Adam Sandler and Ariana Grande have more in common than you’d suspect. He dominated pop culture as a Gen X comedy icon — with “Big Daddy,” “The Waterboy,” “Happy Gilmore” and more — before taking art house risks such as “Uncut Gems” in the back half of his career. She, of course, is the pop diva who’s sold more than 90 million records and captivated audiences with her own comedic versatility (Hello, “Saturday Night Live”).
This year, however, both step into new arenas playing against type. Sandler is the heart and soul of Noah Baumbach’s “Jay Kelly,” portraying Ron Sukenick, the long-suffering manager to the film’s title character A-list star (an aptly cast George Clooney). Grande takes on heavier material as Glinda in “Wicked: For Good,” the second and last installment in the film adaptation of the Broadway smash, opposite Erivo’s Elphaba (or as Sandler calls her character, “Elphabuba”).
Here they discuss preparing for intense scene work, getting body-slammed by Ben Stiller and a desire to see their dogs gain the power of speech. Plus, Grande gets to fan girl out over her favorite movie character of all time, Bobby Boucher in “The Waterboy.”
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Ariana Grande: I’ve grown up worshiping all your movies.
Adam Sandler: Thank you. We crank a lot of Ariana in the car. I said to my kids today, “What tunes do you want me to bring up?” They screamed 50 different songs at me.
Grande: You’re so incredible in “Jay Kelly.” Your character is so heartbreaking. I cried five times. Not choking up and holding back, but tears streaming out and fully breaking down.
Sandler: That’s fantastic.
Grande: There’s a scene with you and Laura Dern at a train station. What breaks me is watching someone try not to cry. There’s a wide shot of you walking back to a train and I almost lost my shit.
Sandler: I know you have a connection to “The Waterboy,” so maybe you connected that to Bobby Boucher being alone on the field.
Grande: Yes! We have to talk about that, too. All your iconic comedic performances also hold so much truth in them. “The Waterboy” is so gut-wrenching.
Sandler: I love “The Waterboy,” too. I love you dressing up like him.
Grande: Did I do that?
Sandler: You did it for Halloween or something.
Alexi Lubomirski for Variety
Grande: It was during the pandemic and that’s why I don’t remember it. There’s a whole chunk of time that’s gone for me. There’s a reveal in “Jay Kelly” where you’re doing George Clooney’s makeup. I almost fell off the earth. And then the ending, when you’re both watching this tribute to George’s character.
Sandler: That was sweet. Two guys looking out for each other. Something great about that scene – Noah Baumbach had a real orchestra in this theater, playing the real score of our movie. George and I hadn’t heard it yet and didn’t know what he was going to show. It was very effective. We knew we were going to grab hands. It was a very true feeling, because I’ve known Clooney a long time. It rocked me, knowing that my character was part of his life and what he meant to me. It was easy to feel it all.
Grande: And easy for me to feel, too. I feel like I was there. I wasn’t fucking there!
Sandler: You’re tremendous. I watched “Wicked: For Good” last night with my family in our media room. There are five TVs. I usually watch football there.
Grande: What a change of pace.
Sandler: We turned it off and put your movie on the center screen. We talked throughout the whole thing; about how great you were and what the scenes meant to us. What it means to be a sister to – I’m going say the name wrong.
Grande: Elphaba.
Sandler: I always add a “buba.” I say “Elphabuba.” It’s because I call everyone “bubbie.” What rocked us was the last sequence, six or seven shots where you had to be crying and so in character. I don’t get there with crying easily, how about you?
Grande: I’m a crier in life, but it’s not as easy when you’re performing. It’s not a party trick. I invented triggers for Glinda so that I didn’t have to touch on my own, because certain themes in this film are so adjacent to my life. I had to design her pain so I didn’t need to reference my own. How are you with having to get the same moment over and over? These big moments when they’re in a wide shot and they keep coming in tighter and tighter.
Sandler: I don’t want to let down the crew that’s working hard, having to sit there and wait on me getting to certain places. I also don’t want to let myself down. I got so excited reading Noah’s script, and about these certain scenes. I didn’t want to blow what’s written.
Grande: It’s so beautiful to know that you still experience that, even though you have had such an iconic legacy of doing that beautifully every single time.
Sandler: Man, thank you for saying that. I like watching the youth. What a part to get. Do you remember first landing the job and how it felt in that moment?
Grande: I have never in my life felt anything like finally getting that call. Is it true that when you were at NYU, you were studying drama mainly?
Sandler: Yes, I studied acting there for four years at the Strasberg Institute and tried to learn as much as I could. All while doing standup at night.
Grande: So, the duality between comedy and drama has always been a big part of your life?
Alexi Lubomirski for Variety
Sandler: I was more excited about comedy, and in the back of my head was like, “I would like to get a few dramas in there.” But I had those four years of learning and picking up things that stuck with me. When I get a script, I write down everything my character’s thinking, everything he’s been through before and everything that he’s worried about in the future. I always do my homework, the way you do. You were 100% Glinda the Good Witch. it was never Ariana. How was working with Jeff Goldblum?
Grande: He’s extraordinary. It’s interesting to watch him dance between the Wizard and Jeff. He has an amazing ability to take himself out in between scenes.
Sandler: Dustin Hoffman does this thing before a scene — he starts talking to you in character. So, when the scene starts at “Action!” you’re already building toward the first line. It’s nice to steal a few moves when you’re watching somebody great.
