Is ‘Happy Gilmore 2' a true story? Is Adam Sandler's character based on a true person?
'Happy Gilmore 2' has several cameos, quite a few of which are from real-life athletes, which might lead some to wonder if Happy Gilmore is based on a real person and if the story is a true story.
We decode it here.
Is 'Happy Gilmore 2' a true story?
No, much like 'Happy Gilmore', the sequel is a fictional telling of the life of Happy Gilmore, the golfer of the same name, whose trysts with the sport come at times of personal challenges, and the movies depict how Gilmore overcomes these hurdles, often with a smattering of humor.
Who is Happy Gilmore based on?
While 'Happy Gilmore' might not be based on a true story, the character is very much based on a real-life person, and one who Adam Sandler has been friends with for a long time.
The actor met Kyle McDonough when he moved from his birthplace, Brooklyn, to New Hampshire, when he was 6. They became friends, playing hockey together for their high school team.
McDonough's family has roots in hockey, since his father was Hubie McDonough Jr., a high school hockey coach, while his brother was Hubie III, a professional who played for teams like Los Angeles Kings and the New York Islanders over his 13-year career.
While McDonough was mostly talented in the rink, when he stepped onto the golf course, he brought his raw hockey power, and Sandler watching him had remarked there was 'something' funny about it, sowing the idea of Happy Gilmore, Time reported.
McDonough and Sandler's connection has endured the vagaries of Hollywood, with the former saying, 'I've been to many movie shoots and a couple of Super Bowls with him and he always takes care of everything and treats his old buds like kings.'
Sandler's father, Stanley, himself an avid golfer, also had a striking influence on the film. He was the one who pointed out how hockey players have the ability to transfer their talents to the golf course, sparking the idea that would shape 'Happy Gilmore'. He also took the young actor to the driving range, and father-son would bond over the game.
Given Stanley's vast knowledge of the game, Sandler and writing partner, Tim Herlihy, would often bank on the star's father for inputs, or to run parts of the script by him. 'We'd call my dad and say 'does this make sense?' and 'when you putt what are you thinking?',' the comedian recalled.
Chubb's iconic 'It's all in the hips' line was also pulled from a conversation with his father, Sandler shared. Moreover, it was Sandler's father's legacy that got golf legend Jack Nicklaus to appear in a cameo in 'Happy Gilmore 2'.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
2 hours ago
- Economic Times
VMAs 2025 Nominations Controversy: BTS Jin and J-Hope missing as BLACKPINK members secure solo nods. See what happened next
Synopsis VMAs 2025 have drawn criticism from BTS fans after Jin and J-Hope were excluded from the Best K-Pop category. All four BLACKPINK members received solo nominations, raising questions over transparency and fairness in the selection process. Fans demand clarity on the nomination criteria and call for accountability. AP Fans react as all BLACKPINK members receive solo 2025 VMAs nominations while BTS's Jin and J-Hope are left out. Members of the K-pop supergroup BTS from left, V, Jungkook, Jimin, RM, Jin, J-Hope, and Suga join White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre during the daily briefing at the White House, Tuesday, May 31, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) VMAs 2025 nominations were announced, but the spotlight quickly shifted to a growing controversy in the K-pop category. The absence of BTS members Jin and J-Hope from the list of Video Music Awards 2025 has triggered strong reactions from fans, while the full inclusion of BLACKPINK members has sparked debate over fairness and selection criteria. VMAs 2025 Nominations: All Four BLACKPINK Members Receive Solo Nominations The Best K-Pop category at the 2025 VMAs includes seven entries. Among them are solo releases by all four BLACKPINK members: Like Jennie by Jennie Earthquake by Jisoo Born Again by Lisa (featuring Doja Cat and Raye) Toxic Till the End by Rosé The other nominees in the category are: Whiplash by Aespa Who by BTS's Jimin Chk Chk Boom by Stray Kids This lineup means BLACKPINK dominates the category through individual solo projects, while only one BTS member, Jimin, made it to the nominations list. ALso Read: Trump praise sends American Eagle stock soaring 20% amid Sydney Sweeney ad controversy BTS members Jin and J-Hope released solo tracks that performed well globally. Jin's Heart on the Window and Don't Say You Love Me gained strong international response and large streaming numbers. According to fans, the songs received better chart performance and sales than several nominees on the current this, neither Jin nor J-Hope were nominated. This has caused concern within the BTS fanbase, especially among ARMYs who feel the snub was not based on merit. Also Read: Tasmania Missing Plane: Did small aircraft call mayday? Here's all about occupants, search operation and how can you help Fans have taken to social media to question the nomination process. One fan on X wrote that Jin had 'better chart results than more than half of this list' and called on the VMAs to disclose the nomination tweet asked, 'Did the rules change, or is something else going on?' Fans pointed out that Jin's chart position, streams, and sales were more impressive than many of the current nominees, yet he received no fans have suggested that industry politics may have influenced the nomination list. Attention is being directed toward BLACKPINK's agency, YG Entertainment, with speculation about its possible role in shaping the situation has raised larger questions about how decisions are made for major award shows and whether external influence can affect who gets nominated. Also Read: While the exclusion of other BTS members has caused frustration, fans expressed support for Jimin, who was nominated for his track Who. Many called on fellow ARMYs to rally and vote for him as a form of solidarity and protest against the perceived bias in fan tweeted, 'Let's make sure we win this for Jimin,' while also voicing disappointment about the lack of recognition for Jin and discussions grow across platforms, fans are continuing to press for answers. The VMAs have yet to publicly respond to the backlash or explain how nominations were determined. Meanwhile, calls for transparency are growing year's K-pop nominations have exposed tensions within the fandom community and raised questions about fairness in global music recognition. Why are BTS's Jin and J-Hope not nominated at the 2025 VMAs? The VMAs have not disclosed criteria. Fans believe their strong solo performance deserved recognition and are demanding transparency from organizers. Which BLACKPINK members received solo VMAs nominations in 2025? Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa, and Rosé each received solo nominations for their individual tracks in the Best K-Pop category.
Mint
6 hours ago
- Mint
An Australian artist is painting huge murals on silos in the US Midwest
MINOT, N.D. (AP) — High atop a massive grain elevator in the middle of Minot, North Dakota, artist Guido van Helten swipes a concrete wall with a brush that looks more appropriate for painting a fence than creating a monumental mural. Back and forth van Helten brushes, focused on his work and not bothered by the sheer enormity of his task as he stands in a boom lift, 75 feet (23 meters) off the ground, and focused on a few square feet of a structure that stretches over most of a city block. 'When you use these old structures to kinda share stories and use them as a vehicle to carry an image of identity, it becomes part of the landscape,' he said. 'I've found that people have really adopted them and become really super proud of them.' The work on the former Union Silos is van Helten's latest effort to paint murals on a gigantic scale, with earlier projects on structures ranging from a dam in Australia to part of a former cooling tower at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine. Although he has created murals throughout the world, grain silos in the U.S. Midwest have been among his most frequent sites. 'I do enjoy the opportunity to uncover stories that are often kinda considered out of the way or flyover communities,' he said. Van Helten has been creating murals for years, working increasingly in the U.S. over the past seven years and around the world. The 38-year-old Brisbane native's interest in regional communities began in earnest after a mural he created years ago on a silo in an Australian town of 100 people. The new idea, he said, drew interest, and he began a series of commissions around Australia and the U.S. He uses a mineral silicate paint formulated to absorb and bond with concrete, and it lasts a long time. He mixes tones specific to the color of the wall and subtly layers the work so it blends in. 'I love the coloring of these buildings, so I don't want to fight with them, I don't want to change it, I don't want it to be bright. I want it to become part of the landscape,' he said. It's not a quick process, as van Helten initially meets with residents to learn about a community and then spends months slowly transforming what is usually the largest structure in a small town. He began painting in Minot in May with plans for a 360-degree mural that combines photography with painting to depict the people and culture of an area. The Minot elevator and silos were built in the 1950s and were an economic center for years before they ceased operations around the early 1990s. Van Helten isn't giving too much away about what his Minot mural will depict, but said he has been inspired by concepts of land and ownership while in North Dakota, from ranching and the oil field to Native American perspectives. Minot is a city of nearly 50,000 people and sits near the Bakken oil field and Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. 'It is really when you boil down to it in many ways about land and how different cultures interpret that and connect with it, and I feel it's really interesting in North Dakota because it is really such a big, open land,' the artist said. Much of the mural is still taking shape, but images of a barn and female figures are visible. Property owner Derek Hackett said the mural is 'a great way to take what is kind of a blighted property and be able to give it a face-lift and kind of resurrect its presence in our skyline." Soon the mural will be visible from almost anywhere in town, he said. The mural project is entirely donation-funded, costing about $350,000, about 85% of which is already raised, said Chelsea Gleich, a spokesperson for the project. 'It is uniquely ours, it's uniquely North Dakota and you'll never be able to find a piece just like this anywhere else,' she said.
