When Adam Sandler isn’t working, his typical wardrobe (aka “Sandlercore”) consists of oversized tees, baggy shorts, and sporty sneakers. But lately, the American actor/comedian has been trading in his basketball shorts for slacks ever since landing Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly, a role that could make him an Oscar contender. As Sandler’s been amping up his red carpet game, his co-star George Clooney has his own mission—to get the man in a suit.
The movie pairing of Adam Sandler and George Clooney may not have been on anyone’s bingo card, but it’s truly working for me. Based on the trailer of the 2025 Netflix movie Jay Kelly, the budding chemistry between the two shines through. Sandler plays the manager of Clooney’s character, a famous actor, and the two travel to Europe together.
Just like Sandler’s character is there for Clooney’s, the Ocean’s Eleven star has made sure to be there for his bud in “making” him wear more suits in public. At the Jay Kelly AFI Fest premiere, wearing a debonair navy suit, the Happy Gilmore actor jokingly told ET about his two-time Oscar-winning co-star “forcing” him to don a fancy wardrobe and why he’s going along with it:
I’m doing this for his sake because I like Clooney. He’s a very nice man. And when I show up looking the way I like to be, he looks so hurt by it that I said, ‘Alright, let me throw the suit on.’
Look at Adam Sandler trying to impress his co-star. With the E.R. alum’s classy red carpet style, it’s easy to see why he’d share his fashion wisdom with Sandler. If you’re gonna walk the walk on the red carpet, you gotta look the part.
I also believe it’s because Clooney wants the world to see his Jay Kelly co-star in a whole new light. Previously, the Up in the Air actor said he thought of Sandler as more than just a good comedian, but as a “really beautiful, wonderful actor.” A high-class wardrobe like Clooney’s would certainly help Sandler look like the serious, award-worthy performer that the Golden Globe winner sees him as.
Adam Sandler may have humorously explained his choice of baggy clothing was to keep his body “hidden.” But standing next to George Clooney at the AFI Fest, both looking handsome in their slick suits, it’s clear Sandler has a newfound confidence that the Michael Clayton star helped bring out. Take a look at the two A-listers looking smooth on the red carpet:
Now, that’s how you glow up in style. The two actors look effortlessly sharp, with charm and charisma being the best ingredients to represent their dramedy flick.
While you can easily blame George Clooney for Adam Sandler’s new style choices, rumors are circulating that there could be another reason for the attire turnaround. There’s already Oscar buzz that Jay Kelly could be the entry flick for Sandler to finally score an Oscar nomination. It was unfortunate that he got snubbed for his outstanding Uncut Gems performance. But hopefully the Netflix movie will be the Billy Madison star’s chance to show The Academy what he’s made of, and that he’s got the Oscar ceremony wardrobe to flaunt.
Who would have thought that George Clooney would be such an awesome stylist for Adam Sandler? The baggy garbs may still be the Big Daddy star’s first choice. But if his new sharp suits can help amp his chances for an Oscar nomination, Sandler will know exactly who to thank for that. You can watch the stylish duo in their new movie, Jay Kelly, playing in select theaters on November 14th and hitting your Netflix subscription on December 5th.