Adam Sandler Opened Up About His 22-Year-Long Romance With Wife Jackie

Comedian and filmmaker Adam Sandler celebrated his 22-year anniversary with his wife Jackie in August this year. It’s the perfect opportunity to look into the secret of his romantic success. In previous interviews, the actor’s come clean about everything – even how his wife feels about his smooches with on-screen stunners.

Years In The Game

Yes, that’s right, during his TV career – which has spanned 33 years, by the way – Adam’s been busy. He’s lip-locked with some big names, including the delightful Drew Barrymore and wonderful Winona Ryder. You’d think that would put stress on a long-term relationship, right? Plus, acting and filmmaking must fill the star’s time considerably.

Open Guy

Well believe it or not, the comedian’s managed to achieve a great balance. Not only does Adam make movies and star in them, he also makes time for his wife and children. Looking back at past interviews though, Adam’s revealed a lot about his personal life over the years. Photos, on the other hand, are a different matter.

Photo Dump

The actor-comedian uploaded some personal photos to Instagram for he and his wife’s anniversary celebration. Needless to say, they caught the attention of both fans and the media. One picture showed a younger Adam and Jackie clearly happy and smiling for the camera. But that’s not all: a second sweet image accompanied it.

So In Love

The second picture is actually composed of several smaller ones of the couple in a photo booth. They’re smiling, pulling faces and even having a sneaky kiss. The touching image is so adorable that it looks like something from one of Adam’s own rom-coms. He also added an emotional caption addressed to Jackie with the upload.

What's Their Secret

Adam wrote, “Twenty-two years ago today we locked eyes and fell deep. Look forward to the next 22, young lady. Love you my forever girl.” So the big question is how does he juggle personal and professional relationships? What’s his secret? Actually, Adam’s already revealed how he and Jackie stay so happy.

Starting As Smitty

It will serve us well to take a look back to where Adam and Jackie’s relationship started. Adam himself was already well-known when he met his future wife. In fact, his career started way back in 1987 when he landed a recurring role as Smitty in The Cosby Show.

Early Notice

It wasn’t long before the big names in Saturday Night Live (SNL) noticed Adam’s “big talent” though. Dennis Miller recommended the comedian to SNL’s producer Lorne Michaels and the rest is history. However, the way he ultimately parted ways with the show left Sandler with a bit of a sour taste in his mouth, to say the least.

Getting The Boot

SNL let Adam and his friend Chris Farley go for reasons still unclear to them. “Yes, we were [fired],” Adam told website The Daily Beast in 2014. “We kind of quit at the same time as being fired. It was the end of the run for us.” Soon, he'd be on to bigger and better things. And one movie role in particular would alter the course of his entire life.

Meeting Jackie

Two words: Big Daddy. This is where Adam first crossed paths with his future wife. Jackie was a model at the time, but branched into acting after she took a bit-part in Adam’s movie. She played a sports bar waitress who brought Adam’s character Sonny his root beer. It was only a small appearance, but that was all it took for the comedian to notice her.

Strong Faith

Big Daddy hit movie theaters in 1999, by which time Adam and Jackie were officially an item. And then the next year, Jackie proved just how serious she was about her new beau. You see, Adam’s Jewish and that faith is an important part about his life, as “The Hanukkah Song” proves.

Cheeky Song

On an SNL show in 1994, Adam performed “The Hanukkah Song” for the first time. True to his comedic roots, the song’s nature is tongue-in-cheek but contains some verses with real emotion. The first line, for example, goes, “If you feel like the only kid in town without a Christmas tree, here’s a list of folks who are Jewish, just like you and me.”

Showing Her Commitment

And over the years, Adam’s song has become entwined with Jewish pride. It’s not the only time he’s ever sung a Jewish song, either. He also performed “Mazel Tov” in The Wedding Singer. So the comedian’s Judaism is important to him, which Jackie acknowledged with a massive gesture in 2000.

A Jewish Wedding

Jackie converted to Judaism for her boyfriend, cementing her commitment to their relationship. Sure enough, it proved to be the real deal, because three years later they got married. As you might expect from the aforementioned events, Adam and Jackie had a star-studded Jewish ceremony in 2003.

Star-Studded Event

Thanks to Adam’s career, he and Jackie had made a lot of famous friends who attended the wedding. The late stand-up comedian Rodney Dangerfield was there, as were Adam’s Hollywood pals Rob Schneider and Jennifer Aniston. Sandler’s furbaby, a bulldog called Meatball, was also there – dressed in an appropriate tuxedo, of course!

Growing Their Family

It was a joyous occasion and the first of many, as the one that followed three years later proved. In 2006 Adam and Jackie had a daughter together, who they named Sadie Madison. It seemed like the couple’s relationship was a gift that kept on giving, too: another child came along in 2008.

Meaningful Names

Adam and Jackie named their second child Sunny Madeline. And if you think that both of their daughter’s names sound familiar, you’d be right. The name Madison is a recurring one in the comedian’s life. His first breakthrough movie role was Billy Madison and his film company’s called Happy Madison. The name also incorporates a reference to Happy Gilmore!

Guest Appearances

You might have even seen the Sandler girls in some of Adam’s movies before without realizing it. It’s no secret that Jackie’s appeared in more of Adam’s films since her debut appearance. Well, he’s squeezed various other family members in front of the camera too, including his mother and daughters.

A Little Star

Yes, that’s right, both Sunny and Sadie have been in Adam Sandler’s films, although Sadie’s first role was uncredited. She played a part in the 2008 film You Don’t Mess with the Zohan. Her first attributed role was actually in Bedtime Stories that same year. She’s since appeared in a slew of her father’s other movies, too.

