One of the most beloved sports comedies of all time, Happy Gilmore launched Adam Sandler into the stratosphere of comedy stars in the 1990s. The classic comedy has continued to grow in its popularity, even 29 years after it premiered. The story of an amateur hockey player who can hit a golf ball a long way and turns into a professional golfer gave amateur golfers a lot of hope and became one of the best roles of Sandler’s career.
The cast of Happy Gilmore became iconic, especially his feud with Christopher McDonald’s Shooter McGavin. Unfortunately, there are plenty of actors from the first film who are no longer with us, including Carl Weathers, Richard Kiel, and Joe Flaherty. Luckily for fans, Happy Gilmore 2 is premiering soon, meaning they get to enjoy more Happy, along with the other cast members. There are a number of returning characters that will be reprising their roles in the sequel.
Here’s a list of characters who will be there for another round with Happy.
8
Verne Lundquist as himself
Verne Lundquist was a long-time sports announcer, calling the Masters for CBS for decades. He was asked to be a part of the original film and was quoted as saying that he still receives his residual checks from his role.
He announced the Tour Championship during the original film and served as the voice on the broadcast that fans heard, describing the action throughout. He uttered the famous line, “What a shot by Happy Gilmore. Who the hell is Happy Gilmore?” Lundquist is seen in the trailer for the sequel, indicating that he will likely be the announcer for whatever golf is played.
7
Kevin Nealon as Gary Potter
A fellow Saturday Night Live cast member at the same time as Sandler, Kevin Nealon has a small role in the first film. He is another golfer who plays with Happy in one of his first tournaments. He is all about trying to get him to understand energy and karma and things of that nature, while Happy is struggling with his anger issues. He ends up being a positive influence on Happy.
He also appears in the trailer for the second film, meaning fans will potentially get to hear Potter’s musings on how to harness the good energy and block the bad energy again.
6
Lee Trevino as himself
Lee Trevino was an unexpected star in the first film, seemingly always finding himself in awkward situations. His shocked looks at any instance where Happy finds himself doing something that would normally be frowned upon are always funny.
There’s no doubt that there will be more of the same in the second film. Trevino is a multiple-time winner on the PGA Tour, including six major titles. He’s been quoted as saying he was disappointed to find out that his role in the first one was celebrated, as he didn’t appreciate the film’s vulgar language and situations.
Related
Where Is the Cast of ‘Happy Gilmore’ in 2025
With the sequel ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ coming out almost 30 years after the original, fans are curious what the original cast has been up to since.
5
Dennis Dugan as Doug Thompson
Dennis Dugan directed Happy Gilmore, his first of seven films he made with Adam Sandler. He also played Doug Thompson, the commissioner of the pro golf tour. He was frequently on the side of Shooter McGavin when it came to improving the tour and keeping the sanctity of golf. But, with Happy Gilmore came money and popularity for the tour, making Doug and the tour more money. He was willing to make concessions for Happy, much to the chagrin of Shooter.
Thompson is last seen in the first film bringing Happy the championship jacket after he wins. The jacket is then stolen by Shooter, leading to an epic chase with Mr. Larson, played by Kiel. Dugan is set to reprise his role as Thompson in the sequel.
4
Christopher McDonald as Shooter McGavin
McGavin is back, but whether or not he’s the big bad villain that he was in the first one is hard to tell. According to the trailer for the sequel, McGavin and Gilmore are going to go toe-to-toe, even if it’s just in a fight. It’s going to be fun to see how Happy and Shooter tussle again, especially after Happy’s insane putt in the Tour Championship nearly 30 years ago stole the title from Shooter. While Shooter stole the jacket and tried to run away, he clearly hasn’t had an easy life since then.
Christopher McDonald has been an active working actor, showing up in many roles over the years, including in Hacks, Requiem for a Dream, Thelma & Louise, Boardwalk Empire, and Leave It to Beaver. But his most notable role is and will likely always be Shooter.
3
Ben Stiller as Hal L.
Ben Stiller steals the show in the trailer for the sequel, with a gloriously grayed Fu Manchu mustache. He is the lesser antagonist in the first film, as a controlling orderly of Happy’s grandmother’s nursing home. He has some of the best scenes in the original, and he delivers every one of his lines with animosity and cruelty. Ben Stiller was uncredited for the first one, as he didn’t want his name to show up on the poster or in the credits in order to keep his appearance a secret.
Unfortunately, his role in the sequel was spoiled early on as there were set photos of him that were leaked, dressed in the Hal L outfit. Once that happened, having him in the trailer was not a big deal. But it is a great thing for fans to know that the horrors that Hal L has inflicted on those under his care are still happening (not really, but Stiller seemed to have fun in the role.
Related
Adam Sandler’s Comedy Classic Becomes Free Streaming Hit Ahead of Sequel
‘Happy Gilmore’ swings into the Tubi Top 10 as anticipation for the sequel ramps up.
2
Julie Bowen as Virginia Venit
Before she was a household name from her role on Modern Family, Julie Bowen played Virginia Venit in Happy Gilmore. Virginia was the tour’s public relations director, and she was in charge of bringing Happy up to speed on how to behave as a tour pro. She helps him become the golfer he is meant to be and eventually becomes his romantic interest.
When it was announced that there would be a sequel, Bowen was surprised to hear that she was being asked to come back. She figured that Happy was going to be with a younger woman at this point in his life. But she (and fans) were pleased to see Virginia and Happy enjoying their lives in the trailer for the sequel.
1
Adam Sandler as Happy Gilmore
There wouldn’t be a sequel without Sandman. Happy Gilmore is obviously back, as is Adam Sandler playing him. The new film sees Happy picking up the game again in order to pay for his daughter’s ballet school. Even though he’s been out of the game for a long time, he has to try and find the skills again to “make Happy Happy.” Sandler is joined by his own daughters, Sadie and Sunny, in the film.
His wife, Jackie, is also in the sequel, so it’s a family affair for the Sandlers. The film was written by Adam Sandler and Tim Herlihy, who wrote the original film as well. It was directed by Kyle Newacheck and will be released on Netflix on July 25. Fans get to see if Happy still has what it takes to not only win some tournaments but also beat McGavin again.
Source link
Add Comment