Adam's world

For the last few years, Hollywood has had an order of funny. Mike Myers could do no wrong. Adam Sandler could do no right. It was easy and straightforward. Kids learned it in school. It all made sense. And then we clearly missed a memo... Instead, we suffered The Love Guru and watched Mike's career shrivel and die while Adam made You Don't Mess With The Zohan, his best, silliest, laugh-out-loud comedy since The Wedding Singer. His only laugh-out-loud comedy since The Wedding Singer, in fact.

In Zohan, a pumped-up Sandler plays an Israeli secret operative who wants to give it all up for hairdressing. He may be on a mission to make the world 'silky smooth' but it's the fish out of water gags that work best. And the disco breaks. Mind you, a foreigner struggling with American life? Didn't someone else do that?

"We were consciously trying to do our own thing. But I do think Borat is one of the funniest movies. I tried to make sure we didn't do Borat, but I'm sure, on occasion, we went a bit 'Boraty.'" - The Press & Journal

Never mind, we won't go on about that. People seem to find enough fault in your films as it is.
"That's a common thing with my movies. The only time it bothers you is when it persuades people not to see it. I hear this a lot from people who read The New York Times. 'I saw your movie - I actually liked it.' They're fighting against the person who wrote about it." - IndieLondon.com

So does the criticism ever get through?
"... sometimes my mother will call me up and just spout out: 'This man said you're retarded." But I go: 'Don’t worry about it, Mom.' It's like a slight business problem, but it doesn't hurt me mentally. - IndieLondon.com

It's nice to see you back to the funny. Although we also enjoyed your performance in Punch Drunk Love. Any plans to get back to the 'serious' roles?
"(I'm) much more comfortable showing up that day knowing we got a funny scene coming. Like that day where I had to be upset over my father (in Click), I don't like sitting in my trailer being depressed all day and looking at pictures. I don't like that. I do it. I'm glad when it's over. It feels like a relief, and if I think I did the best I could do, I feel a huge sense of accomplishment. But I'd rather go to work and fart in Hasselhoff's face." - Cinemablend.com

An interesting rule of thumb, to be sure. Anything else make you laugh?
"I laughed my ass off at every take (in Anger Management) where (Jack) Nicholson takes his plate of eggs and throws it against the wall! I enjoyed hearing him scream: 'I said over easy!' I don't know why that made me laugh..." - BBC

Yeah, you got us wondering too. Still, Zohan is very funny although, er, potentially offensive? Then again, you've never exactly been afraid to trample on the taboos. The faked gay marriage in I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, for example.
"We did make sure that the gay community would be happy with the movie because that was the intention. It had to have a good message and show how ignorant some people can be. I have gay friends, my wife's aunts are gay, and they like the movie; my gay friends like the movie… It could be because they're related to me and they're my friends." - IndieLondon.com

And now you're stomping - to great effect - over the Palestinian / Israeli divide in Zohan. It's kind of equal opportunities offensive: you take the mickey out of everyone and, amazingly, score some deeply satirical points in the process. All of that, the best houmous running gag EVER and Mariah Carey, of course.
"She's a great, great girl. I met Mariah a long time ago on Saturday Night Live. Then, when we wrote in the original draft, we thought it was cool that the only thing that the Israelis and Palestinians could agree on was that Mariah Carey was hot." - The Press & Journal

Even so, how on earth did you come up with the idea in the first place? It's not like you meet former Israli soldiers turned hairdresser every day, is it?
"I had this Israeli guy who used to cut my hair and I always used to ask him questions about the Israeli army." - The Press & Journal

Ah right. You do if you're Adam Sandler.
"And he would fix my hair while mentioning missions he was on and stuff." - The Press & Journal

Well, we hope you've told him. He's a trained killer and he's got scissors...

You Don't Mess With The Zohan is released on 15th August.