Julie Bowen Expresses Surprise at ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ Return, Adam Sandler Insists She’s the Film’s ‘Heart’
Julie Bowen will reprise her role as golf tour executive Virginia Venit, the love interest of Adam Sandler’s hotheaded pro golfer, in the long-awaited Netflix sequel Happy Gilmore 2, premiering July 25. The Modern Family alumna revealed her initial disbelief at returning to the franchise nearly three decades after the 1996 cult classic, recounting on the Inside of You podcast, “I didn’t think they’d bring me back. I mean, who am I supposed to be? He’s got to have a younger woman in this one.”
Sandler, however, quickly dismissed her doubts, emphasizing Virginia’s enduring role as the “heart of the movie,” even as Bowen joked about her reduced screen time. The duo previously reunited for Netflix’s 2020 comedy Hubie Halloween.
Reflecting on her original casting, Bowen shared a candid behind-the-scenes moment: After auditioning, producers expressed relief at her approach to the role. “Some of these girls were just so aggressively sexy,” she recalled them saying, prompting her to quip, “That’s a bad thing?”
Directed by Kyle Newacheck (Murder Mystery), the sequel features returning star Christopher McDonald as antagonistic golfer Shooter McGavin, alongside newcomers Travis Kelce, Bad Bunny, Kid Cudi, and Benny Safdie. Sandler co-wrote the script with original collaborator Tim Herlihy.
McDonald first teased the project in 2024, recounting Sandler’s playful reveal: “He shows me the first draft and says, ‘Fans demand it, dammit!’” The film joins Sandler’s lucrative Netflix slate, which includes hits like Hustle and Murder Mystery.
Happy Gilmore 2 tees off on Netflix July 25.