From Happy Gilmore to 50 First Dates, Adam Sandler has taken pride in making the audience laugh their hearts out every single time since the 1990s. Except for UFC commentator Joe Rogan, who claims that one of Sandler’s movies gave him severe anxiety.
Rogan, a veteran podcast host and fellow comedian — akin to Sandler — is also a massive movie aficionado. Naturally, 2019’s critically acclaimed Sandler film, Uncut Gems, caught his attention.
In the Safdie brothers’ classic, Sandler plays the role of Howard Ratner, a jewelry store owner. In the gripping storyline, the protagonist is deep within a massive gambling addiction.
Sandler was widely applauded for playing this role, which Rogan testifies is a true mark of his acting abilities. But he also admits it made him feel uneasy.
“Yeah, that movie — I shut it off, and I was just breathing heavy for 5 minutes,” Rogan said on his podcast, almost sounding a caution for those who might want to give it a try.
Deric Poston, Rogan’s guest for the evening, talked about his experience watching the film. He was accompanied by his wife, who told him she felt extremely uncomfortable in the theater watching it.
Rogan then claimed that the film works because it is hypnotic and “locks” the viewer into the narrative.
“The movie’s [Uncut Gems] so good it locks you in. It locked you into this character and his decision-making, and this addiction to gambling that he has,” said Rogan.
“Shady characters all around, everybody is pulling scams… at the end of the movie, you are like WHAT THE F**K?” he added.
Sandler himself had revealed that he was nervous while playing the intense character on screen.
“I read it and I loved the movie (Uncut Gems), but I was scared to do it,” he told Ellen DeGeneres. It was only after his wife, Jackie Titone, gave the nod that he decided to move forward with the decision.
“She [Jackie] gives me strength and courage to jump into this stuff”, he noted, adding, “She read it and she’s like, ‘You have to do it,’ and right when she says I have to do it, I’m right in there. I jump in”.
Sandler’s wife has also made guest appearances in at least 20 of his films. So, whatever luck she’s been carrying with her, Sandler is clearly channelling it off her.
Of course, this film was far trickier given Sandler’s history of comedic performances. It also dealt with the addictive brain of a gambler, which required some serious acting chops to pull off. Thankfully, Sandler played it as perfectly as anyone could have.
But was the film’s portrayal of a gambler close to reality?
Rogan describes the minds of people with gambling problems as strange, like driving a car with too much horsepower with no control in sight. The UFC commentator, of course, knows a fervent gambler up close.
Dana White is a f**king degenerate gambler, claims Rogan
Revealing recently how a trip to Las Vegas caused him similar anxiety, Rogan simply cannot understand how the UFC boss continues to carry on despite massive losses during games of blackjack and baccarat.
“I have a friend who’s very wealthy and he’s a f***ing degenerate gambler, Dana White from the UFC,” Rogan told comedian Rich Vos on his podcast.
“Degenerate and he’s nuts. I was reading an article about Hunter Campbell, who is the financial officer. And he was trying to talk to him, saying, ‘You’re killing me! Why are you doing this?’ He (White) loves it,” he added.
White, of course, doesn’t care much for losing sometimes. At this point in his life, he is just in it for the thrill of the game.
