Adam Sandler’s Opera Man returns to Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update after a 24-year absence. Though younger fans may not realize it, comedian, actor and Netflix favorite Adam Sandler’s career really began to take off when he joined the cast of SNL back in 1990. Sandler played a host of different characters on the sketch comedy series, many of which are still viewed by fans as some of the best that SNL has ever seen.
The 1990s were a particularly important period for SNL, in terms of the talent that was involved on the show, the careers it helped to launch, and the tragedies that reached far beyond the show’s extensive fanbase at the time. These were the years of not just Sandler, but also Chris Farley, Julia Sweeney, Chris Rock, Phil Hartman and Mike Myers, to name but a few. And although Sandler was only part of the SNL cast for five years, he left an indelible mark on the show, and arguably on the type of sketch comedy that SNL has since gone on to make. In fact, even today Sandler’s brand of comedy doesn’t seem out of place in the least, as he recently proved.
Thanks to Saturday Night Live's YouTube channel, Sandler fans who missed it the first time around can now see the return of one of the comedian’s most loved characters from his 1990s stint on the show - Opera Man. It’s been 24 years since the last time that Sandler’s goofy take on an opera singer appeared on SNL, and if his recent appearance is any indication, the joke is still as funny as it always was. Check out Opera Man’s guest spot on Weekend Update below:
Sandler’s Opera Man wastes no time commenting on pop culture and political climates, taking shots at the likes of HBO, Seth Rogen, the presidential candidates taking part in the 2020 US election, and of course, Donald Trump. It’s all done in the ridiculous, yet funny fluctuating falsetto and baritone of Opera Man, and judging by the audience and cast reactions to Sandler’s familiar routine, everyone was glad to have the comedian back. Sandler is getting set to release his latest Netflix movie next month, this time alongside familiar co-star Jennifer Aniston in Murder Mystery. The new film will mark the second time that the duo have worked together, with the last effort being 2011’s Just Go With It.
It’s nice to see Sandler return to a character that represents a time in SNL’s history in which some of the most beloved names in comedy were just getting their careers going. Whether Sandler’s career since he left SNL has always been everyone’s cup of tea is another story altogether, but no one can accuse the comedian of not being prolific - even if for some, every comedic endeavor he’s spearheaded or been a part of may not measure up to the wild success he once found every weekend on SNL.
Source: Saturday Night Live