Ben Stiller Teases a “Good Surprise” in His Return in ‘Happy Gilmore 2’

Fans were ecstatic when Adam Sandler announced Happy Gilmore 2 is in the works. But, we were even more excited when Ben Stiller teased the long-awaited return of the retirement home/sweatshop owner, Hal L. His Happy Gilmore character defined the rule that, when Ben Stiller has a mustache, things are about to get chaotic. With just over two minutes of screen time, Hal L. was one of the standouts of the movie, and delivered endlessly quotable lines. Speaking to Collider to promote his new series, Escape at Dannemora, Stiller teased what fans can expect from Happy Gilmore 2.

“I’m always ready to play Hal L,” Ben Stiller began. Audiences were introduced to Hal when Happy Gilmore (Adam Sandler) put his mother in a retirement home. Presenting himself as a friendly care worker to potential clients, Hal L. was an irredeemably mean dictator, who used the elderly patients to knit blankets for his home furnishings side hustle.

So far, all fans have seen of Happy Gilmore 2 is a leaked set photo of Ben Stiller in costume. The image blew up the internet, and had fans even more excited about Happy and Hal L’s return. “All of a sudden, I was like, ‘Oh, I guess somebody took a picture,’ because I saw it everywhere,” Stiller said of the leak. No film set wants footage, secrets, or sets leaked by paparazzi, but Stiller saw the photo as a good thing, because it proved that audiences were hungry for another warm glass of shut the hell up. He explained:

“It was great. I was like, ‘Oh, this will be fun when it comes out,’ but it’s nice to know that people actually care about Hal L.”

Ben Stiller Says Hal L. Has “No Redeeming Characteristics”

Why do we like a character with a questionable mustache who lies to clients and bullies pensioners? No idea. Are we desperate to see him do it again? Shamefully, yes. During the interview, Ben Stiller revealed why he thinks fans love Hal L. so much. To Stiller, Hal’s unhinged evil is cathartic and doesn’t require anything more than what’s on the surface. He explained:

“The opportunity to do that guy is just so much fun because he has no redeeming characteristics. I think he’s a good person inside. I think he’s misunderstood. It bothers him that everybody loves Happy. You don’t have to worry about making him likable, so it’s really fun to just go for it. We had the best time.”

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For fans who want a bit more from Hal L. than just elderly abuse, Ben Stiller promises that Happy Gilmore 2 will deliver. The actor revealed that fans will learn about Hal’s last name in the sequel, teasing:

“There is a good reveal in the movie having to do with Hal’s name that I won’t say. There’s a good surprise there.”

Alongside Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler, Julie Bowen, and Christopher McDonald are all returning for the sequel. They will be joined by Margaret Qualley, Travis Kelce, Benny Safdie, Bad Bunny, and former pro-golfer, John Daly.Happy Gilmore 2 hasn’t been given an official release date yet.