Grande: Did you and George Clooney gift each other with little pieces of one other’s process?
Sandler: I watched Clooney and did learn from him. He’s similar to what you said about Goldblum. He gets stuff going and can land right in there. He’s also very focused before a take. There were scenes when we were so locked in together. Did you feel that with Cynthia? How long have you been doing this together?
Grande: The whole journey? Five years. There was a lot of retraining my voice and, also, I hadn’t acted in a really long time. I wanted to work on my technique and figure out what would work for me. My teacher, Nancy Banks, was incredible. She’s a healer more than anything.
We need to talk about Bobby Boucher. You’ve been able to make room for both these incredible dramatic roles and, also, some of the most iconic comedic roles of all time. One role that really has both worlds is Bobby Boucher and “The Waterboy.” Sounds crazy, but he makes me cry a lot.
Sandler: My children showed me you discussing Bobby, and it meant a lot to me because I love Bobby. I love him so much. I love being that guy. I love feeling what Bobby felt as an outsider and wanting to feel calm and safe with Mama. Also, a little nervous with Mama! but I love that it connected with you. If they’re ever redoing “The Waterboy” — I don’t know who would, I should never — maybe Ben Stiller can play Bobby and you can play [his love interest] Vicky Valencourt.
Grande: Oh my goodness, no. Leave Perfect things alone as they are. You do such a magnificent job of grounding your comedy and humanness. That is so disarming. Had you not seen “Wicked” on stage?
Sandler: I saw it maybe five times and I still forgot. Saw it in New York, saw it in Los Angeles, saw it when it was on the road.
Grande: Isn’t it a thrill?
Sandler: The film version made me realize something I’ve never thought of in my life. The reveal of the Tin Man. [The movie] lets you hear noises that were going on, pings and pangs, and then the Tin Man looking at horror in the mirror [over what he’s become]. That was a painful moment.
Grande: It’s a very painful moment and it’s performed beautifully. It’s so important to see these humanizing moments for these villains, these terrible people. That’s the beautiful thing about “Wicked,” it shows how perpetrators of evilness were once victims themselves.
Sandler: Something on my mind — you wore a stunning dress in the movie. Do I call it a gown?
Grande: We called it “Bubble Two,” the lavender gown I’m always wearing in the second film.
Sandler: You have it on when they call lunch. What do you do? Do you get out of that thing?
Grande: I perch on a little apple box. It goes under the hoop skirt. Bubble Two had a lot of give and flexibility, but I got some little scratches. Anything for the craft. I’m fond of coming home with an unexplained bruise or scratch.
Sandler: I’ve come home massive bruises. Massive. When I did my first movie with Noah, “The Meyerowitz Stories” with our mutual friend Ben Stiller, we got into a fight in the movie. I had an entire bicep of a bruise that lasted maybe two weeks. Ben took if very seriously, I think he wanted to kick my ass. I’d see crazy eyes on him. I want you to know, Ariana, that if Stiller was to bring that energy in real life, I would choke him out immediately. But my character and my professionalism allowed him to whoop me. You just worked with Stiller on “Focker-in-Law.” What was it like?
Grande: He’s amazing. I love him. Funny enough, I also got a bruise from him. Well, I did it to myself but with his body. I was the one perpetuating it. It was totally my fault.
Sandler: You don’t feel it when you’re in the scene.
Grande: Adrenaline gets you past the bruise. But I play this son’s girlfriend who he’s not sure of or connecting with. He’s very against me. And the worst part — his character’s nightmare is — I get along gorgeously with Robert DeNiro’s character, Jack. He loves me, and I get immediate approval from the rest of the family.
Sandler: I love that. Is there a reason he’s holding back?
Grande: There are plenty of reasons, but I don’t think that she deserves the judgment.
Sandler: Stiller goes too overboard in real life, too. He judges every text I send him. I’m being judged. It’s I get a long [ellipses] form him and I’m like, “What’s he mad at this time?” Really, he’s a gentleman. I love him more than anything. I love watching him toggle back and forth between the side of his brain that is trying to be the actor in the scene — and, also, is thinking through the director lens as well.
Grande: He was so incredible with our “Focker-in-Law” director, John Hamburg.
Sandler: He can laugh, though. Sometimes he breaks and laughs his ass off.
Grande: It’s hard to break him. But when he does, it’s quite rewarding. Will you be in New York next month? He’s turning 60.
Sandler: Going to Stiller’s party? We’re all going that night.
Grande: Oh, great. Yay. I’ll see you.
Sandler: You getting him a gift? Can I get in on that? Whatever you get him, put my name on that. Ariana, I have to ask something else about “Wicked: For Good.” Should animals be talking more? Everybody’s thinking it, and I want your take on it.
Grande: I think they are talking. I think we’re not listening enough.
Sandler: 100%. They’re looking at you like, “Didn’t you hear what I said?”
Grande: If you really look and listen, they’re telling you everything. I can’t tell if you’re doing a bit right now, but my answer is for real.
Sandler: I think it’s real, too. I just felt it with my dog this morning. I woke up and he looked at me life, “It’s 9:30 a.m. I haven’t been out yet. What’s the matter with you man?”
Grande: Exactly. Do you want an “accident”?
Sandler: This has been Adam Sandler and Ariana on Dogs. Thank you for coming.
This is a conversation from Variety and CNN’s Actors on Actors franchise. To watch the full video, go to CNN’s streaming platform now. Or check out Variety’s YouTube page at 3 p.m. ET today.
