Adam Sandler's Real Name: Adam Richard Sandler

Quick answer: Adam Sandler's real name is Adam Richard Sandler. He was born on September 9, 1966, in Brooklyn, New York.

Real name and early life

Britannica lists him in full as Adam Richard Sandler, born September 9, 1966, in Brooklyn, New York. The Library of Congress name authority records him as Sandler, Adam. He was raised in Manchester, New Hampshire, began stand-up as a teenager, studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, and graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in 1988.

An early TV credit came on The Cosby Show (1987). After Dennis Miller recommended him to Lorne Michaels, Sandler joined Saturday Night Live as a writer in 1990 and as a cast member the next year, creating characters such as Opera Man before leaving amid low ratings in 1995.

Quick facts

• Real name: Adam Richard Sandler
• Known as: Adam Sandler
• Born: September 9, 1966, in Brooklyn, New York
• Known for: Comedian, actor, producer
• Notable work: Happy Gilmore, The Wedding Singer, Punch-Drunk Love, Uncut Gems
• Sources checked: Britannica, Library of Congress Name Authority

Career highlights

Sandler became a box-office comedy star with Billy Madison (1995), Happy Gilmore (1996), The Waterboy (1998), The Wedding Singer (1998), and Big Daddy (1999). He formed a production company that backed his films and friends' vehicles. Dramatic turns in Paul Thomas Anderson's Punch-Drunk Love (2002) and the Safdie brothers' Uncut Gems (2019) widened critical respect; later praised work includes Hustle (2022) and Noah Baumbach's Jay Kelly (2025).

Netflix comedies such as Murder Mystery (2019) and voice roles in the Hotel Transylvania series kept him widely visible. He received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 2011 and the Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2023. Stand-up specials include 100% Fresh (2018) and Love You (2024); Happy Gilmore 2 arrived in 2025.

Name notes

Adam Richard Sandler is his birth name; he has not used a stage surname. Searchers sometimes omit the middle name Richard. Fan sites often copy names from one another, so we checked this page against Britannica and the Library of Congress.