Random Fun Facts You Didn't Know About Adam Sandler (23 items)

(#8) He's Very Particular About His Characters' Names

Many accuse Sandler's movies of being carbon copies of one another. Some have even theorized an unnerving pattern between films - and one such connection could be the names of the characters Sandler plays. They almost always have names that end in a Y sound - Billy, Happy, Robbie, Sonny, Nicky, Davey, Whitey, etc.

In addition, nearly all of the female love interests in his films have names that start with V - Veronica Vaughn, Virginia Venit, Vicki Vallencourt, Valerie Veran, etc. The reasoning behind these patterns is ultimately not known.
(#18) He Founded His Own Production Company In 1999

After his roaring success in the mid-'90s, Adam Sandler elected to establish his own production company. Happy Madison Productions was founded in 1999, named for Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison, two of his earliest films. Happy Madison has produced upwards of 20 films since its 1999 inception - all comedies save for one drama, 2007's Reign Over Me.
(#17) He Made A Deal With Netflix

Adam Sandler signed a deal with Netflix in 2014 for an undisclosed sum to release four films exclusively on the streaming service. “When these fine people came to me with an offer to make four movies for them, I immediately said ‘yes’ for one reason and one reason only… Netflix rhymes with ‘wet chicks,'” Sandler said. “Let the streaming begin!”

Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos explained that Sandler’s appeal “spans across viewers of all ages - everybody has a favorite movie, everyone has a favorite line - not just in the US but all over the world.”

In 2018, he released a new comedy special, 100% Fresh, exclusively on the service, which some called "his best work in years."
(#15) He Began Working Almost Immediately (And Consistently) After Graduation

Directly after graduating from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts in 1988, Sandler booked a guest appearance on The Cosby Show, followed by an appearance on MTV's Remote Control. In 1989, Dennis Miller saw Sandler in Going Overboard and recruited him to Saturday Night Live.
(#12) He Was An 'SNL' Cast Member For Five Years

Soon after his feature film debut in Going Overboard, Sandler joined the cast of Saturday Night Live. He was a full-fledged cast member from 1990 to 1995, during which time he developed the characters of Cajun Man, Canteen Boy, and Opera Man. He also wrote "The Chanukah Song" and "The Christmas Song" while on the show.
(#16) His Rate Multiplied By Almost 20 In Five Years

As Sandler's films grew in popularity, his earnings reportedly followed suit. For 1995's Billy Madison, his first writing/starring venture, he was paid a respectable $1.7 million. For Bulletproof in 1996, $2.5 million. The Wedding Singer made him $5.5 million in 1998, and 1999's Big Daddy garnered $8 million.

For Little Nicky, his eighth starring role, released just five years after Madison, he earned $20 million.