Adam Sandler is a certified comedic genius behind countless laugh-out-loud films. He has a knack for creating outrageous scenarios that leave audiences in stitches. One of his most iconic roles was in “Happy Gilmore” in the 1996 sports comedy where he played the titular role.
A former hockey player with a short fuse and a questionable temperament, Happy stumbles upon a powerful golf swing fueled by his rage. However, his anger also leads him to some truly unexpected situations, including a now-legendary clash with none other than Bob Barker.
Adam Sandler and Bob Barker Got Into a Fight While Doing Happy Gilmore
The on-screen fight between Adam Sandler and Bob Barker is considered to be one of the greatest comedic fights of all time by its fans. Adam Sandler’s character, Happy gets into a hilariously brutal fight with none other than Bob Barker, the host of The Price is Right, playing himself.
Barker, known for his calm demeanor, transforms into a surprisingly tough opponent, mercilessly taunting Happy and then beating him to a pulp in a wildly unexpected turn of events. This outrageous fight scene is a major highlight of the movie, adding absurdity and humor to the story.
During an interview with Burnie Burns back in 1994, Sandler revealed how Barker was in the zone of fighting him during the shooting to that scene.
“How was it to work with Bob Barker who was like always bugging you to have your pet spray neuteured”, Asked the interviewer. “No, No, It was like a lot of… We got into a fight. So, there was a lot of going in Bob’s head getting ready for the scene.
You know, I was trying to be friendly, “Hey Bob, this is gonna be fun”. He was like “not now man, I am in the zone”. He was in the zone. I did not want to interrupt that
What made that scene particularly funny was the character’s age difference. While Barker was more than seventy years old when the movie was released, Sandler was not just thirty. Thus, watching these two get into a fight was a humorous sight.
Adam Sandler Vs. Bob Barker Was Awarded The Best Fight of The Year
During the 1996 MTV Movie Awards, Happy Gilmore won the award for Best Fight for the Fight of Adam Sandler and Bob Barker. It was a fight very close to the heart of the late Bob Barker, who passed away at the age of 99 in 2023. As per EW, Barker loved playing the role of the smacking wise guy in Happy Gilmore.
“I thought it was a wonderful idea because Happy Gilmore is still playing on television frequently and everybody loved that fight scene” Barker on his fight with Sandler
The movie did pretty alright both commercially as well as critically. Made on a production budget of $12 Million, it turned out to do about $39 Million. Further, it has an approval rating of 62% on Rotten Tomatoes. Happy Gilmore can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video.
