Adam Sandler Shares Emotional Struggle After Leaving SNL: “It’s Hard to Watch”
Adam Sandler Reflects on Departure from Saturday Night Live
In a recent conversation, Adam Sandler, a former cast member of Saturday Night Live, shared the emotional challenges he faced following his departure from the iconic late-night show. Speaking with actor Timothée Chalamet at a Vanity Fair awards season event, Sandler admitted he could not watch the program for an entire year after leaving.
"When I left the show, the first year I couldn’t watch it," Sandler revealed. "It just breaks your heart. I guess it’s like when you play sports or whatever, and all of a sudden, you leave, and you see the game keeps going. You go, ‘Oh, they didn’t need me, man.’ It breaks your heart a little bit."
During their discussion, which included rewatching their past projects, Sandler reflected on the evolution of SNL over the years. He recalled the early days under Lorne Michaels, particularly the rigid expectations regarding cast members breaking character.
“Oh, back then, he didn’t like that, yeah,” Sandler said, reminiscing about how late co-star Chris Farley often tried to make him laugh. "You weren’t supposed to break. I think the first cast — Dan Aykroyd, [John] Belushi, Jane Curtin, Gilda [Radnor] — they never broke; they kind of frowned upon it… It was kind of a rule, and somehow that rule got broken. And now everyone’s laughing all the time.”
Despite these changes, Sandler noted that the core essence of the show remains. “You’re having the best time of your life, and you’re also panicked out of your mind,” he said, emphasizing the dynamic nature of the live format.
“It’s like being on a team,” he concluded. “It’s like you guys got this weird little connection the rest of your life, it’s cool.”
Sandler was part of the SNL cast from 1990 to 1995, alongside notable performers such as Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, David Spade, and Mike Myers. He returned to host the show in 2019, earning an Emmy nomination. More recently, he appeared during Chalamet’s hosting stint in January and participated in the SNL50 celebration with a tribute to the late comic Norm Macdonald.
In tonight’s episode, Saturday Night Live kicks off a three-episode run featuring host Melissa McCarthy and musical guest Dijon. Meanwhile, Sandler can currently be seen in Netflix’s Jay Kelly, alongside George Clooney and directed by Noah Baumbach.
