Kathy Bates has dished out an absolute gem of a story about her initial reaction to The Waterboy's script. The Hollywood legend, renowned for her Oscar-winning roles and spellbinding performances, confessed she tossed the 1998 sports comedy's script in the bin due to Adam Sandler being a complete unknown at the time.
During an exclusive chat with The Hollywood Reporter, Bates recounted receiving the script, which left her thinking, 'What on earth is this?' She admitted to reading just a few pages before dismissing it as rubbish. However, her niece, who shares her passion for the industry, intervened when she spotted the script in the trash bin and recognised Adam Sandler's name, referencing his smash hit The Chanukah Song from his early days on Saturday Night Live.
This timely intervention sparked Bates to revisit the project, leading her to accept the role of Mama Boucher, the fiercely protective mother of Sandler's timid character, Bobby Boucher. Despite her initial reservations, Bates beamed with joy during filming, praising Sandler as 'brilliant' and a 'genius.' She quipped that she 'took the plunge and had an absolute blast,' highlighting the delightful experience of working alongside Sandler as he was catapulting into mainstream stardom.
Adam Sandler himself has previously gushed about his positive experience with Bates, recalling her no-nonsense approach to film criticism. In a 2022 appearance on Happy Sad Confused, Sandler shared that she told him not to read negative reviews, saying 'Well, I like it, so that's all that matters' – a sentiment he found refreshingly cool and reassuring.
The Waterboy was a box office smash, cementing Sandler's status as a comedy kingpin. Although the film might not be readily available on UK terrestrial channels like BBC or ITV, British audiences can still catch Bates's unforgettable performance on platforms such as Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Google Play Movies in the UK.