Adam Sandler has a thing for keeping it in the family. If you’ve watched a Happy Madison production in the last decade, you’ve probably spotted his wife, Jackie, or his daughters, Sadie and Sunny, popping up in various cameos. But with the release of the long-awaited Netflix sequel, the stakes feel a bit different. People aren't just asking for a cameo check; they want to know if is adam sandlers daughter in happy gilmore 2 in a way that actually matters to the plot.
The short answer? Yes. Both of them.
But it’s not just a "blink and you’ll miss it" background role this time around. Specifically, Sunny Sandler takes on a massive chunk of the emotional heavy lifting in the film. She isn't just a random kid on the driving range. She’s the catalyst for the entire story.
Who does Sunny Sandler play in the sequel?
In Happy Gilmore 2, Sunny Sandler plays Vienna Gilmore. She is Happy’s youngest child and his only daughter. The movie picks up nearly thirty years after the original, and things haven't been all sunshine and rainbows for our favorite hockey-player-turned-golfer. Happy is a widower now, struggling with the loss of Virginia Venit (played by Julie Bowen in the original, who appears here in a bittersweet capacity).
Vienna is the bright spot in his life. She’s an aspiring ballerina with dreams of heading to the Paris Opera Ballet School. Here’s the kicker: it’s expensive. Like, "sell your soul" expensive.
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This is what pulls Happy out of his booze-fueled retirement. He doesn't go back to the green because he misses the roar of the crowd or the chance to punch Shooter McGavin in the face again (though that's a nice bonus). He does it for Vienna. The dynamic between Sunny and Adam feels remarkably real, mostly because it is. You can see the genuine dad-energy radiating off Sandler when he’s looking at her.
What about Sadie Sandler?
Don't worry, the older sister didn't get left out. Sadie Sandler plays a character named Charlotte. While Sunny is playing Happy's actual daughter, Sadie’s role is a bit more of a "Sandler-verse" twist.
Charlotte is a member of a support group called "Healing Alkies for Life" (or H.A.L., a direct nod to Ben Stiller's terrifying orderly character from the first movie). She and Happy strike up a bond that honestly provides some of the movie's most grounded moments. There's a scene toward the end where Charlotte tells Happy he reminds her of her own father. It’s a total fourth-wall-breaking moment that’ll make you smirk if you know their real-life relationship.
Oh, and there’s a massive spoiler regarding her character involving the FBI, but I’ll leave that for you to discover when you hit play on Netflix.
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It really is a full family affair
It’s not just the kids. Adam’s wife, Jackie Sandler, shows up as Monica, who happens to be Vienna’s dance instructor. She’s the one who basically tells Happy, "Hey, your kid is talented, but you're broke, so figure it out."
Even Adam’s mother, Judith Sandler, makes an appearance. She plays the mother of Drago Larson (the son of the giant Mr. Larson from the first film). It’s kind of wild to see the whole lineage on screen.
Why this casting actually works
Look, nepotism is a big talking point in Hollywood right now. We get it. But with the Sandman, it feels different. He’s been doing this since Grown Ups. He’s building a literal family business.
The reason is adam sandlers daughter in happy gilmore 2 such a big deal is that Sunny has actually proven she can act. If you saw her in You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, you know she has comedic timing. In the sequel, she handles the more dramatic "disappointed daughter" scenes with a lot of grace. She makes you believe that Happy Gilmore would put on a polo shirt and deal with Country Club snobs again just to see her succeed.
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What to watch for in Happy Gilmore 2
If you’re heading into this for the nostalgia, you’ll get plenty of it. But keep an eye on these specific details regarding the Sandler kids:
- The Chemistry: Watch the scenes where Happy and Vienna are just hanging out. There’s a natural shorthand there that you can’t fake with a child actor you just met on day one of filming.
- The Dance Sequences: Sunny actually put in the work for the ballet scenes. It’s a major plot point, and it doesn’t look like they used a double for everything.
- The Cameo Layers: Keep an eye out for how Sadie’s character, Charlotte, interacts with Ben Stiller’s Hal L. It’s a weird, full-circle moment for fans of the 1996 original.
Honestly, the movie is a "fan service" festival, but the heart of it is the father-daughter relationship. It’s what gives the sequel a reason to exist beyond just hitting golf balls into People's faces.
Next Steps for Fans:
If you want to see more of the Sandler family's evolution, check out You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah on Netflix. It serves as a great "audition" tape for Sunny and Sadie that explains why they were given such significant roles in the Happy Gilmore sequel. You can also look for Sunny’s upcoming lead role in the Netflix comedy Don't Say Good Luck, which is set to drop later this year.