Adam Sandler’s Chanukah present
The actor is being presented with an award for humour
Chanukah has come early for Adam Sandler. Following in the footsteps of Neil Simon, Billy Crystal, and comedian Jon Stewart, he is being honoured with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at a ceremony in March. The prize is presented annually to individuals “who have had an impact on American society” similar to that of the 19th-century novelist and humourist, “who startled many while delighting and informing many more with his uncompromising perspective on social injustice and personal folly.”
Sandler, 56, started out on The Cosby Show, was on Saturday Night Live for five years and then moved into movies, including The Wedding Singer and 50 First Dates. His first serious role was in Uncut Gems, in which he played a Jewish jeweller with a gambling addiction.
He is upfront about his Jewishness, even on screen – we saw him playing an Israeli fish out of water in Don’t Mess With the Zohan and his animated comedy Eight Crazy Nights takes place during Chanukah. Adam, his wife Jackie and their two teenage daughters are set to star in a bat mitzvah-themed movie for Netflix based on Fiona Rosenbloom’s novel You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah!