Adam Sandler managed to sneak in a subtle, yet heartwarming, tribute to his late Grown Ups co-star Cameron Boyce in the new Happy Gilmore sequel.
Happy Gilmore 2, out now on Netflix, follows Sandler’s titular retired golfer, Happy Gilmore, as he returns to the sport in order to pay for his daughter to attend a Parisian ballet school. It comes nearly 30 years after the original 1996 classic sports comedy.
In one scene, Happy is seen walking up to a golf course check-in booth with a bag of clubs on his shoulder. As he nears the desk, the attendants inside are watching what appears to be an episode of Disney Channel’s sitcom Jessie. The screen quickly flashes to show Boyce’s character Luke Ross, whom he played throughout the show’s entire 2011 to 2015 run.
The brief nod to Boyce — who starred as Sandler’s on-screen son in the 2010 family comedy Grown Ups and its 2013 sequel before his sudden death in 2019 — has left fans overcome with emotion.
“Adam Sandler honoring Cameron Boyce in Happy Gilmore 2 melts my heart,” one said on X, while a second added: “Excuse me while I sob.”
A third commented: “Adam Sandler subtly including Cameron Boyce in this scene from #HappyGilmore2 hits different.”
“Happy Gilmore 2 was great,” another praised. “The honoring of Cameron Boyce was such a cute and awesome Easter egg. Bottom right of the screen they’re watching them on TV. Adam Sandler you killed it. Family is very happy.”
Someone else on TikTok wrote that the tribute “is hurting and healing my heart at the same time.”
Boyce was only 20 when he died after experiencing a seizure in his sleep. At the time, his family released a statement, explaining the seizure “was a result of an ongoing medical condition for which he was being treated.”
“The world is now undoubtedly without one of its brightest lights, but his spirit will live on through the kindness and compassion of all who knew and loved him. We are utterly heartbroken,” they added.
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Sandler was among many celebrities to honor Boyce after his death, posting on X: “Loved that kid. Cared so much about his family. Cared so much about the world. Thank you, Cameron, for all you gave to us. So much more was on the way. All our hearts are broken.”
Boyce isn’t the only celebrity to make a surprise cameo in the new movie. Dozens of other cameo appearances from professional golfers, athletes and celebrities — some of which were announced when the film was in production — are also featured.
Happy Gilmore 2 is streaming now on Netflix.
