Adam Sandler’s daughters wrote his acceptance speech at the 2022 Gotham Awards, and it turned out to be one of the best acceptance speeches ever.
During the ceremony, which took place at New York’s Cipriani Wall Street, the 56-year-old actor hit the stage to accept the Performer Tribute Award.
Sandler — who was presented with the honor by “Uncut Gems” co-directors, Josh and Benny Safdie — gave an epic speech, which he said was written by his daughters Sadie and Sunny.
“I told my daughters Sadie and Sunny, who are 16 and 14, that I didn’t write a speech and they said phrases like, ‘Rude’ and ‘You’re mean,’” Sandler began. “Daddy’s fucking tired. Daddy works hard, calm down. They were like, ‘Can we write your speech, Daddy? So you got something to say.’ I said, absolutely.”
Sandler then pulled out the growly southern accent that he has often adopted for formal speeches: “Dear well-dressed dignitaries, highly educated hipsters and various other plus-ones of the Gotham Awards, thank you for giving our daddy, Mr. Adam Sandler, this prestigious lifetime, all-time, primetime G.O.A.T. achievement tribute award.”
He continued, “It means a lot to him seeing that most of the awards on his trophy shelf are shaped like popcorn buckets, blimps, or fake mini-Oscars that say ‘Father of the Year,’ which he sadly purchased himself while wandering in a self-pitying fog through the head shops of Times Square.”
“But Daddy said and we quote, ‘I don’t want to spend a whole night that’s supposed to be about me and my greatness listening to you two newly-pubitized buffoons screaming, ‘Where is Timothée Chalamet? And how we can legally squeeze that fine little Jewish ass of his?’ But Gotham Awards don’t feel bad for us Sandler girls,” the comedy legend said before he shared what he claims his daughters said they were doing at home.
“While daddy is with you tonight, we’re doing everything we’re not allowed to do when daddy is home, like eat his Yodels or try on his Spanx or, dare we say, laugh out loud at Ben Stiller movies,” he joked.
“The last time daddy caught us chuckling away at the ‘Meet the Parents’ trilogy, he immediately stormed into the room he calls ‘The Screaming Room,’ which we just call ‘the shower,’ and bellowed out the phrase, ‘Only the Sandman makes people laugh. Fuck every other comedian.’”
“Daddy’s silly film career began in 1988, formed by two guiding principles: people in prison need movies too and TBS needs content,” he said.
“Films that were not only received with orgasmic critical acclaim,” he said of the movies, “but also left audiences baffled as they pondered the mystery: How did Bobby Boucher get all up in my feelings and make me laugh, cry and sprint directly to church to ask God why he had blessed a man with more talent than the entire cast of ‘The Poseidon Adventure’ and ‘Mamma Mia’ combined?”
The “Hustle” star was one of two actors honored with a performer tribute at the event. Michelle Williams accepted her award, presented by her “Fabelmans” co-star Paul Dano, earlier in the evening.
Other special distinctions through the evening included “The Woman King” director Gina Prince-Bythewood, Don Katz, Peter Kujawaski, Jason Cassidy and the cast of Hulu’s “Fire Island.”
