Funny Business

Adam Sandler is more than a goofy face. Although he makes us laugh, he is quite serious about doing good.

Adam Sandler knew he had a talent for breaking people up when he was a kid. He was always trying out jokes and gags at the dinner table, and if his larger-than-life father burst into laughter, young Adam knew he had something.

At 17 years old, he went to a comedy club and jumped on stage during open mic. People laughed. Sandler decided he had to take humor seriously, so he enrolled in acting school at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. On the weekends, he worked comedy clubs, singing hilarious songs about lunch ladies, Chanukah and the lonely field-goal kicker. His ability to be both a doofus and a brilliant observer of everyday people endeared him to fans. And that fan base began to grow — first with his appearance on “The Cosby Show” and later as a regular on “Saturday Night Live.”

After appearing in several shows with his fellow SNL performers, Sandler starred in “Billy Madison,” a movie about a grown man who has to repeat grades one through 12 in order to inherit his father’s multi-million-dollar fortune. It is Sandler’s ability to play the everyman that makes him so appealing. No glitz and no pretense, Sandler finds the humor in the average guy just trying to make it through another workday. After failure after failure, the triumph comes, not so much in money or fame, but in self-respect.

After appearing in over 60 films and 15 television series and establishing his own production company, Sandler was honored with the highest dramatic award: The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

The guests roasted Sandler with funny tales of working with him on movies and in nightclubs, but one thread passed through all their monologues: Sandler is a kind person who is generous with his time and money. He takes care of his mother, he prioritizes time with his wife and two daughters, and he shares his wealth with others.

Often seen in baggy clothes and dirty sneakers, Sandler worries little about his personal style and a lot about what others need. He has donated millions of dollars to Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Animal Rescue Foundation, Ante Up for Africa, Children’s Cancer Association, the Chris Farley Foundation, Medical Research Foundation, Make-A-Wish, Toys for Tots and many others. He’s known for buying cars for his costars and mentoring young actors.

Deep down, Sandler is an average guy who gets to help other people and make us all laugh away our own troubles by not taking ourselves too seriously. And that’s some good we can all do to make the world a little bit better.

Laugh at Yourself… PassItOn.com®