'Big Daddy' In Hollywood
The team of Adam Sandler and a 5-year-old boy beat out a family of jungle apes raising an orphan, as Big Daddy trounced Tarzan at the box office last weekend. CBS This Morning's Entertainment Contributor Eleanor Mondale spoke to him about his new role as a hot comedian in Hollywood.
Big Daddy earned $41.5 million over the weekend, adding to his previous successes with The Waterboy and The Wedding Singer. Together, they place Sandler in the elite group of stars making upwards of $20 million a movie.
In Big Daddy, he plays a man who never quite grew up but who adopts a child to impress his girlfriend. When she dumps him anyway, big daddy is left with a big responsibility.
The movie is something of a departure for Sandler, since it shows more of a serious side than was seen in his previous movies. But whether he's laughing or crying, his wise-cracking humor has earned him a huge following.
That has only lately made a big impression on him. "This last year, because with the movies making all that money they talked about me in the press more," Sandler says. "So now, when my mother's playing golf and she's with three other ladies, they'll ask her questions about me. Whereas two years ago, my mother would say, 'my son's an actor,' and say my name, and they would say, 'Oh... don't think I heard of that'," Sandler says.
Sandler nurtured his comedic talent at comedy clubs while at New York University. From 1991-1995 he provided his share of funny characters to Saturday Night Life's repertoire as a writer and performer. And in 1996 he co-scripted and starred in the golfing comedy Happy Gilmore which was followed by other well-received comedies such as Bulletproof and The Wedding Singer. Then came The Waterboy, which earned $38 million in its opening weekend.
Sandler is no longer the most eligible man in Hollywood. He is engaged to be married to model Jackie Titone, and he says she wants to keep their home life low profile.
For more on Sandler, see Adam Sandler's Official Web site.
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