Who Played Adam Sandler’s Wife in Grown Ups? Behind the Casting of Roxanne Chase-Feder

If you’ve ever watched the 2010 comedy Grown Ups, you know the vibe. It’s basically just a bunch of real-life friends—Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, and Rob Schneider—getting paid to hang out at a lake house and make fun of each other. But one of the biggest questions that usually pops up during a Netflix rewatch is: Who played Adam Sandler’s wife in Grown Ups?

The answer is the legendary Salma Hayek.

She played Roxanne Chase-Feder, a high-fashion designer who feels like a total fish out of water when her husband, Lenny Feder (Sandler), drags the family back to his hometown to honor his late basketball coach.

Why Salma Hayek Was the Perfect Choice

Honestly, on paper, it sounds like a weird pairing. You have Adam Sandler, the king of cargo shorts and oversized t-shirts, married to Salma Hayek, an Academy Award-nominated powerhouse. But that’s exactly why it works.

Roxanne is supposed to be "too cool" for the small-town antics. She’s glamorous, successful, and initially more concerned about a fashion show in Milan than skipping stones. The chemistry between Hayek and Sandler is surprisingly sweet, mostly because they lean into the "opposites attract" dynamic.

👉 See also: Questions From Black Card Revoked: The Culture Test That Might Just Get You Roasted

Breaking the "Sexist" Casting Mold

Here’s a fun bit of trivia you might not know. Salma Hayek has actually credited Adam Sandler with helping her break out of a bit of a career rut. Before Grown Ups, Hayek found herself being pigeonholed. She was either the "serious" actress in movies like Frida or the "femme fatale" in action flicks.

Sandler, however, just wanted her to be funny.

She once mentioned in an interview that at a certain point in her career, people stopped casting her in comedies because they didn't think she could do it. Sandler didn't care about the "prestige" labels; he just thought she was hilarious and wanted her on the team. That's kinda his whole thing—he hires people he likes and lets them have fun.

The Rest of the "Grown Ups" Wives

While Hayek is the standout for Lenny, the other wives in the group are played by absolute comedy royalty. If you’re trying to place the other faces, here’s the breakdown:

✨ Don't miss: The Reality of Sex Movies From Africa: Censorship, Nollywood, and the Digital Underground

• Maya Rudolph as Deanne McKenzie: She plays the wife of Chris Rock’s character, Kurt. Their dynamic is hilarious because Deanne is the primary breadwinner, and Kurt is a stay-at-home dad who gets zero respect for his cooking skills.
• Maria Bello as Sally Lamonsoff: She’s married to Kevin James’s character, Eric. One of the running gags in the movie involves her still breastfeeding their four-year-old son, which leads to some of the most cringe-worthy (but funny) moments in the film.
• Joyce Van Patten as Gloria: She’s the much older wife of Rob Schneider’s character, Rob Hilliard. This pairing is played entirely for laughs, as the guys can’t stop making "grandma" jokes at Rob's expense.

Is That Adam Sandler’s Real Wife?

This is where people get confused. No, Salma Hayek is not Adam Sandler's wife in real life.

Adam Sandler has been married to Jackie Sandler since 2003. If you look closely at almost any Sandler movie, Jackie is usually in there somewhere. In Grown Ups, Jackie actually makes a cameo as Jackie Tardio, the wife of one of the rival basketball players.

Sandler is famous for keeping his family close. His daughters, Sadie and Sunny, are also frequently extras or side characters in his films. So, while Salma plays the "movie wife," the "real wife" is usually just a few feet away behind the scenes or playing a small walk-on role.

Why People Still Search for Roxanne Chase-Feder

Grown Ups didn't exactly win over the critics. In fact, most critics hated it. But audiences? We loved it. It’s a "comfort movie."

🔗 Read more: Alfonso Cuarón: Why the Harry Potter 3 Director Changed the Wizarding World Forever

There’s something relatable about the way Roxanne (Hayek) eventually lets her guard down. By the end of the movie, she’s not the stuck-up designer anymore; she’s just a mom hanging out at the lake. It’s a simple arc, but Hayek plays it with a lot of warmth. She returned for the sequel, Grown Ups 2, in 2013, where the family officially moves back to Lenny’s hometown.

Interesting Tidbits from the Set

• The Kids: The kids on set were all around the same age, and Hayek mentioned that Sandler made the set a "dream environment" for families.
• Improv: A lot of the banter between the couples was improvised. When you have Maya Rudolph and Chris Rock in a room, you basically just hit record and let them go.
• Real Friendships: Salma Hayek, Maya Rudolph, and Maria Bello actually became quite close during filming. They’ve spoken about the "girl power" on set, which was necessary to balance out the constant "bro" energy coming from the guys.

What’s Next for the Cast?

If you're looking for a Grown Ups 3, don't hold your breath. While there have been rumors for years (and a famous "leaked" script that turned out to be a parody), the core group has moved on to other projects. Sandler is busy with his massive Netflix deal, and Hayek has joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Eternals) and continues to produce her own projects.

If you want to dive deeper into the world of Happy Madison productions, here is what you should do next:

1. Check out You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah on Netflix if you want to see Adam Sandler’s actual wife and daughters lead a movie.
2. Watch Frida to see the performance that earned Salma Hayek her Oscar nomination—it’s a massive tonal shift from Grown Ups.
3. Look for Jackie Sandler cameos in movies like 50 First Dates or Just Go With It; she’s basically the "Where’s Waldo" of the Sandler Cinematic Universe.