Following its release earlier this summer, Happy Gilmore 2 has become one of Adam Sandler’s most popular movies of the past few years – and not just because of how strongly it pays homage to the original film. The movie features some brilliant jokes and entertaining cameos that have helped Happy Gilmore 2 become a mᴀssive streaming hit.

The biggest talking point regarding Happy Gilmore 2, without a doubt, is the sheer quanтιтy of celebrity cameos and guest appearances that can be found at every turn. The movie really feels like a celebration of Adam Sandler’s career as a whole, with the actor bringing in many of his long-time collaborators for fun, throwaway roles.

However, there are some noteworthy exceptions to this trend; long-time friends and colleagues of Sandler’s who didn’t appear in the movie, despite many fans expecting them to do so. There are clearly reasons for many of these absences, and audiences shouldn’t take this to mean that Sandler won’t be working with them again in the future.

8

David Spade

David Spade is one of Adam Sandler’s most frequent collaborators and closest friends within the industry. The pair were both cast on Saturday Night Live in the early ‘90s, giving them both the big break they needed to continue making the comedy movies they loved. Spade first appeared alongside Sandler in Grandma’s Boy, before later being offered one of the lead roles in the Grown Ups series.

Despite his close friendship with Sandler, David Spade did not appear in Happy Gilmore 2. It’s unfortunate that Spade and Sandler didn’t get to team up once again. But it’s not surprising that some concessions had to be made, given Happy Gilmore 2’s immense cast list.

Overall, they’ve done five live-action movies together, as well as a few H๏τel Transylvania films. By missing out on this movie, it extends a surprising break of them working together, which they haven’t done since 2016’s The Do-Over.

7

Kevin James

Kevin James is another long-time contributor of Sandler’s who was notably absent from Happy Gilmore 2, even though the pair have starred in fourteen different projects together over the years. They first collaborated on I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry and You Don’t Mess With The Zohan, before James found his breakthrough role in the Sandler-produced Paul Blart: Mall Cop.

The reason that James doesn’t have a Happy Gilmore 2 cameo is unconfirmed. Sandler could have simply prioritized those who were involved in the original movie, such as Christopher McDonald and Ben Stiller. James’ collaborations with Sandler primarily came much later than Happy Gilmore, so it makes sense he’d sit this one out.

James and Sandler are still regular collaborators despite this absence. They last worked together in 2020’s Hubie Halloween, where James had a cameo. Perhaps he’ll be in the next Sandler comedy.

6

Jennifer Aniston

Although Adam Sandler has only worked with Jennifer Aniston on a handful of occasions, the pair has a great relationship that goes far beyond their on-screen work. The pair first collaborated on Just Go With It, one of several rom-coms that Sandler produced and starred in throughout the 2010s.

The pair came together again in 2019 for Murder Mystery, and joined forces again as recently as 2023 for Murder Mystery 2. Throughout this process, the pair became very close friends, with Aniston admitting that the actor sends her flowers every Mother’s Day and keeps in touch regularly.

Despite this friendship, it makes sense that Aniston wasn’t involved in Happy Gilmore 2. Her collaborations with Sandler are very stylistically different from the slapstick comedy of Happy Gilmore, with projects like Just Go With It and Murder Mystery catering to a very different audience. Still, the pair has frequently discussed their desire to work with each other again in the future.

5

John Turturro

Although John Turturro is best known for his collaborations with the Coen brothers on projects like The Big Lebowski and Barton Fink, the actor has a successful track record with Adam Sandler and his Happy Madison production company. The pair first crossed paths on 2002’s Mr. Deeds, where Turturro played the тιтle character’s long-lost cousin.

In recent years, Turturro has made a shift towards more dramatic roles, such as Irving B. in Severance and Lionel Bengelsdorf in The Plot Against America. This could explain why he was absent from Sandler’s recent legacy sequel. It does extend a drought of collaborating, which they haven’t done since 2015’s The Ridiculous 6.

4

Peter Dante

Peter Dante was a long-time friend of Adam Sandler’s who appeared in several of the actor’s projects throughout the ‘90s and 2000s, such as The Wedding Singer, Mr. Deeds, and 50 First Dates. Dante’s status as a character actor meant that he would frequently play the weird and wonderful characters that were written into Sandler’s scripts solely to make the audience laugh.

Sandler and Dante have not collaborated since 2013, when the latter was kicked out of a H๏τel for being racially abusive towards a member of staff who didn’t recognize him as an actor. Dante was later arrested in 2020 after allegedly threatening to harm his neighbor’s family. The pair haven’t maintained a public relationship since these incidents, explaining why Dante was absent from Happy Gilmore 2.

3

Chris Rock

Chris Rock is another member of the Saturday Night Live cast who joined around the same time as Sandler, David Spade, and Rob Schneider in the early ‘90s. He quickly became close friends with the other comedians. He began collaborating with Sandler professionally in 2005’s The Longest Yard, before landing roles in Grown Ups and Sandy Wexler.

Despite appearing in some of Adam Sandler’s best movies, Chris Rock was notably absent from the ensemble cast of Happy Gilmore 2. Again, this is likely because Rock is a very successful and busy actor in his own right and may not have had enough time to film a cameo in Sandler’s new film.

They last worked together in 2018’s The Week Of, but with talks of Grown Ups 3 heating up, perhaps it will only be a matter of time before Rock and Sandler are back on screen with each other.

2

Maya Rudolph

Though Maya Rudolph and Adam Sandler haven’t worked together on too many occasions, the two actors’ paths have crossed multiple times thanks to their shared SNL history and mutual friends within the industry. The pair previously worked together on both Grown Ups and Grown Ups 2, where Rudolph played Deanne McKenzie, the wife of Chris Rock’s character Kurt.

While it would have been great to see Rudolph get involved with Happy Gilmore 2, it ultimately makes sense that she wasn’t included in the film since she has no tangible connection to the original film. Sandler also has worked with her more recently on Hubie Halloween​​​​​​.

1

Tim Meadows

Tim Meadows is best known for his long tenure on SNL throughout the ‘90s, where he met rising stars like Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, and Chris Rock. This group of comedians was a particularly тιԍнт-knit one. Although Meadows and Sandler didn’t work together too frequently outside of SNL, they had a strong professional relationship.

Meadows had roles in Grown Ups, Hubie Halloween, and Jack & Jill, but his absence from Happy Gilmore 2 can likely be put down to his tendency to prioritize stand-up comedy and television work over movies. The comedian has only appeared in a handful of movies over the past few decades, so it makes sense he didn’t turn up for a cameo in Happy Gilmore 2.