Puerto Rican basketball star Matt López joins Adam Sandler and Bad Bunny in ‘Happy Gilmore 2’

To Matt López's surprise, after their conversation, Sandler introduced him to Bad Bunny, who was standing behind them and is also part of the film's cast. Capture via @AccessBadBunny.

By Mivette Vega

December 5, 2024

During filming, which took place in New Jersey in early November, Adam Sandler approached López to greet him and ask if he was still playing basketball in Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rican basketball player Matt López will be part of the cast of Happy Gilmore 2, the sequel to Adam Sandler’s popular 1996 comedy.

Standing 7 feet tall, López was initially considered for a role in the film because of his height. However, the production later decided he would serve as the double for former Serbian NBA player Boban Marjanovic, who is 7’4″, according to El Nuevo Día.

During filming, which took place in New Jersey in early November, Sandler approached López to greet him and ask if he was still playing basketball in Puerto Rico. Last season, López was part of the Quebradillas Pirates in the National Superior Basketball League (BSN).

To López’s surprise, after their conversation, Sandler introduced him to Bad Bunny, who was standing behind them and is also part of the film’s cast.

“We were in New Jersey. It was 5:00 a.m. on a golf course. I saw Bad Bunny freezing, shivering miserably [laughs]. I greeted him, and we started talking about the BSN,” the player told El Nuevo Día.

This is the third film López has participated in. His first was Hustle (2022), which revolved around basketball. In that movie, he met both Sandler and Marjanovic.

López is also part of Werewolves, a Puerto Rican film premiering this week in which he plays a werewolf.

“I don’t really want to be an actor. Putting on a wolf suit and moving like a monster—I love that. But as I keep getting into the industry and meeting people, opportunities come up. They tell me I’m really tall, but different from other tall people. My body is kind of proportionate. I don’t look strange for my height. I can get more roles despite being tall, which can limit other tall people,” he said.

As for Happy Gilmore 2, Sandler is reprising his iconic role nearly 30 years after the original, returning to the golf course. While the plot remains a mystery, several characters from the first film will return, including Julie Bowen as the PR manager, Ben Stiller as a nursing home orderly, Hal L., and Christopher McDonald as Shooter McGavin, Gilmore’s rival.

Bad Bunny was spotted on set dressed as a caddie.

The movie is set to debut on Netflix in 2025.

RELATED: Bad Bunny Shares a Kiss With Gael García Bernal in the Lucha Libre Biopic ‘Cassandro’

Author

Mivette Vega

Mivette Vega is a seasoned journalist and multimedia reporter whose stories center the Latino community. She is passionate about justice, equality, environmental matters, and animals. She is a Salvadorrican—Salvadorian that grew up in Puerto Rico—that has lived in San Juan, Venice, Italy, and Miami.

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CATEGORIES: LOCAL CULTURE

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