News18
16 hours ago
- News18
Australian artist is creating massive mural in middle of small North Dakota town
Minot (US), Aug 5 (AP) High atop a massive grain elevator in the middle of Minot, North Dakota, artist Guido van Helten swipes a concrete wall with a brush that looks more appropriate for painting a fence than creating a monumental mural. Back and forth van Helten brushes, focused on his work and not bothered by the sheer enormity of his task as he stands in a boom lift, 75 feet (23 metres) off the ground, and focused on a few square feet of a structure that stretches over most of a city block. 'When you use these old structures to kinda share stories and use them as a vehicle to carry an image of identity, it becomes part of the landscape," he said. 'I've found that people have really adopted them and become really super proud of them." The work on the former Union Silos is van Helten's latest effort to paint murals on a gigantic scale, with earlier projects on structures ranging from a dam in Australia to part of a former cooling tower at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine. Although he has created murals throughout the world, grain silos in the US Midwest have been among his most frequent sites. 'I do enjoy the opportunity to uncover stories that are often kinda considered out of the way or flyover communities," he said. Van Helten has been creating murals for years, working increasingly in the US over the past seven years and around the world. The 38-year-old Brisbane native's interest in regional communities began in earnest after a mural he created years ago on a silo in an Australian town of 100 people. The new idea, he said, drew interest, and he began a series of commissions around Australia and the US. He uses a mineral silicate paint formulated to absorb and bond with concrete, and it lasts a long time. He mixes tones specific to the colour of the wall and subtly layers the work so it blends in. 'I love the colouring of these buildings, so I don't want to fight with them, I don't want to change it, I don't want it to be bright. I want it to become part of the landscape," he said. It's not a quick process, as van Helten initially meets with residents to learn about a community and then spends months slowly transforming what is usually the largest structure in a small town. He began painting in Minot in May with plans for a 360-degree mural that combines photography with painting to depict the people and culture of an area. The Minot elevator and silos were built in the 1950s and were an economic center for years before they ceased operations around the early 1990s. Van Helten isn't giving too much away about what his Minot mural will depict, but said he has been inspired by concepts of land and ownership while in North Dakota, from ranching and the oil field to Native American perspectives. Minot is a city of nearly 50,000 people and sits near the Bakken oil field and Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. 'It is really when you boil down to it in many ways about land and how different cultures interpret that and connect with it, and I feel it's really interesting in North Dakota because it is really such a big, open land," the artist said. Much of the mural is still taking shape, but images of a barn and female figures are visible. Property owner Derek Hackett said the mural is 'a great way to take what is kind of a blighted property and be able to give it a facelift and kind of resurrect its presence in our skyline." Soon the mural will be visible from almost anywhere in town, he said. The mural project is entirely donation-funded, costing about USD 350,000, about 85 per cent of which is already raised, said Chelsea Gleich, a spokesperson for the project. 'It is uniquely ours, it's uniquely North Dakota and you'll never be able to find a piece just like this anywhere else," she said. (AP) GSP view comments First Published: August 05, 2025, 10:00 IST News agency-feeds Australian artist is creating massive mural in middle of small North Dakota town Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
