In an exclusive interview at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in California on Thursday, February 5th, comedian and actor Adam Sandler revealed how Tom Cruise introduced him to renowned filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson. During their live conversation with Leonard Maltin, Sandler recalled his initial interaction with the director during filming of the 2000 comedy “Little Nicky.”
“Remember when I was shooting ‘Little Nicky’? It all started that day,” Sandler began, evoking the memory. “I received a phone call from someone named Jonathan who said, ‘Tom Cruise is on the phone for you.’ I picked up and Tom said, ‘Adam, meet my friend right now, he’s a wonderful director.’”
Sandler described the conversation with Anderson thus: “Cruise introduced me to his friend Paul. He told me that Paul had written a movie for me and wanted to discuss it. To my surprise, Paul asked if I could take a look at an early draft of the script.” Sandler’s excitement was palpable as he continued, “‘Sure,’ I said with a grin, thinking how lucky I must be.”
“Andy told me about his new film called ‘Magnolia.’ He knew I loved his other movies like ‘Just Go With It’ and ‘Grown Ups,'” Sandler elaborated. “I remember sitting in the front row during its screening. My popcorn munching self exclaimed, ‘This man really wants to use my talent!'”
Sandler’s next move was swift; he called Anderson directly asking for a copy of the script.
“The day after that screening,” he reminisced, “I called Paul and said, ‘Where’s the damn script? Bring it over! You need me in your movie.’” Sandler’s enthusiasm only heightened his desire to be involved with another piece of Anderson’s work.
This encounter led to Sandler seeing “Magnolia” at the festival in the front row, a position reserved for him alone. He felt deeply honored and eager to further engage with the director who had reached out specifically for him.
Anderson’s next film, “One Battle After Another,” has already garnered attention with nominations on its behalf for the upcoming year’s awards season. Sandler’s experience serves as an intriguing story of how serendipitous introductions can lead to meaningful collaborations in Hollywood.