Fans of Adam Sandler productions may notice that The Wrong Missy looks a bit familiar when it comes to its cast. However, many of these actors have had careers outside of Sandler’s orbit. Spanning from incredibly popular dramas and TV comedies to careers in professional wrestling and Broadway productions, these actors have surprisingly diverse filmographies, even if they do lean heavily towards the comedy end of the spectrum.
With the clout Sandler undoubtedly has in the comedy world, it’s no wonder he’s able to easily reel in a cast with such a wide-ranging background.
David Spade: The Emperor’s New Groove (2000)
David Spade may seem like an odd fit for one of the leads in a Disney movie, but The Emperor’s New Groove wasn’t like most other Disney movies.
In it, Spade played Kuzco, the vain and self-absorbed young emperor of the Incan Empire. Supported by the talents of John Goodman, Eartha Kitt, and Patrick Warburton, it’s definitely a film worth checking out if you haven’t, and watching again if you have.
Lauren Lapkus: Orange Is the New Black (2013 - 2019)
Although a relative newcomer to the world of feature films - The Wrong Missy is her first lead role - Lauren Lapkus has had several smaller roles.
One of her more notable roles is her portrayal of Susan Fischer, a young, compassionate corrections officer, seen in some of the earlier seasons of Orange Is the New Black. Her character was eventually fired for disagreeing with Caputo, even though she was in the right.
Nick Swardson: Nick Swardson’s Pretend Time (2010 - 2011)
An accomplished stand-up comedian in addition to an actor, Nick Swardson's sketch show on Comedy Central combined the two skills. Each episode featured clips of his comedy shows, in addition to sketches.
A bit more off-color than other sketch shows on broadcast channels, it was a great fit for the more raunchy tone of a lot of the cable channel’s fare. Perhaps not surprising given how many Adam Sandler projects he’s appeared in, the show was a Happy Madison production.
Sarah Chalke: Scrubs (2001 - 2010)
Chalke played Dr. Elliot Reid through nearly the entire run of the hugely popular NBC sitcom Scrubs. Starting off as an intern alongside Zach Braff’s J.D.and Donald Faison’s Turk, she’s known for her terrible social skills - although they did somewhat improve over the course of the show.
As a member of a large ensemble cast, her relationships with the other characters and her experiences at the hospital are shown frequently.
Rob Schneider: Deuce Bigalow (1999)
Although Schneider typically plays either a member of a larger ensemble cast or a supporting part in films, he played the main character in Deuce Bigalow. After losing his job at an aquarium for cleaning the tanks in the nude, Deuce ends up housesitting for a male prostitute in order to take care of a sick fish.
After destroying a tank, he turns to the homeowner’s profession in order to make the money he needs to replace the fish before the owner comes home.
Joe Anoa’i: WWE Raw (1993 - )
Anoa’i is probably better known by the name Roman Reigns, his World Wrestling Entertainment alter ego.
Reigns has been part of WWE Raw since 2012, except for a period during 2018 and 2019 during which he battled leukemia - which he had first fought while playing for the Minnesota Vikings after college. He’s been a crowd favorite during much of his time as a face in the wrestling federation.
John Farley: I Am Chris Farley (2015)
The younger brother of comedian Chris Farley, you may not recognize his name from more than its association with his more famous brother, but Farley has had bit parts in many of Adam Sandler and David Spade’s films over the years.
His most memorable appearance is probably in the documentary about his brother’s life, in which he helps tell the story of how Chris got his beginnings in comedy as a child, following through until his tragic death.
Chris Witaske: Love (2016 - 2018)
Witaske played the aptly named Chris in all three seasons of the Judd Apatow-headed Love, a Netflix Original series. The series follows Mickey and Gus as they meet and form a relationship, in what is meant to be a more realistic look at love.
Chris is a side character for most of the series, although as someone who is always there to bounce feelings off of, he was promoted to a member of the main cast by the end of the series.
Geoff Pierson: Dexter (2006 - 2013)
Pierson was Deputy Chief Thomas Matthews in all but one season of the Showtime drama Dexter. He acted as something of a father figure to Dexter and Debra Morgan after Harry Morgan’s suicide.
He plays a critical role in the serial killer series, since his relationship with Dexter is more than once instrumental in helping turn suspicion away from Dexter’s guilt.
Molly Sims: Las Vegas (2003 - 2008)
Las Vegas showed the day to day (and major drama) of working at and running a large casino on the Vegas strip from an insider’s position.
Sims played Delinda Deline, the daughter of the fictional Montecito’s Head of Operations and the Entertainment and Food and Beverage Manager for the casino.