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But how could you hate Shooter?

Seriously, just try.

(Still dont believe us?

Just look atthis Twitter account.)

I tend to return all of my fan mail, because Im very grateful that people love the movie.

For an optimum reading experience, hey proceed with a Diet Pepsi.

Happy Gilmoreis one of those rare films where I actually laugh out loud while watching it.

Ive gotten grandparents and their grandchildren.

Its lovely to have a hit like this, Ive gotta say.

It keeps on giving.

If I can make people laugh, thats great, because the worlds pretty screwed up.

It makes people feel good.

You already had a track record for playing very convincing villains.Thats right.

You could captivate the audience and hear a pin drop.

Why was that?I had small children at the time.

I didnt want to be a bad dad.

Dennis, being the enterprising person that he is, said, Okay, I understand that.

He went to the producers and said, We got him!

The producers were ecstatic and asked him how he did it.

Well, I kind of had to give Christopher housing for him and his entire family.

They were like, What?!

Do we have the budget?

!I thank Dennis tremendously for that.

I was a fan.

He wasnt as huge as he is now, but he was so freaking funny.

We sat for about an hour and laughed and laughed.

After that, I knew I had to do the movie.

I remember he was just Adam.

He surrounds himself with his boys and his friends.

We talked about sports and little things about golf.

He really wanted to put a spin on the sports genre.

I told Adam that family was a big concern for me.

He wasnt married yet, but he was completely understanding.

He liked describing the back-and-forth madness between Shooter and Happy.

We also talked about Bob Barker coming on at the last minute,because someone else had dropped out.

He insisted that he didnt need a stunt double until he fell down the hill.

Shooter and Happy are exchanging words outside his grandmothers house and he goes, Youre gonna beat me?

Ha, youre in big trouble pal, I eat pieces of shit like you for breakfast!

Thats when I knew I could have a little fun.

When Im being heckled on the golf course, I improvised, Go back to your shanties!

I just put my putter into it and I ripped that thing until it hurt my shoulders.

It was so silly, but they still kept it.

Also, its funny, because Im a pretty great golfer in real life.

I kept making shots when the script called for me to miss them.

I would have to apologize and assure everyone I would miss it next time.

What a privileged doofus he is.

I actually dressed him based on Greg Norman, one of the greatest golf players of all time.

Greg always looked so sharp and preppy when he played.

The sweater vests, the cardigans.

There was a lot of entitlement and privilege surrounding golf untilHappy Gilmorecame onto the scene.

And now everyone plays golf and attempts Happys shot.

Its all in the writing and in the attitude.

Hes all business all the time.

Its all about Shooter.

Its very perplexing to think about, though.

Why is it that people put up with this guy?

you could see that hes twisting the knife.

Hes giving what hes getting, too.

Happy was giving Shooter a lot of grief.

Its the rivalry of these two guys.

Look at Maverick,for example.

You have Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise, and Val is such a dick.

That wouldnt have played so well in a comedy.

You have to have the comedic moments to balance it out.

Oh, thats your room?

Im going to use it for my trophy room!The humor doesnt come out like venom.

Its the repartee between those two that made it special.

You get a brief scene of actually trying to attempt Happys iconic golf swing.

Tell me, is there any cinematic truth to it being good for a long drive?

I selfishly wanted to try it and was like, Oh, you know what?

Shooter should take a stab at do that swing.

It would be good for the character.In real-world golf, anything you do behind the ball is legal.

I wanted to be terrible at it, but it wasnt difficult.

Its not an easy shot to do.

But every golf pro Ive met over the past two decades have all done it.

And most of them said it wasnt easy and required a lot of practice.

But that scene ended up being terrific because it shows another moment of Shooters frustration.

I still cant do it, all of these years later.

Your not happy dream sequence is perfectly silly comedy.

What do you remember about having to suck on a Gene Simmonsesque tongue?Ive blocked that out.

I know Gene Simmons, and we had a good laugh about it.

Another great memory is when at the very end, Shooter is gloating about making this gorgeous put.

IbeggedDennis to let me venture to make the shot on my own and not use editing.

It wasnt a smooth golf course it was actually built around a botanical garden.

They had another guy come in and he was successful after about three takes.

That was fine; it wasnt that special of a shot.

But yes, I did all of my own golfing.

I put a lot of time into that, and I fell in love with the game again.

Golf is such a mental game also, and then the stakes were higher with a movie being shot.

There are a lot of people around.

You dont want to hit anybody.

I was so glad that I wasnt stuck in a hotel for three months.

The hotel scene gets depressing after awhile.

You go to the bar downstairs, go to the gym, and thats it.

And you get to come home and see your wife and have dinner every night?

It made all the difference in the world for me.

I cant remember a bad moment at all.

Do you like to think that Shooter eventually won himself a Gold Jacket?Oh, yes he did.

He came back the next year.

Happy got off the tour, he bought the house back, and he was done.

And now hes on the senior tour.

Hes still got a spark in him.

Like, hes building golf courses and flaunting the fact that its built and designed by Shooter McGavin.

That reminds me, I think Im up to eight bobbleheads of him now.

People line up to get them signed.

Or shirts or hats.

We said hello but I didnt want to bother him too much.

I mean, hes the best thing for golf in a generation.

Buthe wanted to take a photo!

We did a selfie and it wound up on the internet with a bunch of funny headlines.

I just want to do more with Adam.

Look at the other parts Ive played.

Dude, youre always gonna be Shooter!Maybe thatll change soon.

Why do you think that is?

Is it really because the role is so defining?Thats a good question.

Ive indeed gone and auditioned for things for him at his Happy Madison headquarters.

I have no idea.

I havent given up.

Hopefully in the future.

I know that much.

But they were all small roles, not another lead.

I block films out when I dont get the part, you know what I mean?

Never, but thats a really good idea.

Its not too late.

Lets get Jersey Mikes.

I love Jersey Mikes.

Want to take a guess?Number three.

Number nine.Oh, thats not right.

Trust me, I agree!

Id have to putUncuts Gemsas number one andPunch-Drunk Loveat number two.

They were great directors who came and challenged him, and he rose to the challenge.

Both of those performances were spectacular.

Kudos to Adam for his trajectory.

They call him the McDonalds of movie-making.

You go there and you feel good.

Its comfort food and its comfort filmmaking.

Wheres the weirdest place youve been approached by aHappy Gilmorefan?Thats easy.

I had to go to the bathroom, so Im standing at the urinal and relieving myself.

I was like, Can I finish?![Laughs.]

I didnt know what the hell to say.

Whats wrong with some people?

There might have been alcohol involved on his end, but it was embarrassing and I didnt appreciate it.

Then, of course, the huge bathroom line was staring at me.

I put my head down and got out of there quickly.

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