‘That Should Have Been Me’: Timothée Chalamet Revealed The Adam Sandler Movie He Wanted To Be In

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Timothée Chalamet is having an exceptionally successful career in Hollywood. He’s already received several Academy Award nominations – and his recent performance in Marty Supreme suggests more are coming – and he’s collaborated with many acclaimed directors. You’d expect someone with that level of achievement to be completely confident, but there’s one thing that still bothers him: a classic Adam Sandler film from the 1990s.

During a discussion for Vanity Fair in late 2025, two Golden Globe nominees were analyzing each other’s most famous films. The conversation soon turned to the 1999 comedy Big Daddy, and Timothée Chalamet jokingly claimed he was better suited for the role of Julian “Frankenstein” McGrath than Dylan and Cole Sprouse, who ultimately played the part.

That was a fantastic movie! I’m really pleased for Dylan and Cole, but it made me wish it was me – we’re around the same age, and I think I would have handled things similarly.

Timothée Chalamet recently turned 30 and is generating a lot of excitement with his new film, Marty Supreme, and its promotion. Interestingly, he’s a few years younger than the twin actors who delivered the memorable and tear-jerking line, “But I wipe my own ass,” in a powerful courtroom scene. It makes you wonder what might have happened if Chalamet had been discovered earlier in his career, before his breakthrough role in Dune.

As the discussion continued, Sandler questioned Chalamet about his comment that he felt he could have played the part, and asked if Chalamet had even auditioned for it. This led to a humorous exchange between them.

  • Adam Sandler: Did you come in and audition for that?
  • Timothee Chalamet: [After some hesitation] No.

Timothée Chalamet wasn’t cast in the role that launched Dylan and Cole Sprouse’s careers – the one that led to their appearances on Friends and eventually their own show, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. He did eventually start his film career in 2014 with Men, Women & Children, which also starred Adam Sandler. While it wasn’t a typical broad comedy or intense drama, it was a good starting point for him.

While chatting about the film Big Daddy, Timothée Chalamet unexpectedly found himself witnessing Adam Sandler playfully flirting with his wife, Jackie Sandler. Jackie had a brief but memorable appearance during a Monday Night Football broadcast. Sandler also used the conversation to address a rumor that had been circulating online, and he shared affectionate stories about Jackie and how their relationship began.

We worked with a really tight budget on that project, but we actually made a good amount of money. It was a great experience, honestly one of the best. People online say Jackie and I met on set, but that’s not true – we met at a party and fell in love. We had fun working together again on ‘Big Daddy,’ and there was definitely some playful flirting. Speaking of which, easy there, Timmy, I’m just having fun with my wife! I wasn’t sure how the movie would be received, but I truly enjoyed the process of making it.

Sandler clearly enjoyed filming Big Daddy, though another, younger Golden Globe nominee perhaps regretted not seizing an opportunity.

It’s possible Timothée Chalamet and Adam Sandler will collaborate again someday. I’d be thrilled to see them in a suspenseful thriller, but a classic comedy – perhaps as a father and son or brothers who are huge wrestling and basketball fans – would also be fantastic.

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2025-12-31 21:20