George Clooney wants people to know Adam Sandler isn’t just a jokester.
In a Vanity Fair interview released Monday, the leading man warned people not to underestimate Sandler’s talent as he opened up about the friendship they forged while making their forthcoming film, “Jay Kelly.”
During production on the coming-of-age dramedy, which follows aging movie star Jay Kelly and his longtime manager, Ron Sukenick, as they travel through Europe, Clooney and Sandler got just as close as their characters.
That bond, felt both on screen and off, left Clooney acutely aware of how his co-star’s comedic gifts have overshadowed his creative depth.
“This film, more than any film Adam has done, shows what a beautiful, heartfelt, soulful actor he is,” Clooney said of Sandler’s performance.
The “Ocean’s 11” star told Vanity Fair he make a point of not letting people reduce his friend to the role of court jester.
“I kept telling the cast, ‘Don’t call him Sand Man. Don’t talk to him like he’s just some goofy comedian. He’s actually a really beautiful, wonderful actor,’” Clooney recalled.
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With Sandler’s resume full of blockbuster knee-slappers like “Happy Gilmore,” “Billy Madison,” “Big Daddy” and more, some might not clock his complexity, but Clooney gave him high praise.
“Because of what his paycheck is, which is doing big goofy comedies, when he does these other, beautiful, ‘Uncut Gems’ kinds of movies, it reminds people of that,” the Oscar-winner said. “He’s not just a good comedian.”
“Jay Kelly” is set for theatrical release on Nov. 14 and will be available to stream on Netflix starting Dec. 5.
