Julie Bowen Thought She’d Be Recast in Happy Gilmore 2. Adam Sandler Had Other Ideas
The Emmy-winner opens up about sequel rumors, Sydney Sweeney speculation, and why her return as Virginia Venit hits differently in 2025.
Table of Contents
Los Angeles, July 4 EST: Julie Bowen is officially back as Virginia Venit in Happy Gilmore 2 — and nobody’s more surprised than she is.
On a recent episode of the Inside of You podcast, the Modern Family alum got real about what it felt like to be asked back for the sequel nearly 30 years after she first played Happy’s love interest in the 1996 comedy classic. Her first reaction?
“I didn’t think they’d bring me back at all,” she said. “Who am I supposed to be? He’s got to have a younger woman in this one.”
You know the trope. Guy ages, love interest doesn’t. Hollywood math. So when Bowen — now 55 — heard rumors that someone like Sydney Sweeney might take over as the new Mrs. Gilmore, even her teenage son was like, “Wait, are you still in this?”
Adam Sandler Said It First: “You’re the Heart of the Movie”
That uncertainty didn’t last long. According to Bowen, Adam Sandler himself shut it down with one line: “Stop it. You’re the heart of the movie.”
And just like that, she was in. Not as a footnote or a flashback, but as Happy’s wife — and the mom to their kids.
Sure, the role’s smaller this time. Bowen says her screen time in Happy Gilmore 2 is “not a ton,” but it still counts. “I’m there,” she said. “And it matters.”
The sequel, dropping on Netflix on July 25, 2025, finds Sandler’s Happy in a new phase of life — older, maybe wiser, definitely still swingin’ wild — with Virginia still by his side. The movie promises some fresh blood (no word yet on the full cast), but it’s not rewriting the history books. It’s honoring them.
Recasting the Recast Trope
Bowen’s return is quietly radical. Hollywood has a deeply documented habit of swapping out women in legacy sequels for someone 20 years younger — sometimes mid-franchise. (Looking at you, The Mummy reboot.)
From Kelly McGillis being absent in Top Gun: Maverick to Rachel Weisz stepping away from The Mummy 3, the pattern is real. Which makes Bowen’s inclusion — even in a smaller role — feel like a rare studio decision made with heart, not just optics.
She knows she’s not here to redo the 90s. “I’m not swinging golf clubs or running around in miniskirts anymore,” she joked. But Bowen gets to be what very few women over 50 get to be in comedies: part of the emotional core.
That’s more than just a casting note. That’s a statement.
What Happy Gilmore 2 Is Really Selling
Yes, there’ll be gags. Yes, there’ll be golf. But if Sandler’s recent string of projects (Hustle, You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah) is any clue, Happy Gilmore 2 isn’t just chasing nostalgia — it’s evolving with its audience.
This is the Adam Sandler who plays pickup games with his knees taped and dresses like your favorite suburban dad. It tracks that his movie counterpart now has kids and a wife who’s been there since the early days. It’s also why Bowen’s return hits differently: she’s not there to reheat a romance. She’s there to show what it looks like when two people actually stick it out.
That’s the emotional thread Sandler seems to be pulling on — and Bowen’s the one holding the needle.
The Takeaway
Julie Bowen’s back in Happy Gilmore 2. Not as a punchline. Not as a memory. But as a character — one that matters. And in a sequel landscape where women over 40 often vanish between credits, that’s not just a comeback. That’s a win.
New Jersey Times Is Your Source: The Latest In Politics, Entertainment, Business, Breaking News, And Other News. Please Follow Us On Facebook, Instagram, And Twitter To Receive Instantaneous Updates. Also Do Checkout Our Telegram Channel @Njtdotcom For Latest Updates.
