progress, time was moving on, and people were getting, finding ways to, to work, I remember, um, the movie, uh, Hustle, I think that came up, uh, uh, the script, the idea, and then I met Jeremiah Zagar, and the director. Uh, we, uh, we met because the, uh, Ted Sarandos from, uh, Netflix told me I should watch his movie. Katey Rich: Yeah. Adam Sandler: Uh, this movie We the Animals, and I loved it. And, uh, I called him up to just tell him how much I loved it, and we were discussing stuff, and somehow we ended up talking about this Hustle movie. We started Zooming and jamming on th- on stuff over Zoom every day. Katey Rich: Yeah. I think you said that Hustle came to you from Lebron James's company. So wha- had you been talking to them before, had you been trying to pursue something with this company before this one came up? Adam Sandler: Uh, this, all, like most of the stuff that I've been involved with, just luck, luck, Katey Rich: Hm. Adam Sandler: I got Joe Roth, who also worked with the movie, and, uh, th- and was partners with Lebron on this movie. Um, they, I, I, they somehow thought of me and they sent it my way. And, uh, and I love it immedia- I love the idea of behind the scenes basketball, and, and getting to see hard work, and, and, uh, and I just, a big fan of, uh, so many players, and so- and, and basketball, and it's been such a huge part of my life, so it was exciting. Katey Rich: Had a basketball movie been on your mind before ... Like I mean, you're such a big fan, like, it, it must have been there somewhere, right? Adam Sandler: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I, I l- I love, I always, you know, I've involved basketball over the years in, in my comedies and stuff- Katey Rich: Yeah. Adam Sandler: ... and, um, but, uh, this was a different a- approach at it, and, um, you know, like, when I did Uncut Gems, and I, this was a jeweler, I was starting from scratch, 'cause I knew nothing about jewelry, and, uh- Katey Rich: Mm-hmm. Adam Sandler: ... so I, then I had to do a lot of preparation and being comfortable and confident i- in knowing what, as much as I could know about th- that craft, o- or that, that business, and, um, basketball had a nice h- headstart, 'cause I knew a lotta, a lotta stories, a lotta stuff. I knew, I knew a lotta players over the years, I knew my, my history. Not as much as, uh, like a, a superfan, but I was, I'm pre- pretty in there. Katey Rich: Yeah. So the pr- that Zoom process with th- with Jeremiah and then everyone else, like, how did working on that stuff via Zoom feel for you? I mean, a lotta people hated transitioning to Zoom, did it work okay for you guys? I mean, the movie turned out- Adam Sandler: Well, I think i- it was exciting to just be working. I r- I do remember, I was in my house in a basement and my two daughters were doing school, and in this part of my house there were no doors. So it was like, I had one daughter maybe 20 feet, uh, on the right, another daughter in a different area- [laughs] oh yeah, maybe 20, 30 feet away from me on the left, and I was on Zoom quietly ta- [laughs] talking to Jeremiah- Katey Rich: [laughs] Adam Sandler: ... a lot, and, and I, my kids were just like, "Stop talking so loud." Katey Rich: [laughs] Adam Sandler: And, uh, yeah. Zoom school was going on while we were working on Hustle. Katey Rich: Yeah. I mean, that's s- like, what everyone on- in the country was doing at the same time, you were really, we were all kind of [laughs] evened out and sick of Zoom at that point. Adam Sandler: Well, you know, it wa- it was interesting, it was new. I kept thinking, "Wh- why are we Zooming? Why, what happened to Skype? How come Skype's not" ... 'Cause I used to Skype all the time with Tim Hurley, a guy I write all our, uh, comedies with, I always, always would sky with him and h- and, and we would see each other, and that kinda thing. And then the Zoom took over, and any time I mentioned Skype to people they'd say like, "No, no, no, we're gonna Zoom." I'd be like, "Oh, all right, what ha- I feel bad for Skype right now." Katey Rich: [laughs] It changed really fast, didn't it? Adam Sandler: [laughs] Yeah. Katey Rich: I mean, you work a lot, like, you know, looking back over the last couple years, like, you've just, you know, you're producing things, you're acting in things. So is that period of not working, were you just like, itching to get back on a movie set or get on tour, did you have that drive to work as soon as possible? Adam Sandler: I think like most people, it was like a forced break, and so you went, it was no guilt in this break. You had nothing saying like, "I should be doing that," you just like, "I should be taking care of my family, or making sure everybody's safe." So I didn't have that itch as much as you would think. I remember, I did, uh, view things early on, s- when Saturday Night Live came back on the air, Pete Davidson called me up and said he was doing a, um, a song, and, uh, and so we, we, we did a, uh, a verse in my house with my family, and, um, they, they, they operated the cameras and stuff, and shot a bunch of silly stuff, and, and, uh, that, that was fun to be working for a second, uh- Katey Rich: Yeah. Adam Sandler: ... but, um, yeah, yeah, yeah, just, I s- I swear, it's e- exactly what e- everyone on the planet was feeling. You just kinda sat back and said, "Let's just do what's, what's, what's best and safest." Katey Rich: You've worked with, you know, your family and friends and people who are like, not necessarily professional actors a lot before. And I was thinking about that watching Hustle, 'cause there's so many basketball players who are, you know, there's people playing themselves like Dr. J, but like, people like Anthony Edwards, like, giving performances who are not actors. And you're not the director, but I wondered if, like, if your experience bringing people on camera who haven't done it before, if you could, you know, help them out in any way and kind of help bring those performances out. Adam Sandler: Um, um, Jeremiah did most of that, but I'll tell you, um, when they were on a basketball court, the players were on a basketball court, they were in that mode, y- yes, they're, they're, they're doing what we ask 'em to, we ask 'em to miss a shot, we ask 'em to steal the ball, blah blah blah. But when it came to being real and, and disc- discussing life on the court or after a game, it was very, very ... They were at ease. They, they would always, something in the script, somebody m- w- might say like, "I wouldn't say that," we'd say, "Well, what'd you say?" And they would knock out exactly e- you know, what they'd feel comfortable saying, or what they thought was real. And that was such a mission we had with the movie, because who was involved? All these- Katey Rich: Mm-hmm. Adam Sandler: ... all these superstars, these, uh, uh, and Lebron, and ev- every, and the NBA was so involved that we just wanted to make sure that people in the NBA watched the movie and say, "Yeah, yeah, it's pretty much like that." Katey Rich: Yeah. I was thinking about Stanley Sugarman and the line of, like, losers that you've played on screen, 'cause they, they go back a long way. Like through Uncut Gems- Adam Sandler: Yeah. Katey Rich: ... then going back to the Waterboy, and- Adam Sandler: Yeah. Katey Rich: ... you had success pretty early in your career, and I wonder, like, if it's just that playing losers is fun, or if there's some kind of like, you know, sliding doors like that coulda been made to, to those characters that appeals to you. Adam Sandler: That's a good question. I think I- Katey Rich: [laughs] Sorry. Adam Sandler: ... I'm comfortable in that world. I'm comfort- Katey Rich: Mm-hmm. Adam Sandler: ... it's probably natural to me, because I don't ... I been doing this a long time. I mean, I just went on stage last night. When I first walk on the stage, I never go like, "All right, here I am." I'm always just like, "Wh- what the hell am I doing here right now?" I just have a natural part of my brain that feels like, "This, this, this is, I don't belong here, wh- wh- why am I setting myself up like this? I'm not, I don't think I should be, uh, you know, asking people to look at me right now." Katey Rich: [laughs] Adam Sandler: So a- anyways, I guess this, this feeling uncomfortable and loser kinda stuff I've been doing for years, it's, it's, it's in me. Katey Rich: [laughs] Adam Sandler: [laughs] Katey Rich: And it, I mean, do you get done at the end of the day and you're just like, "Okay, thank God, I can go back to, you know, myself with my family," and the, you know, th- [laughs] the success that you have, you kind of get it out in the, on the set? Adam Sandler: I th- I like, I like being on a movie set, I like when I'm b- I'm probably the most comfortable on a, on a set, uh, outside of [inaudible 00:12:54]- Katey Rich: More than onstage? Adam Sandler: Stage, if it's rolling along and we're doing good, I feel great. When there's- Katey