What The Happy Gilmore Cast Looks Like Today

Actor, writer, comedian, and producer Adam Sandler has had a lot of ups and downs over the years, creating a few critically acclaimed movies but also releasing several projects that were almost universally panned by critics and fans alike. One thing that everyone can largely agree on, however, is that "Happy Gilmore" is one of Adam Sandler's best comedy movies and is fondly remembered by fans of '90s comedies.

Following directly from the success of "Billy Madison," this tale of a hockey player who turns to golf after discovering he can drive the ball more than 400 yards established Sandler as a bankable comedy star. The story sees Gilmore becoming a professional golfer in an effort to rescue his grandmother's repossessed house. Along the way, he competes in a variety of championships while facing off against his new nemesis, Shooter McGavin.

With the movie launching in theaters way back in 1996, it might surprise you to learn just what the cast looks like today. Many of the actors involved in the film have gone on to bigger and better things in the more than two decades since it was released, but all of them look very different to when they appeared in "Happy Gilmore."

Every good movie needs a villain or antagonist for the hero to battle against and Christopher McDonald provided this in "Happy Gilmore." The actor played pro golfer Shooter McGavin, a man determined to keep golf free of Gilmore's antics and get his hands on the fictional but highly coveted gold jacket. As one of the top athletes on the pro tour, McGavin goes to extreme lengths to try and enforce golf etiquette and ensure that Gilmore doesn't succeed in winning the prestigious Tour Championship. He even goes as far as hiring a heckler to distract his rival on the golf course.

Before the actor was cast in the 1996 comedy, he was known for his role in "Thelma and Louise" as Darryl Dickinson. He had a history of playing villains, along with credits in "Grease 2," "The Boys Next Door," and "Grumpy Old Men." After "Happy Gilmore," McDonald appeared in the likes of "Flubber" and "The Faculty" before appearing in more recent movies such as "American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile" and "Deep in the Valley." In 2021 he became a regular on the show "Hacks," and Deadline reported that he is due to have a role in the upcoming Disney+ series "Secret Invasion."

Before appearing in "Happy Gilmore" as Gilmore's golf coach and mentor Chubbs Peterson, Weathers was a familiar face in a wide range of Hollywood movies. His biggest role was arguably the character of Apollo Creed in the "Rocky" movies, while he also starred alongside Bryan Genesse in the television series "Street Justice" between 1991 and 1993. Before acting, he played professional football for the Oakland Raiders, appearing in eight games before being released.

After "Happy Gilmore," Weathers continued his acting career and even reprised his role as Chubbs in the 2000 movie "Little Nicky" with Sandler. He then went on to play a fictional version of himself who helps tutor Tobias in the sitcom "Arrested Development." As a voice actor, he has portrayed Combat Carl in the "Toy Story" series across various movies, television series, and specials, and would later voice Omnitraxus Prime in "Star vs. the Forces of Evil." More recently, he's had a regular role as Greef Karga in "The Mandalorian," with the actor confirming on Twitter that he'll be returning for the third season.

Although he's uncredited, Ben Stiller has a relatively large role in "Happy Gilmore" as Hal L. This character is a cruel and devious orderly who works at the nursing home where Gilmore's grandmother moves after leaving her repossessed house. While he outwardly appears warm and kind at first, it is later shown that he takes advantage of the elderly residents under his care, forcing them to work for him.

Stiller's uncredited role in "Happy Gilmore" might have been somewhat surprising, considering that the actor had appeared in a number of movies in the late '80s and early '90s and even had his own television series in the form of "The Ben Stiller Show." Yet Stiller and Sandler were both comedians who started on "SNL," and have even admitted in an interview with USA Today that fans often confuse the pair. Stiller later reprised his role as the orderly in the 2020 movie "Hubie Halloween."

After "Happy Gilmore," Stiller became one of the biggest names in comedy, writing and starring in films such as "Zoolander," "Dodgeball," "Meet the Parents," and "Night at the Museum." He also voiced Alex the lion in the "Madagascar" animated film series and directed "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" in 2013. Over the course of the last few years, he has largely remained behind the camera, working as a director and producer on numerous television and movie projects.

