Hidden Clues and Secret Cameos: The Surprising Easter Eggs Lurking in Happy Gilmore 2

Raise your hand if you ever thought you’d see Adam Sandler, not just one more time on a golf course, but sharing screentime with more A-listers than the Oscars’ afterparty! So here we are—nearly three decades later—Happy Gilmore 2 slams the nostalgia ball right into our faces with a meta-wink and so many cameos you’ll need a program to keep score. But let’s press pause for a second. Can a movie really fit this many celebs, in-jokes, and outrageous family roles without bursting at the comedic seams? Or is this just Sandler and crew redefining “Easter egg overload” for the binge-watch generation? Either way, one thing’s for sure: you’re about to fall down a rabbit hole of golf hijinks, heartbreak, and blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearances (no, seriously, Post Malone is in this?) while Sandler’s own family treats the set like Thanksgiving dinner. Ready for the wildest sequel tour ever teed up? Spoilers and shenanigans ahead—brace yourself and LEARN MORE.

*This article contains Happy Gilmore 2 spoilers*

It feels like Happy Gilmore 2 has quite possibly broken the cameo record for how many you can fit into one film. And we’re not complaining.

After a 29-year wait, Adam Sandler returns as Happy Gilmore, now a retired golfer battling alcoholism and grief after accidentally killing his wife Virginia (Julie Bowen) at the start of the film.

But because his daughter Vienna (Sunny Sandler) wants to go to a ballet school in Paris, he decides to re-enter pro golf to raise some money.

Christopher McDonald is back as Shooter McGavin, while Ben Stiller returns as Hal L. And then you’ve got like Bad Bunny as Happy’s caddie Oscar, Benny Safdie as antagonist Frank Manatee, as well as cameos from Eminem, Eric André, Kid Cudi, Travis Kelce, Post Malone, Margaret Qualley and Rory McIlroy, to name a few.

However, to test how well you know Happy Gilmore, here are some things you may have missed in the second movie:

SNL cameo

The long-awaited Happy Gilmore 2 dropped on Netflix on Friday (25 July) (Netflix)

At the start of the film, Happy’s success coincides with clips of him on Saturday Night Live.

This is of course a nod to Sandler’s real-life tenure on the show from 1990 to 1995, which helped kick-started his career in the entertainment business.

Family

Sandler’s family appear in the film (Netflix)

Now, Sandler is known to have his family appear in his movies on a regular basis. On this occasion, there’s his wife Jackie and two daughters Sunny and Sadie.

Sunny plays his daughter Vienna, Jackie stars as Vienna’s dedicated dance teacher, while Sadie shows up in AA meetings as an FBI plant.

Even Sandler’s mother, mother‑in‑law, brother‑in‑law, and cousin all take small roles.

Honouring the dead

A number of actors from the original have sadly passed away (Netflix)

A standout scene has Happy and Shooter battling over gravesites of characters and actors from the original.

You’ve got Bob Barker, who died in 2023, Carl Weathers’ Chubbs, (died in 2024), and Frances Bay’s Grandma, who passed away in 2011, among others.

The return of nipple-pinching Waterboy coach

Scottie Scheffler in Happy Gilmore 2 (Netflix)

OG Sandler fans will remember actor Blake Clark, who played the pierced Farmer Fran in 1998’s The Waterboy.

He appears in a similar state in Happy Gilmore 2 and is a regular in Adam’s flicks.

Happy ending

At the end of Happy Gilmore, Happy sees a ghostly vision of Abraham Lincoln, Chubbs, and the alligator who took his hand, waving to him from heaven.

Then in the sequel, he sees the same thing, but Grandma, Mr. Larson, Bob Barker, the hecklers from both films, and his late wife, Virginia, are also shown.

Virginia sweetly tells him: “Oh, you’re okay.”