Rich: Yeah. Adam Sandler: ... a, but there's a, but there's a ... In sta- in standup, you could be killing for 50 minutes, and then all of a sudden make a wrong turn, and then the last 10 minutes of the show is like, "Ooh, what happened there? He kinda lost his mind [inaudible 00:13:13]-" Katey Rich: [laughs] Adam Sandler: That still happens, you just, y- you gotta concentrate, you gotta just r- ride it out, feel comfortable. And sometimes you, you, you veer off and a- all of a sudden y- the, you lose the audience, and sometimes you luck into getting 'em back, and then sometimes you walk off stage going, "W- wow, that hurt. That was a painful moment [laughs] for everybody." Katey Rich: [laughs] Is that, is that part of what brings you back? Where you're like, "Okay, well that didn't go right, but I can do it better next time," like you- Adam Sandler: I, I ... You d- the, the nights you do poorly, you cannot wait to get introduced again somewhere else to make, make up for it, because you're like, "I c- I can't live with that one, I go- I gotta, let's end on a, on a, on a good one." And then when you have a super show, part of your brain is like, "Y- why am I doing tomorrow night, man?" Katey Rich: [laughs] Adam Sandler: "There's no way the show's gonna go as good as that," and then it doesn't. There's no way, you can't crush it perfectly. There's just some nights where it just, your energy is great, the audience energy's great, it just, it just, just connects. And then you go, "Let me g- let me try to duplicate that," and then that's just, never works out for you. Katey Rich: It's like gambling, right? You just, you think you can stay on a hot streak. Adam Sandler: [laughs] That's very true, yeah. Katey Rich: [laughs] Uh, I was thinking about the audience, because, you know, you're back on tour, you've got the audience right in front of you, but you've made so many movies for Netflix where you know that people are watching it, you can get feedback, but you don't know how many people, like, the, you know, no one's see- some people might see it in the crowd, but it's so different from even when you started making movies. Do you still get to think about your audience or get a sense of what people like, or do you have to change the way you think about your audience doing that? Adam Sandler: That's good, that's, I, I, I think of the audience, I th- I'm always thinking who's watching it and always try to make sure th- they, they, o- you know, can't guarantee it's, uh, working, but, uh, every time, but always think of them, si- sitting, watching, discussing afterwards, saying what they like, what they didn't like, wha- wha- what, what stuff lands. If s- if we're watching a movie and there's a slow spot, we just try to, we gotta get, we gotta get past that quicker, or we gotta find a way to get rid of that, or- Katey Rich: Yeah. Adam Sandler: ... or cut it differently, or, uh, that kinda thing. We're always thinking of the audience. And a- a- as a- I always did throughout the, e- making movies, uh, th- when people were sitting in the theaters, uh, uh, uh, more, and there was no s- Katey Rich: Mm-hmm. Adam Sandler: ... you, you thought of the rhythm, the, the person watching, and had to keep 'em, uh, um, focused and laughing o- or, or just involved. But, um, I feel like, uh, I, I feel like I watch my kids watching movies, I watch my wife watching a movie. I see when they're in the pocket, when they're, uh, when they're, when they're deeply enthralled in something, and then I see what it's like when they all of a sudden tune out and say, "I'm hungry," and wanna go in the other room. So you try to eliminate those moments. Katey Rich: Yeah. Did you get to s- 'cause I know Hustle played in the theaters. Did you get to see that movie with an audience? Adam Sandler: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We always- Katey Rich: That musta felt great. Adam Sandler: Oh my God, the premiere they had was kinda like the old days. W- it was at a theater that I had a lotta premieres in the, in the '90s. Uh, it was in Westwood, it was mass- massive premiere, it was a couple thousand people watching the movie, a lotta NBA guys where there, a lotta just n- normal people showed up, and they were getting to sit in the theater with these superstar dudes around, and it was just a good energy. And the movie kinda played like a Rocky kinda feel, where you got excited in moments, and you were pulling for Bo Cruz, and it was, it was quite an energy. And