When it comes to the most successful comedy actors of all time, few come close to matching what Adam Sandler has achieved. He got his start on Saturday Night Live, and while he was fired from the show, he went on to become bigger than anyone could have expected.
Sandler has many comedy classics, including Happy Gilmore. The iconic '90s flick has stood the test of time for many, and Sandler is on board for a sequel. Until something materializes, we can take a closer look at the film that helped make him a star.
Happy Gilmore has many incredible behind the scenes facts, including the fact that an Oscar-winning actor had a chance to play Shooter McGavin! Let's see who turned down the villainous role.
'Happy Gilmore' Is A Classic
1996's Happy Gilmore has long been considered an Adam Sandler classic, and the film has managed to live on for 25 years. It helped show that world that Sandler was ready to become a movie star, and it remains as fun as it was all those years ago.
The Sandler-led movie had a small budget and a silly premise, but it was able to make some noise when it hit theaters. The movie had Sandler's signature comedy style, a great cast of performers, and an iconic fight scene, all of which contributed to people checking the film out.
In the years since its release, Happy Gilmore has remained one of Adam Sandler's most loved movies. It is still quoted regularly, and it still holds up in many ways. No, this movie was never going to win an Academy Award for being a cinematic powerhouse, but there is no denying that it had mass appeal. The fact that people still genuinely enjoy this movie is nothing short of an incredible achievement by all involved.
There are many things that went into making Happy Gilmore a memorable film, including its villain, Shooter McGavin.
Shooter McGavin Was Played By Christopher McDonald
Giving Happy an archenemy in the film was a brilliant move, and the unlikable Shooter McGavin was a worthy adversary to Happy. The character was played by Christopher McDonald, who was excellent in the role.
Unbelievably, McDonald initially turned down arguably his biggest role to date.
According to VH1, "Christopher McDonald almost turned down Shooter McGavin as well, because he’d become tired of playing villains. After meeting Adam Sandler and realizing how funny the film would be, he came on board. McDonald has since said it was one of the very best moves of his career."
Eventually, the movie became a hit, and from that point on, McDonald became synonymous with the character that he played in the movie.
"When it came out, it was a modest hit, but when it hit television, I couldn't walk down the street," he said.
Time has certainly been kind to the movie and the character. It's rare that something survives this long, which is quite telling about the movie and McGavin. Even major outlets, like ESPN, have jumped on the Shooter McGavin train, using the character in memes and jokingly discussing his accomplishments and failures on social media.
McDonald could not have done a better job in the role, but snagging the gig of a lifetime came on the heels of someone else turning it down.
Kevin Costner Turned Down The Role
Before Christopher McDonald secured the role of Shooter McGavin, Kevin Costner was offered the role in Happy Gilmore. This would have given the movie a ton of name value, but Costner opted to do another project.
According to USA Today, "Producers were hoping that Kevin Costner would play the part but he was interested in making 'Tin Cup.'"
At the time, this would have been a huge get for Sandler, who had yet to become a major movie star. This was when the funnyman was still known for being a member of Saturday Night Live, and Costner could have given the film a boost. Instead, McDonald got the role, made the most of it, and helped Happy Gilmore become a success.
Tin Cup was a modest success that earned some critical praise, but talk to most movie fans these days, and the majority will gladly talk about Happy Gilmore. Costner probably has no regrets about going his own route all those years ago, but we can almost guarantee that Christopher McDonald would have had serious regrets about passing on the role.
Things work out in mysterious ways in Hollywood, and Happy Gilmore unexpectedly benefited from an Oscar winner turning it down.