Adam Richard Sandler was born to Jewish parents on
September 9, 1966, in Brooklyn, New York. Sandler was raised in Mancester,
New Hampshire and attended Central High School. At age 17, Sandler took
his first steps to becoming a comedian when took the stage at a comedy
club in Boston, Masschusetts. From 1985 to 1989, Sandler made his first
television appearance as Smitty on The Cosby Show. In 1991, Sandler
graduated from New York University with a Bachelor’s Degree in
Fine Arts.
During his freshman year at NYU, Sandler was discovered
as a comedian by Dennis Miller, who saw Sandler perform a stand-up act
in a comedy club in Los Angeles. In 1990, Sandler was hired as a writer
for Saturday Night Live, and became a featured act the following
year. He immediately became famous by performing original songs on the
show, including The Chanukah Song. In 1995, Sandler left SNL to pursue
other acting opportunities.
Sandler’s first film was Billy Madison,
in which he plays the leading role, a grown man who must repeat gradeschool
to inherit his family’s fortune. A few of Sandler’s other
films include Happy Gilmore (1996), The Wedding Singer (1998), and Big Daddy (1999). In 2002, Sandler was nominated
for a Golden Globe for his role in the acclaimed Punch-Drunk Love.
Sandler has his own production company, Happy Madison, named in reference
to two of his most recognized films.
On June 22, 2003, Sandler married model Jackie Titone and the couple has two daughters, Sadie Madison (2006) and Sunny Madeline (2008).