it was, you could only have that in a movie theater with a group of- Katey Rich: Yeah. Adam Sandler: ... people. It was tr- it was tremendous. Katey Rich: Yeah. Any movie with a training montage that good, like, you're gonna get a crowd response. Adam Sandler: Yeah. Katey Rich: [laughs] [inaudible 00:17:02]- Adam Sandler: That was a long-ass, long-ass training, uh- Katey Rich: [laughs] Adam Sandler: ... montage that m- my editor guys cut, cut together with, uh, with, uh, Jeremiah, and it was, it was awesome. It was awesome, just he worked his ass off, Juancho. He just, every day was running, lifting weights, and he was, he was, a- so- by the end of some days, he was like, "What are you doing to me, man?" Katey Rich: [laughs] Adam Sandler: "Why am I wearing construction boots while running or th- you know, playing basketball." Katey Rich: Well, even you, like, the way the movie's put together, like, you're doing the montage of, like, going to the hotel rooms. Like, it's a lot of doing the same thing over and over again. Like, that's asking a lot of you, too, not running up a hill. Adam Sandler: What I love the l- a lot about my character, a- it was, was the stuff like the showing up at 4:00 in the morning and picking up Juancho to get to, to, uh, to push him and push him and push him, and, and it reminded me a lot of my father, whose name was Stanley also, I nam- named the character after him. He was, I don't think there was one time in my life that he mentioned he was tired. He nev- he just, would just go, whatever time it was and my, my pop was up, he was ready, my mom was up with him making breakfast for everybody, and, um, it, it just reminded me of, o- wha- what this family in the movie was. Was just like, all in, no talking about, "Well hey, I'm sacrificing too, and I'm th-" it was just- Katey Rich: Mm-hmm. Adam Sandler: ... more like, "Let's get you to be the best you can be." And that's- Katey Rich: Yeah. Adam Sandler: ... what my character was doing for Bo Cruz, and that's what my parents always did for me. Katey Rich: I feel like you just gave me the answer to the question, like, why do you work so much all the time, that's- [laughs] like, your, your parents worked all the time, so you do too. Adam Sandler: They, they, you know, it's funny. They were, my, my father would tell me, s- "You gotta enjoy this a little bit more, too. Sit back, relax, let other people handle that stuff." Um, when we were, we did 50 First Dates, and my father was sick, he was in the hospital, and me and my wife were a- in the hospital, uh, every day with him at, uh, Mass General. And I was getting these, uh, tapes from the 50 First Dates, uh, uh, editing room, and showing me cuts and stuff like that, and I look at it, and I'd show my dad, he'd be like, "That's good, that was good." He s- "See, they can do it without you, man. They can do-" Katey Rich: [laughs] Adam Sandler: ... "it, sit back and just enjoy a little bit more instead of thinking you got to be there, and this and that." I was like, "Yeah, but I, I thought maybe it might be funnier if this happens." He- he'd be like, "Eh, maybe. Or maybe you could just sit back and relax and let other people have some fun too." And- Katey Rich: Yeah. Adam Sandler: ... and so my father was kinda like, pushing me to calm down and calm down, that worked so much. And I think I have calmed down a lot. My wife, uh, always brings that up, that I s- spend a lot more time on the weekends with the f- with the family and stuff. In the year, when I first was with my wife, she was just like, "This guy's bananas. I'm hanging out with him in recording studios every weekend, and making comedy records, and he's," I just, I would do a movie into a album in- into whatever I could to, uh, uh, just try to kick ass. Katey Rich: And so you still work a lot, but you feel like it's less of like, um, like a frantic thing? Like, you feel like you can- Adam Sandler: Yeah. Katey Rich: ... sit still a little bit more? Adam Sandler: I think, uh, I'm, I'm much better at, at ... My office is down the street from my house. I, I just go at it, [inaudible 00:20:27] I just go, "All right, I'm gonna go home." And, uh- Katey Rich: [laughs] Adam Sandler: ... [inaudible 00:20:30] kinda looks at me like, "What happened, he's going home?" And- [laughs] and, uh, and, uh, then I go home, and then I'm home and hanging out and I'm doing my stuff with, with my wife and the kids, and then I noticed they kind of i- ignore me for f- like, 20 minutes