Julie Bowen is dusting off her golf footwear — and her onscreen romance with Adam Sandler.
“I like Adam. He's a really respectful individual, particularly in the case of, like, a kissing scene or one thing,” Bowen, 55, solely informed Us Weekly forward of Completely satisfied Gilmore 2's launch. “I at all times really feel like I can drive that prepare. He's like, ‘Oh, you're gonna gimme the tongue?' And I used to be like, ‘I'd! I'd do it.' … He's great. I like this individual. I imply, I'm not married to him. That's [his wife] Jackie. He has an exquisite household. However I like him deeply. [It's] really easy to play with him.”
Almost 30 years after first teeing off as tour publicist Virginia Venit within the 1996 slapstick comedy Completely satisfied Gilmore, Bowen is again for the long-awaited sequel that hits Netflix on Friday, July 25. However because of her son, she wasn't at all times certain she'd make the reduce.
“[My son] stated, ‘Who're you gonna play in [the sequel]? And I stated, ‘Properly, I'd play, if it occurred, Virginia Venit, in fact,'” Bowen recalled saying. “He goes, ‘However how? You're a lot older.' I stated, ‘However Adam and Completely satisfied, they're previous [too]!' And he was like, ‘Yeah, I believe he would have a youthful girlfriend.' I used to be like, ‘Huh. He would possibly.'”
The dialog in the end planted a seed of doubt in Bowen's thoughts, which solely grew over time as she and Sandler saved lacking one another's telephone calls. Ultimately, Bowen shot her previous costar a textual content telling him she “understood” if he needed to go in a unique path.
“I stated, ‘If that is a few sequel and I'm not in it, don't fear. I get it. You could evolve and alter. I like you. I'm at all times rooting for all of your success.' And he calls me, like, ‘Are you able to simply shut up so I can let you know — I need you within the film!'” she stated with amusing.
Julie Bowen, Adam Sandler Joseph Lederer / © Common Footage / Courtesy Everett Assortment
Bowen will not be the one acquainted face to reprise their function within the sequel. Christopher McDonald comes again as Completely satisfied's archenemy Shooter McGavin, and Ben Stiller as soon as once more performs Hal L., amongst many different returning stars. Among the spectacular new faces embrace The Substance's Margaret Qualley, Travis Kelce and Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, a.ok.a Unhealthy Bunny, as Completely satisfied's caddy.
As for Bowen's function, Virginia is now Virginia Gilmore, and he or she and Completely satisfied share 5 youngsters — the couple clearly have a “sturdy bodily connection,” Bowen joked. Within the movie, Completely satisfied comes out of retirement to assist pay for his or her daughter Vienna's (performed by Sandler's 16-year-old daughter, Sunny) dream of attending an elite ballet faculty in Europe.
In true Sandler style, followers can anticipate loads of laughs from the sequel, however in response to Bowen, the film's emotional core hits closest to residence because it's rooted in household — one thing that displays her personal life in addition to her main man's.
Adam Sandler Scott Yamano/Netflix © 2025
“[Virginia and Happy] each actually linked over having a household and having youngsters and placing them first,” Bowen defined. “And that's ripped out of Adam's life and mine. We each really feel the identical manner. Like, it doesn't actually matter so long as the children come first.” (Bowen shares son Oliver, 18, and twins John and Gustav, 16, with ex-husband Scott Phillips, whereas Adam shares daughters Sadie, 19, and Sunny with spouse Jackie Sandler.)
Nonetheless, returning as Completely satisfied's love curiosity was a bit intimidating. “It was so much much less scary in 1996 [when] we shot Completely satisfied Gilmore, as a result of Adam, he wasn't unknown, however [he] didn't have Jennifer Aniston and Drew Barrymore and this checklist of those that he's labored with over and over,” she joked. “I used to be, , a bit intimidated to be enjoying his girlfriend!”
Regardless of any nerves, the pair's chemistry continues to be as sturdy as ever, each on display and off. Bowen credit that bond to Adam's upstanding and sort nature. It's one thing she stated hasn't modified a bit over the previous three a long time.
“Everyone desires to really feel like they're residence, and Adam does that for lots of of individuals,” she informed Us. “When he talks about all of the cameos and the visitor stars, he doesn't speak about getting efficiency out of them. He talks about thanking them for giving up their time, for standing round for 12 hours and doing their half. That has by no means modified.”
Completely satisfied Gilmore 2 hits Netflix on Friday, July 25.
