Adam Sandler may have been snubbed by the Academy, but just like when he lost his high school yearbook superlative for “best looking” to some “feather-headed douchebag,” he’s taking it all in stride.
“Tonight as I look around this room, I realize the Independent Spirit Awards are the best personality awards of Hollywood,” he said to wild applause at Saturday’s Independent Spirit Awards. “So let all of those feather-haired douchebag motherf—-ers get their Oscars tomorrow night. Their handsome good looks will fade in time, while our independent personalities will shine on forever.”
Accepting the award for Best Male Lead, the “Uncut Gems” star, in one of his silly voices, poked fun at collaborators Josh and Bennie Safdie, who won Best Director for the A24 thriller, Ted Sarandos – the Netflix executive who commissioned nine Sandler movies – and finally, “Uncut Gems” producer Scott Rudin.
“The person who shared my life, my home, my laughter, my tears — Scott Rudin,” he quipped of the veteran producer. “Two years ago, Scott said the words that would forever change my life. ‘No, those aren’t homeless rabbis, those are the Safdie brothers.’”
In closing, Sandler paid tribute to the low-budget films that made him one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars.
“Independent films have been a big part of the Adam Sandler ecosystem,” he began. “From my first film – a fearless look in the American education system through the eyes of a privileged sociopath by the name of Billy f—ing Madison – to my searing exploration of American college foosball and it’s manipulation of socially challenged athletes like the Mr. Bobby Boucher, I have tried to sell my truths with a truly independent spirit, while also cashing some truly disturbingly large paychecks.”
Watch the uncensored speech above.