From The Apollo to Spanglish

Funnyman Adam Sandler is no joke at the box office. His road to leading man status began on Saturday Night Live in the early '90s. Adam made a quick leap to the big screen starring in laugh-out-loud comedies and major blockbusters like Mr. Deeds, 50 First Dates, Anger Management and The Wedding Singer. Adam's latest film, James L. Brooks' Spanglish, is already receiving critical acclaim. Adam makes a dramatic turn as a famous chef, harried husband and stressed out father.

Adam says with his roles in movies like Spanglish, he doesn't worry much about the box office results.

"I'm just honored to be in this movie," Adam says. "I mean, I hope a lot of people see it. It's a very nice, warm movie.... I'm proud to be in it."

Adam's career started while he was still at New York University. "My first TV shot was Showtime at the Apollo," Adam says. "I did standup on that show. I was on the second episode so they weren't booing yet! I handled that with grace and dignity."

Adam later ended up in a meeting with Bill Cosby and auditioned for a role on The Cosby Show as Theo's friend. "I was terrible," Adam says. "But I was on the show and I was going to NYU at the time. It was a big deal to my friends. It was a big deal to my family. I actually got a job."

Adam says that Dennis Miller will forever hold a place in his success. Dennis was one of the reasons that Adam was on the cast of the legendary comedy show Saturday Night Live in 1991.

Adam: I owe him. Every time I talk to my mother, it's, "How's Dennis Miller?" I say, "I haven't talked to him in a while." "Call him! He started you."

Dennis: Somewhere there's an apocryphal story floating around that I had something to do with Adam being hired at Saturday Night Live. I think the extent of my participation in that hiring might have been hearing his name one day in the office and saying, "That kid is incredibly funny and he would help the show." And that's how Adam Sandler got Saturday Night Live: he's incredibly funny. That's why he's a huge movie star: great comedy chops. But I will say this about Adam and his longevity in this business. I think you have to be more than funny to accrue that. I think you have to be, indeed, likable. And I think the audience senses that about Adam. And I can certainly verify for you that Adam Sandler is an affable bloke.

Last year, Adam married Jackie Titone and did a little wedding singing of his own to his new bride! Adam says that the wedding was special for everyone, especially for his ailing father.

Oprah: Did you enjoy your wedding? Because a lot of people don't even get to enjoy their own wedding.

Adam: This was a different thing, because my father was ill [with lung cancer], and it was a big night for him and so the wedding kind of turned into just being about family and love and my father hanging on. When he got lung cancer, the first thing he said was, "I'm going to make it to the wedding, so don't worry." So we just made the whole thing about "Stan the Man." That was nice.