Timothée Chalamet and Adam Sandler joined for a conversation about their careers and crafts in the Fairfax High School gymnasium in Los Angeles, where Chalamet praised Sandler as “one of the best fucking actors of all time.”
The event, dubbed “Sandler x Chalamet,” took place on the evening of Nov. 15. Before packed bleachers, Chalamet and Sandler reviewed and discussed clips from their respective filmographies, including their upcoming releases “Marty Supreme” and “Jay Kelly.” After watching a clip of Sandler in Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2006 romantic dramedy, “Punch Drunk Love,” Chalamet expressed his appreciation for Sandler’s performance in the film.
“It is one of the most important performances. It’s impactful, deeply moving,” said Chalamet. “As a young actor knowing you for your comedic work, seeing that thrown against the context of your other work, I’m like, ‘Wow, this is a fucking incredible actor. I hope I can give a performance like this.’”
Chalamet continued to compliment Sandler’s acting beyond “Punch Drunk Love,” stating, “I know it’s not about awards, blah, blah, blah, but you should have a golden man in your hand, because, man, you’re one of the best fucking actors of all time.”
Sandler returned the praise, telling Chalamet, “What you continue to do for cinema and for all of us is beyond it all. I just cannot wait to see what you bring in the future.”
Additional clips from the evening included Sandler in “Big Daddy” and “Uncut Gems,” Chalamet in “Call Me By Your Name,” “Dune: Part 2” and “A Complete Unknown,” sneak-peaks at “Marty Supreme” and “Jay Kelly” and clips of both actors in “Saturday Night Live” sketches.
Though the two have never appeared in a film together, Chalamet was in a cut scene from Jason Reitman’s “Men, Women & Children,” which Sandler starred in in 2014. Despite Chalamet not making the final cut, Sandler noted, “I remember when Jason Reitman was talking about you being in it, he said to me, ‘Oh, I got this kid playing the quarterback. He’s coming. He’s incredible.’ He like, knew.”
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The two broke down each other’s scenes, waxed nostalgia about their respective times on “SNL” and joked about their common hobbies of basketball and guitar, each showcasing their signature wit throughout. At the end of the night, two members of the audience were invited to play a game of 2-on-2 half-court basketball against the stars.
“Marty Supreme” is directed by Josh Safdie, who was in the crowd and previously directed Sandler in 2019’s “Uncut Gems.” The movie releases in theaters on Christmas Day. “Jay Kelly” is directed by Noah Baumbach and comes to Netflix Dec. 5.
From Variety US