straight, and I go, "All right, maybe I'll go back to work and kick some ass [inaudible 00:20:45]-" Katey Rich: [laughs] Adam Sandler: And then I- [laughs] then I'll get back home for some other stuff. Katey Rich: I always, it's, I think it's interesting when people are in a position in Hollywood to be able to choose what they do. Because you well know that it's, you know, not a lotta people get to do that. So, so when something comes to you with a script or someone to work with, what kinda makes you say, "Oh yeah, that's the thing." Like, you have limited time, you decide to spend that on it. Do you know what it is that makes you say, "Yeah, that's, that's for me." Adam Sandler: Yeah, who- who's involved with it, if I connect to a subject matter, if I, if I f- feel a little like I'm not sure how I'm, um, how I'm gonna go after that, that's probably a good sign that, uh, nervous about the, the particular project. I- it's, like I'm, I- I'm gonna do a movie with the Safdie brothers, and was supposed to start in, in, in the late, late winter, right? So part of my brain right now is like, I'm on tour, then once that Safdie brothers movie starts, and I l- I love those guys, I know we're gonna dedicate ourselves into working our asses off and making sure w- er- i- it's as, as good as it can be, and I know that takes a lotta time. So part of my brain's going, "Whoa, once that, once that movie starts, I'm in deep, I'm in deep-" Katey Rich: Yeah. Adam Sandler: ... "and my life's gonna change, and, and it's," you know, it's, it's, like everybody, e- ev- you, when you work hard, you, you're tired, you're knocked out. Uh, you, some parts of your life get ... Y- you miss out on some stuff that you wish you could've seen. But, uh, ultimately, I know it's gonna be a few months of going after a g- uh, uh, a goal that we, we all feel the same about, we wanna do the best we can. Katey Rich: Is that, you, so you expect that to be as intense as making Uncut gems? Adam Sandler: Uh, yeah, because of how much these guys care. Katey Rich: Yeah. Adam Sandler: And how much I don't wanna let 'em down, and, uh- Katey Rich: Yeah. Adam Sandler: ... and, and I see how hard they work, and, um, just like when I'm working on, uh, my comedies with my, my friends, um, it means a lot to us. Every, every joke means a lot, the Safdie boys, every, every word means a lot to 'em, every f- frame of the movie means a lot, so I don't wanna, I don't walk through anything, I won't walk through anything for them, just 'cause I d- I d- I care about it, and I respect those guys so much. Katey Rich: Yeah. So you were talking about your, your teenage daughters, and I was thinking about the NBA players who are in this movie who are young guys. Like you, to be in the NBA, you have to be on the younger- Adam Sandler: Right. Katey Rich: ... side. And I was curious about how much you try to like, keep up with what teenagers and younger people or like what TikTok is doing, what comedy is, like, n- I think about this a lot, getting into my late 30s, like, how much do I need to know about this? And I wondered if making hustle brought this up for you in terms of what these basketball players who are younger than you are talking about, or are into. Adam Sandler: That's, that's, that's, I, I love watching those guys, my kids, wi- with their friends, what they're talking about. I kinda sit back and hear it, I'm not deep in it, I don't really know, I mean, I w- to be honest, I wh- even when they Snapchat, I'm not sure what's going on. Katey Rich: [laughs] Adam Sandler: I, I'm pretty bad. Like a- Judd Apatow, he knows, literally, everything with this whole, uh, social media shit, I, I, and I watch him talk about it, I'm like, "All right, Judd's, he's involved with that shit, he's having a good time." Katey Rich: [laughs] Adam Sandler: But I, I don't know, I don't really ... I should know more for many reasons, but, um, I kinda just enjoy hearing everyone else, too, the NBA guys, what they were ... They were all just nice people, so we, we got- Katey Rich: Yeah. Adam Sandler: ... close, in, in conversations. But sure, they, they know dif- different world, and my kids know a different world than I do. And then when I walk into a room in my house and they're watching TV and they're all laughing, I'll look at the screen and be like, "Who's that?" And they'll say who the person is, and I'll say, "Wha- what do they do?" Uh, you know, whatever show, a makeup show, or a this, or, uh, or, they're big on YouTube or whatever, I watch a few minutes, I go, "Oh yeah, I could see why you like that." I, I, I, I- Katey Rich: So, so translate- 'cause I feel like a lotta people get older and they're just like, "Oh, what the kids think is funny isn't funny anymore." And I think in comedy it's really tricky to connect with an audience. But it sounds like what is funny now and what has changed, you are, you are in line with, even if you can't keep up with. Adam Sandler: I'm not as o- o- on top of it a- as- Katey Rich: [laughs] Adam Sandler: ... li- like I, I keep saying Apatow, he knows everything. He, e- everybody always says he mentions a show, he mentions a person, I always go, "I d- I didn't see that, man, I don't know that." Katey Rich: [laughs] Adam Sandler: But, um, but, uh, but my kids click in, my wife click in with something at home, uh, I, uh, n- never is a time where I watch it I go, "Get outta here, that's crap." Katey Rich: [laughs] Adam Sandler: I always go, "Oh, oh, yeah, yeah, I get that. That's funny, oh, I like that you guys love that." My kids love, holy sh- cow do they love Modern Family and the Goldbergs. It's bananas. Katey Rich: Like, 10 year old shows, like- Adam Sandler: They l- they click so much with those shows, I think it happened over the pandemic, and they still- Katey Rich: Mm-hmm. Adam Sandler: ... makes 'em feel good, they laugh their asses off and they, they, they just like good family shows and comedy and full-on comedy. And then like I said, they like the, I, I don't know if it's YouTube or whatever it is, it's like those qu- quick, three minute kinda things you look at, and, and, uh, they- Katey Rich: Yeah. Adam Sandler: ... 10 minute kinda things, and s- people who are superstars on the internet, my, my kids love that s- stuff, and they ha- conversations about 'em and talk about, uh, [laughs] whatever, who's funny, makeup, who, who sings good, all that stuff, and I, and I, I try to ... I don't really know any names, but I do, do get involved and say, "Yeah, yeah, that's, she's cool, he's cool-" Katey Rich: Yeah. Adam Sandler: ... they're funny, th- I get it." Katey Rich: Do you think what you find funny has changed over the years, or has your personal sense of humor been pretty consistent? Adam Sandler: I think it's all l- little cooler, a little sharper out there, people know a lot more. Um, I'm a little behind on technology kinda jokes and, and then, and stuff about th- the new way of life and talking, and, and I'm, I, I, I don't know the vernacular as good as I, uh, as a lotta people do, but I- Katey Rich: Eh, that's for other people. You do, you do what [laughs] you find funny. Adam Sandler: I do, yeah, yeah, no, but I g- I, there's, there's ... I don't, I haven't seen any new comedy that I go, "No way, man, that's, that's ridiculous." I, I, I like it all. I've watched Saturday Night Live the, uh, this Saturday, I, I, uh, I loved it. I loved a lotta, lotta skits. There's a l- more and more stuff going on that's pretty ridiculous to watch, and, uh, and, uh, uh, I'm, I'm a fan of lots of styles. Katey Rich: When you look back at like, I mean, not even just your comedy, let's think about your acting, too. Like, when, you know, even before Billy Madison, like, do you recognize that actor and that person? Like, do you still feel like you're that same person or d- do you feel the distance there? Adam Sandler: I feel the, I feel the same in a way that I was always pretty excited to be doing it- Katey Rich: Mm-hmm. Adam Sandler: I don't look back at any of my old stuff and go, "Whoa, you nailed it there, man." Katey Rich: [laughs] Adam Sandler: I'm u- I'm usually like, "Wow, you were just getting by, man, you're lucky [inaudible 00:28:02]-" Katey Rich: [laughs] Adam Sandler: Um, I, I, I think just getting more and more settled as a human being- Katey Rich: Mm-hmm. Adam Sandler: ... so my acting's probably, you know, e- changing over the years, and what I, I ... I always thought I was doing the right thing in the moment, and I still do. Katey Rich: Yeah. Adam Sandler: But I look back at even stuff from five years ago, I go, "Oh, sh- shoulda done this, man. Tha- that was a little weird choice that you made." Katey Rich: [laughs] Adam Sandler: "[inaudible 00:28:29] what the hell happened?" But I, I, I, I just, tha- that's probably the, the thing I look back at, I, uh, maybe I played it too big, or maybe I played it, I was too, tryna show what I was feeling in that moment, or I w- the joke was a- as, you know, uh, uh, over