Getting a start on Saturday Night Live is a solid way to gain mainstream exposure, and many successful actors have appeared on the show. SNL performers don't always turn into stars, but they can certainly find lasting careers in Hollywood. Rob Schneider, like many others, got his start on SNL and has been plenty successful.
Schneider has appeared in a ton of movies, including many Adam Sandler films. The duo performed on SNL together and have collaborated ever since. Despite this, fans noticed that Schneider was absent from several Sandler films.
So, why did Rob Schneider pass up on an Adam Sandler flick a number of years back? Let's take a closer look at Schneider's decision to skip out on a hit film.
Rob Schneider Has Been Acting For Decades
Ever since making his debut in the latter part of the 1980s, Rob Schneider has always done his best to make audiences laugh with his performances. Things started out relatively small for Schneider, but once he made his way onto Saturday Night Live, things began to change for the actor.
Schneider made his presence felt on the sketch comedy show during the early 90s, and he was able to shine on the show thanks to a few memorable characters. The success that he found with audiences all those years ago certainly opened up the door to future projects, and once he got the chance to branch out, Schneider would find plenty of success on the big screen.
Through the years, Schneider has appeared in movies like Necessary Roughness, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Demolition Man, The Beverly Hillbillies, Judge Dredd, Down Periscope, Deuce Bigelow, The Animal and The Hot Chick.
As great as Rob has been in his own movies, people have truly seen him shine while appearing in Adam Sandler films through the years. Turns out, they have collaborated far more times than most people realize.
He Has Appeared In Many Adam Sandler Movies
One of the brilliant things that Adam Sandler has been able to pull off during his time in the movie business is working with his friends on all of his projects. It just so happens that his inner circle includes Rob Schneider, who has been working with Adam Sandler for over 20 years now.
Sandler and Schneider were both on SNL together during the early 90s, and once Sandler made it big, he brought Schneider along for the ride. 1998's The Waterboy marked their first big screen collaboration together, and it also marked the first time that Schneider said his iconic "You can do it!" line in a Sandler film.
Since The Waterboy, the duo has worked together on countless films, and at this point, Schneider is basically expected to be in every Sandler movie. Not only is Schneider a Sandler movie mainstay, but so are a number of other actors like David Spade, Kevin James, Peter Dante, Allan Covert, and more.
Despite working together on so many films for so many years, fans certainly took notice of Schneider's absence in a Sandler flick that was released some time ago.
Why He Said No To 'Grown Ups 2'
So, why did Rob Schneider miss out on appearing in Grown Ups 2? In an interview, the actor opened up about it, and he talked about money and scheduling being the primary reasons why he didn't reprise his character from the first film.
According to Schneider, "They’re doing Grown Ups 2 without me. Mistake. They should have paid me a lot of money…Well, truthfully, I wasn’t sure if I’d have my TV series, so it was an availability thing, but at the end of the day, they should have [said], ‘What money does Rob need?’”
Vulture does note in the article that his television series, Rob, had already been canceled at this point, so scheduling regarding the show should not have been an issue at all. The site also notes that prior to Grown Ups 2, Schneider had been absent from several other Adam Sandler movies in the preceding years.
Regardless of why Schneider passed on Grown Ups 2, the movie still hit theaters back in 2013 and was able to pull down nearly $250 million at the box office. It was yet another box office success for Sandler and his pals, who have been churning out successful films on the big screen since the 90s.
Things appear to be fine between Sandler and Schneider now, as Schneider appeared in 2020's Hubie Halloween, and he will also be appearing in Home Team, which will feature a number of Sandler's frequent collaborators.