Adam Sandler Jokes Being PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive Would Be ‘Good for the World’ (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Adam Sandlerhas a solid reason why he should be declared theSexiest Man Alive.

“It’s something that I think is good for the world,” the 57-year-oldSaturday Night Livealum jokes to PEOPLE.

The quip comes just days after the star of the new Netflix movieSpacemanappeared at thePeople’s Choice AwardsFeb. 18 to accept the People’s Icon Award — butpretended that he thought he was getting the PEOPLE Magazine honor instead.

He blamed the mix-up on a “miscommunication” between him and his agent, and read from his speech for an SMA crowning instead.

“My name is Adam Sandler and I am the Sexiest Man Alive, can I get a hell yeah?” he said.

Dominique Charriau/WireImage

Sandler then joked that he’d been eagerly anticipating becoming SMA for years.

“I am trying to be gracious, PEOPLE Magazine, but I have to admit three words keep popping into my head right now: ‘It’s about freaking time!’ For decades, Adam Sandler has been waiting patiently on the sexy bench,” he said.

Patrick Dempsey on the cover of PEOPLE.Carter Smith

Carter Smith

Sandler does show some skin in the newNetflixmovieSpaceman. He plays Jakub Prochazka, an astronaut on a lengthy solo mission in outer space. Unhappy while at home alone on Earth, his pregnant wife Lenka (Carey Mulligan) decides to leave him.

Hanus refers to Jakub throughout the movie as “skinny human,” but Sandler jokes that it wasn’t his favorite phrase.

Adam Sandler in ‘Spaceman’.Courtesy of Netflix

Courtesy of Netflix

One of Sandler’s costars in the movie is his 15-year-old daughter Sunny, who has a brief cameo at the beginning of the film. Sandler and his wife Jackie are also parents to Sadie, 17. Both girls, who want to become actors,have appeared with their dad in his previous filmslikeHubie HalloweenandYou Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah.

Sandler tells PEOPLE he and Jackie encourage them to watch hisSpacemancostar, three-time Oscar nominee Mulligan, for acting pointers. “We go, ‘Well, watch Carey,’” he says.

“I love Carey. Listen, it’s stuff she does in a movie, there’s no way I could do it. There’s no way I could. I just watch her and I say, ‘Well, that is just the next level of acting,’” Sandler continues.

Adam Sandler and wife Jackie with their daughters Sadie and Sunny.Amy Sussman/Getty

Amy Sussman/Getty

“I was just trying to make sure I stayed out of the way for Carey. She’s amazing. It’s so real. It’s so effortless,” he continues.

Sandler recalls being so moved during one scene in with Lenka tapes a message to Jakub, explaining that she’s leaving him.

Spacemanstreams on Netflix Friday, March 1.

source: people.com