Adam Sandler, known primarily for his comedic talents, consistently garners significant critical acclaim for his dramatic portrayals. From Paul Thomas Anderson’s Punch-Drunk Love to the Safdie brothers’ Uncut Gems, Sandler has captivated audiences with his compelling performances, pushing the boundaries of his career.
Recently, Sandler took on yet another intriguing role in Johan Renck’s adaptation of Spaceman of Bohemia. Amidst the growing subgenre of isolated astronauts in space, Sandler portrays the titular Spaceman, whose encounter with a mysterious entity alters his perspective on life back on Earth.
Despite the stellar performances from the cast, which also includes Carey Mulligan and Paul Dano, Spaceman fails to capture the philosophical profundity of the original material due to the glaring flaws in its narrative structure. However, Sandler is still able to rise above the limitations of the movie and demonstrate his talent.
During a conversation with Polygon, the actor said: “I felt a little self-conscious. In the beginning, I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to convey! And I then I just sat and tried to feel whatever I was feeling, and just live it as much as possible […] just having as quiet a performance as I could. My instinct’s not very quiet. In real life, I’m pretty jumpy — I get going quick. Things get me heated quite quick. So [director Johan Renck] was definitely trying to control me on this one and bring something different to the performance.”
He added: “Johan was pretty adamant up top about not having any comedic instincts during this movie. I just said, ‘Let me just be this guy, to take what I read in the script and go from there.’ And Johan was pushing me toward that. I didn’t ever call him up and say, ‘You know, I definitely thought of a joke that might work here.’ I just kind of said, ‘Let’s let me feel what Johan wants me to feel.'”
As a part of the promotional campaign for Spaceman, Sandler sat down with Dano for a Letterboxd feature where the two of them ranked their favourite picks that influenced their artistic journeys. Ranging from Harold Ramis’ seminal comedy Caddyshack to Sidney Lumet’s brilliant Serpico, Sandler’s selection is a great list for fans to get a better insight into his sources of inspiration.
Check out the full list below.
Adam Sandler’s favourite movies:
- Caddyshack (Harold Ramis, 1980)
- It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (Stanley Kramer, 1963)
- Silent Movie (Mel Brooks, 1976)
- Five Easy Pieces (Bob Rafelson, 1970)
- The Last Detail (Hal Ashby, 1973)
- Marathon Man (John Schlesinger, 1976)
- Serpico (Sidney Lumet, 1973)