Adam Sandler’s latest 2025 Netflix release , Jay Kelly, has him paired with a co-star I didn’t have on my bingo card, George Clooney, but I’m all for it. In the film, Sandler and Clooney play out the deep friendship between a famous actor and his agent during their European travels. In real life, Clooney and Sandler have been friendly for some time but, early on, one of their outings served as a truly humbling experience for the latter.
Given Adam Sandler and George Clooney were actors who dominated in the ‘00s, I’m surprised it’s taken them this long to work on a film together. Both stars reflected on their relationship while speaking with The New York Times and recalled that they first met after Clooney hosted SNL in 1995. Around that same time, Sandler — a breakout cast member on the show — believed he was “becoming a star” until the pair attended a New York Knicks game:
It was at the height of ‘ER,’ and I went to a Knicks game with George. I remember feeling as invisible as I’ve ever felt. I thought I was becoming a star and I was like, ‘Oh, not a soul’s looking at me.’ Every woman in the place was looking at him, every guy’s going, ‘Man, I wish I was that guy.’
With Sandler known for being such an extreme basketball fan, it’s no surprise his first hangout with Clooney was a Knicks game. As much as I would’ve felt for the comic during that awkward outing, I find it funny that all eyes were on the dreamy ER actor. If anything, though, Sandler seemed to get a reality check that he can joke about now.
The Jay Kelly co-stars certainly had big careers ahead of them after 1995. Sandler starred in his stand-out comedies from his own production company, Happy Madison, and Clooney went on to headline blockbusters and award-winning movies. Still, the Gravity actor got real with The NY Times about always wanting to work with his buddy in the years since they attended that game:
That was really fun. We’ve always kept in touch but never found a project. Then Noah called.
Thank you, Noah Baumbach! It’s great that he was able to pair Sandler and Clooney for a film and cast them as friends at that. The two stars are so versatile in being able to channel their dramatic and comedic range. Plus, given both were already friends, there was a built-in comfortability.
While the two stars of Jay Kelly have been promoting their movie, it’s truly amazing to see the profound effect Clooney has had on Sandler. For example, the Michael Clayton actor has apparently been making his friend to wear suits more. With that, Sandler has been amping up his red carpet A-game lately with his snazzy attire.
Fashion aside, though Clooney has been emphasizing that Sandler is more than simply a comedian. If Sandler can possibly receive an Oscar nomination for Jay Kelly, as pundits speculate, who better to encourage that potential than his longtime friend?
I love that this celebrity friendship began in earnest with a Knicks game in 1995, and one that saw Adam Sandler realize the magnetism George Clooney possessed. While it may have been embarrassing to feel “invisible” then, I’m pretty sure few people would ignore Sandler if they saw him at a game today.
Check out Sandler and Clooney in Jay Kelly, which is now playing in select theaters amid the 2025 movie schedule. The Noah Baumbach-helmed flick will also be streamable with a Netflix subscription starting on December 5th.
