Adam Sandler and Queen Latifah have been friends for years, and with their new Netflix movie Hustle, the pair finally got the chance to take that friendship to the big screen—along with Sandler’s love for basketball.
Sandler Dishes On Working With Latifah: ‘It Was An Absolute Joy’
Hustle tells the story of Stanley Sugerman, played by Sandler, a Philadelphia 76ers scout who finds an unlikely potential player on the streets of Spain. Latifah plays Sandler’s wife, and for the longtime friends, it was no problem showing the love on screen.
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“Me and the Queen, we’ve been tight for a long time,” Sandler told Yahoo. “I love [her]. It was an absolute joy. Whenever the Queen would show up on the set, anytime, any place we were, people look [and say], ‘That’s the Queen, man.’ It’s good energy. She makes people happy, and [is] nice to everybody… I mean, that was just a good vibe, man.”
Latifah Jokes About How Close She And Sandler Were On Set
Latifah was just as effusive in her praise of her co-star. “He’s amazing,” she shared. “And you know, to watch him all these years do his thing and just give us so much joy and entertainment… is also just amazing.” She joked, “I was like, ‘One day he’s gonna rub my feet.’”
Even though they’re friends, Sandler and Latifah didn’t find their kissing scenes weird. “During rehearsal, I kissed probably harder with the mask on,” Sandler joked. “He was ready,” Latifah chimed in. Sandler continued, “We were kind of relaxed with it.” Latifah agreed, saying, “We were comfortable. I think those were the easier things.”
‘Hustle’ Director: ‘Together They’re Just So Funny And Sweet’
According to the movie’s director, Jeremiah Zagar, Sandler was the one who pushed for Latifah to be cast in the movie. “Adam wanted to work with her and I loved the idea,” he explained.
“I mean, I think they feel like a real Philly couple, and I think that’s what’s cool about it,” Zagar continued. “And Queen has the same thing that Adam has, which is that movie star glow with an everywoman feel. And I think that’s a really special quality. And together they’re just so funny and sweet.”
“They looked like a real couple,” the director explained. “That comes from years of friendship and they are these movie stars that aren’t the perfect Hollywood archetype. There’s something more. They have that every person quality.”
Hustle, which also stars Ben Foster and Robert Duvall, is now available to stream on Netflix, and fans of both Sandler and Latifah are excited to see that longtime friends share the screen together.