the top or whatever the hell it was, but then, uh, uh, uh, it meant, it meant a lot to me, and I believed in it then, so I, so I still back it up. Katey Rich: So you wouldn't, like, you wou- could go back and, like, cut all your old movies, like Francis Ford Coppola, like you wouldn't change it, it kind of is what it is. Adam Sandler: Oh, wow, no. Yeah, that takes a lot of personal ... Probably too lazy to ever think to ever do that. Katey Rich: [laughs] Adam Sandler: But I, I, I ... There was a process in, in every room we were in, and edi- e- every, on every set, every writing room, me m- me and my buddy and my, my buddies, we, we believed in, in what we presented, so no, I wouldn't, I wouldn't, uh, change anything. I wou- I mean, sh- stuff that I did that I look back at that could be hurtful I'd be like, "Ah, shit, I wish I hadn't have said that," but, um, that, that's, that's no- not changing cuts because we thought it could be, I, I th- think it could be funnier. W- what we- at the m- in that moment, we believed it. Katey Rich: Maybe one last question for you, since we started talking about Uncut Gems, you're about to go work with the Safdies, what do you, what do you expect to feel like when that's over? Like, when, when you're done making that movie, do you know what you're gonna do next, do you know what you're gonna wanna do? Adam Sandler: I'm, I'm really n- I'm not sure what I'm doing for myself, a movie that, um, i- is that, I b- create and, and help create with my friends, I don't know what that one is next. Uh, I have a couple oth- great, uh, things coming. Nothing's guaranteed in life, but- Katey Rich: Yeah. Adam Sandler: ... been talking with No- Noah Baumbach, h- he, he has an awesome idea, I've been talking to Scott Cooper, he has an amazing script. I, I was talking to Todd Fields, he- Katey Rich: That's a wide range of people to be talking to all at once. Adam Sandler: [inaudible 00:30:37] yeah, yeah. All, all really c- really ar- amazing ideas and, and stuff. And then you f- you figure out, we'll see what, what, what's actually gonna happen, I hope they all do. Katey Rich: Yeah. Well, I ... So, sorry, another question, but I heard you say at another interview that you've been friends with Todd Field for a long time. Have you seen Tár? Adam Sandler: I didn't get to see it, no, but I'm reading this book right now that, that Todd sent me, and he gave me ... And it's a long book, and I think Todd r- reads a lot quicker than me. 'Cause I keep saying- Katey Rich: [laughs] Adam Sandler: ... "I'm on chapter nine now." He's like, "Good lord, hurry up." Katey Rich: [laughs] Adam Sandler: But, uh, but no, I hear Tár is amazing. He, he, he, he's, he's a tremendous guy. I know that guy for when we were young, and, uh, he's, he's, he's one of the sweetest guys, and funniest guys, and he's just, uh, he's certainly dedicated to making good stuff. Katey Rich: Yeah. Adam Sandler: H- uh, you saw Tár? Katey Rich: Yeah, I saw Tár, I went to the New York Film Festival premiere. It was a wild time. It's so good. Um- Adam Sandler: That's cool. Katey Rich: ... I mean, that guy spent 16 years between movies and came back with just something unreal, so yeah. Adam Sandler: Yeah, he's tremendous, he's tremendous, for sure. Katey Rich: Yeah. Uh, well, yeah, go, go see that and report back, I, I think you're, I think you'll like it. Adam Sandler: I will, I will, I will, I'm sure I will. Katey Rich: [laughs] Adam Sandler: I'm sure I gotta see it on a big screen, he's not gonna want me to see it on a little computer, so I- Katey Rich: [laughs] Yeah, God, when you're friends with filmmakers, they're never gonna let you see it at home, 'cause they want it to be- Adam Sandler: Oh yeah, Paul Thomas Anderson will, uh- Katey Rich: [laughs] Adam Sandler: ... will, uh, uh, he, he shows me his movies all the time, and I could get over to his house to, to see, I think it was- Katey Rich: Licorice Pizza? Adam Sandler: ... Licorice Pizza, I couldn't get there because I had so much shit going on. I go, "Can you just send me the, uh, it on Pics or a link or something," and he just wrote back, "Fuck you." Katey Rich: [laughs] Adam Sandler: [laughs] The classic, "[inaudible 00:32:17]." Katey Rich: That does it for today's interview episode. We'll all be back on Thursday with our regular roundtable episode. In the meantime, find us on Twitter @HWD, find me on my own @KateyRich, and find us at vanityfair.com. Our editor and producer, as always, is Brett Fuchs.