Family Business

You can see Sadie in Grown Ups 2, Just Go With It, The Do-Over and, most recently, Hubie Halloween. Meanwhile her sister Sunny first appeared on-screen in 2010 when she had a part in Grown Ups. But just like Sadie it wasn’t a one-time thing, and many other roles followed.

Playing Her Namesake

Sunny’s had roles in That’s My Boy and Jack and Jill. She’s also lent her vocal talents to her father’s animated movie series Hotel Transylvania. Movie website IMDb credits her with several “additional voices” on the first film and Baby Dennis and Vampire Kid in the second. In the third one, though, she plays a character called Sunny!

Waning Interest

So does that mean that the Sandler sisters have an interest in their father’s work? The answer to that is both yes and no. Adam told Ellen as much on the TV host’s eponymous chat show in 2017. He recounted how initially Sunny and Sadie had been enthusiastic, but it didn’t last very long.

Watching Dad

“They beg to see them,” Adam informed Ellen on the subject of his daughters. “They’re like, ‘Please, it’s not fair! Let me watch your movies. Those people always yell things at you on the street. I don’t know what the heck they’re talking about.’ I’d say about 20 minutes in I see them tuning out, and then I hear them.”

Secret To Marriage Success

The actor-comedian continued, “They’re nervous to say it, but [they’re] like, ‘Can we watch something else?’” So he’s got two children, an acting career and a movie empire. You’d think such a busy life would put stress on any marriage. But it seems that Adam’s found the secret to making the formula work.

Making Time

The actor-comedian shared his wisdom with those attending the Uncut Gems premier at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival. “[It’s] just getting time together,” Adam told the assembled media. “Making sure that you don’t run off too long, and hanging out together, and telling the truth and that kind of thing’s good.”

His Biggest Joy

It’s not just about spending time with his wife, either – Adam also makes time for his children, too. Indeed, he described them as the source of his happiness when he spoke to the Huffington Post website in 2014. “My kids give me the most joy,” he claimed, though he admitted being a dad had required some changes.

Shifting To Dad Life

Adam conceded, “But there are life adjustments. I don’t go out to meet anyone after 9:30 at night. I eat dinner at six or seven. If someone makes me stay out until 10:30 at night, I’m angry the entire next day because I’m exhausted.” What’s more, being a parent hasn’t just changed how he acts, but how he thinks too.

If The Family Hurts Then You Hurt

The comedian elaborated, “You’re always nervous because you want your kid to be happy. Now, I understand why my folks were always saying, ‘Be nice and be safe. Make sure everyone in the family is okay. That’s the most important thing.’ If the family hurts then you hurt.” This also applies to his married life.

No Jealousy

Adam’s been in a fair few romantic situations for his movies over the years. Imagine what it must be like for a wife to watch her husband romance other women! Well, luckily for the comedian, Jackie isn’t the jealous type. In fact, she supports his career 100 percent and some of Adam’s co-stars are mutual friends.

On-Screen Smooches

Take Drew Barrymore, for example, who Adam stage-romanced in films such as The Wedding Singer and 50 First Dates. The comedian told Ellen that Jackie even pushes him to do his best on-screen smooches. She doesn’t want him letting the side down, as he explained to the talk show host.

Calling Him Out

“It’s, like, the best thing that my wife loves Drew so much that she, like, encourages me,” Adam stated. “There’s no jealousy at all. She’s just, like, ‘Get in there!’” Jackie doesn’t approve when her husband phones in the romance, though. She despairs whenever he doesn’t act convincingly enough.

Romance Flop

Adam continued, “[Drew and I are] doing a nice romantic scene and I think I’m doing pretty great being as romantic as I can be. And then like – Okay, moving on, let’s go, that was great, Drew. Good job. And I’m walking away and I just see my wife like (shaking her head).”

For The Sake Of Women

“[I ask] ‘What’s the matter?’” Adam recounted. “[And she says] ‘Just please, for the sake of women, get in there and just look a little more alive.’” In 2019 he also told the Associated Press the same went for his scenes with Jennifer Aniston. She was Adam’s romantic interest in the film Murder Mystery.

Ultimate Cheerleader

“The only awkward part,” the actor-comedian recounted, “is hearing my wife on the side going, ‘Harder! Harder! Kiss her harder! Deeper!” Adam told W Magazine in early 2020 that Jackie thinks “it looks crazy when you don't kiss good enough.’” For Adam’s part, though, he said that he was happy when the kissing was over.

Relieved To Be Done

Adam elaborated, “I’m very relieved when we do a movie and at the end of the script I go, ‘I don’t have to kiss anyone!’ Anyway, that’s fantastic. But when I do, I get it done. I get it done.” So how do the comedian’s children feel about seeing their daddy kissing someone other than his wife?

Give Her Something Nice

Well, the Sandler sisters understand the situation completely. And just like Jackie, they’re happy to see their dad getting along with friends, especially in Murder Mystery. Adam told the associated press, “They watched the kissing. They love it. They love Aniston, and they want her to have good things and they say, ‘Give her something nice.’”

Fan Support

The family doesn’t just get on well with Adam’s co-stars on-set, either. They keep in contact off-screen, too. In fact, you can also see Adam and Jackie’s close relationship with the comedian’s leading ladies on social media. Several of them replied to the couple’s anniversary post with heart-warming comments.

Celebrity Love

Drew Barrymore wrote, “You are the greatest couple and I love you both so much, and your girls!” Meanwhile, Adam’s Just Go With It on-screen romance Brooklyn Decker added, “Love you two, you do it right. Congrats, kids!” So what’s next for the comedian and where does he go from here?

No Slowing Down

Even during current events, Adam isn’t slowing down. He’s still working from home, as evidenced by appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live! via the internet. The actor-comedian’s also uploading videos on social media to support charity events such as Feeding America. Whether you love or hate Adam’s films, there’s no denying he’s an uncut gem.