Peter Kelamis is a Canadian comedian who is known for voice acting and doing impressions of famous figures. In "Happy Gilmore," he plays a golf caddy employed by Gary Potter, who's portrayed by Kevin Nealon. It's a relatively minor character in the movie, but did provide him with one of his first movie roles. He had previously landed parts on television in "The Commish" and "Hawkeye."

According to the MCP Talent Agency, Kelamis has continued to work as a stand-up comedian over the last 30 years. He also played Dr. Adam Brody on "Stargate Universe," while making a variety of appearances in other television series and movies. However, the actor is perhaps best known for his voice work, portraying a number of characters in animated shows. These include Rolf in "Ed, Edd n Eddy" and Tail Terrier in "Krypto the Superdog." Kelamis was also responsible for providing the voice for Goku in certain English dubs of "Dragon Ball Z."

Although Joe Flaherty is not in "Happy Gilmore" all that much, he does play a pivotal role in the film. He portrays Donald, a fanatical Shooter McGavin fan who will do anything to get close to his idol. The pro golfer hires him to heckle Happy in an attempt to force Gilmore to lose his temper, so he will be kicked off the tour. By the end of the film, he is crazed enough to drive his car onto the course and hit Gilmore, injuring him in the final of the Tour Championship.

Prior to appearing in "Happy Gilmore," Flaherty was known for being one of the main talents on the Canadian sketch comedy show "SCTV." He went on to appear in minor roles in a series of movies throughout the '80s. Yet he is probably most recognized outside of the Sandler film for his portrayal of Harold Weir in the 1999 series "Freaks and Geeks," where he was part of the main cast alongside Linda Cardellini, James Franco, Seth Rogen, John Francis Daley, and Samm Levine.

From 1972 until 2007, Bob Barker was the host of the television game show "The Price is Right." As one of the most recognizable men on TV in the United States, it may have shocked some people to see him appear in "Happy Gilmore." The presenter plays a fictionalized version of himself who teams up with Gilmore in the Pepsi pro-am event. When Donald manages to put Gilmore off his game, he and Barker get into an argument that ends up in a fight. The confrontation between the pair won the 1996 MTV Movie Award for Best Fight.

Barker continued to present "The Price is Right" for more than a decade after "Happy Gilmore" was released, before retiring after 50 years in television, according to Reuters. However, he has made some special guest appearances on the show and worked on other projects, such as an autobiography that was released in 2009. He has also been involved in commercials for various companies and even made a guest appearance on an episode of "SpongeBob SquarePants," where he played a snail rescue center operator known as Bob Barnacle (via Yahoo!).

Lee Trevino is a former professional golfer who was well known for not only being a great athlete but also a witty person. He could entertain viewers with his play and humor, so it makes sense that the producers of "Happy Gilmore" would come knocking on his door when they wanted a pro golfer to add to the cast and lend some credibility. Trevino won six majors during his career, coming first twice in the U.S. Open, The Open Championship, and the PGA Championship.

He appears as himself in the movie, often showing up for just a few moments to shake his head and disapprove of what Gilmore is doing. While Trevino's part in the film was inoffensive, he later revealed that he regretted doing the movie. Speaking at the University of Texas in 2013, he said (via the LA Times), "If [I'd known] they were going to use all those foul words in there, I never would have done it."

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, he confirmed that he still plays golf regularly and takes part in events. While he has tried broadcasting and other jobs, his love of golf keeps him playing the sport rather than doing other things.

Although Frances Bay does not play one of the main characters in "Happy Gilmore," much of the action revolves around her. She plays Gilmore's grandmother and is distraught when the IRS takes her home because she owes $270,000 in taxes. Gilmore only joins the tour and becomes a professional golfer as a way of trying to save the home for his grandma. According to The Huffington Post, Bay had been an actress since the early 1930s, when she first worked on the radio before transitioning to television and film in the 1970s.

"Happy Gilmore" was far from her last role. Following the comedy, she appeared in a variety of movies and television shows, including "Inspector Gadget," "The Wedding Planner," "ER," and "Grey's Anatomy." Her final role was in the sitcom "The Middle," where she played Ginny Freehold during the first two seasons. Bay passed away in 2011 at the age of 92, with the New York Times stating that her death was due to complications from pneumonia.