The mother of Cameron Boyce has thanked Adam Sandler for honouring her late son in his new movie Happy Gilmore 2.
Boyce starred alongside Sandler in Grown Ups (2010) and Grown Ups 2 (2013) before his sudden death in 2019, aged just 20, following a fatal epileptic attack.
Sandler, who wrote, starred in and produced Happy Gilmore 2, featured a subtle nod to Boyce in the Netflix movie.
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.
Following the film’s premiere, Libby Boyce, Cameron’s mother, shared a screenshot of the scene on Instagram, adding in the caption: “Thank you @adamsandler for honouring Cam’s legacy in Happy Gilmore 2.”
Fans have since flooded the post with their own tributes to the star. One person wrote: “That was so cute!! We miss Cam, we will never forget him.”
A second viewer wrote: “Such a beautiful tribute to Cam.” Meanwhile, a third said: “I can only imagine those lucky enough that got to meet Cameron Boyce will only continue to honour him every chance they get.”
On Sunday (27 July), Libby Boyce shared an article about Sandler’s tribute to her son, revealing that Sandler had spoken to her child in the days before his death.
She wrote on Instagram: “Adam and Cameron talked quite a bit in the days leading up to his death. Cameron was supposed to be in Hubie Halloween and they were strategising. They had a bond, I think, related to being authentic, funny and just keeping it real. Adam always finds a way to keep Cam’s memory alive, which warms our heart.”
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During the credits for Hubie Halloween, which was released in 2020, a picture and message for Boyce were shown. The message read: “In loving memory of CAMERON BOYCE. Gone way too soon and one of the kindest, coolest, funniest, and most talented kids we knew. You live on forever in our hearts and are truly missed every day.”
Sandler was among many celebrities to honour Boyce after his death, posting on X/Twitter: “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’s brief appearance is one of many cameos in Happy Gilmore 2. Dozens of other celebrities make appearances in the film, including Ben Stiller, Eminem, Post Malone, Eric Andre, Margaret Qualley and dozens of professional golfers and athletes.
