The jury is still out on whether this will be the year that Adam Sandler finally scores an Oscar nomination for his supporting performance in Jay Kelly. The Netflix comedy drama is not one of the guaranteed 2026 Best Picture nominees, but audiences agree that Sandler’s performance is a career best. Now, one of Sandler’s frequent collaborators has weighed in.
Terry Crews, Sandler’s co-star in Blended, Sandy Wexler, The Ridiculous 6, and more, voiced his heartfelt support for Sandler amid this Oscar buzz and stressed how it is more difficult for comedic actors to achieve such high acclaim than dramatic stars. He pointed out that actors famous for comedy got more consideration when they ventured into drama.
In this interview with ScreenRant‘s Grant Hermanns for his Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Replacer campaign, Crews argued that “It’s very easy to tell what’s dramatic, but no one can agree on what’s funny.“ But he also touchingly commented: “He [Sandler] deserves this.” Claiming that Sandler “put me on the map in so many ways,” Crews is thrilled to see this career culmination.
Check out Crews’ full comments below:
ScreenRant: Speaking of comedy, I still look back at things like The Benchwarmers, and a lot of Adam Sandler movies you’re in. Right now he’s getting all this Oscar buzz for Jay Kelly. How does that feel for you, seeing him go from those comedy days to now?
Terry Crews: He’s always been that good, man. Look at Punch Drunk Love. This man is an icon. But one thing people forget is that comedy is harder than drama. It just is. You have the most amazing comedians who’ve done the most terrific dramatic work, from Jamie Foxx to Robin Williams. It’s very easy to tell what’s dramatic, but no one can agree on what’s funny. Comedians are always more willing to go there, and a lot of times you have to go there to be funny because their lives are too serious. It’s a way of dealing with a lot of hard stuff. Comedy was always my way out of very hard situations. All you have to do is just stop before you get to the funny. That’s true drama. So, I’m proud of Adam. Him and Clooney? I saw the billboard the other day, and I just smiled. He deserves this, man. He put me on the map in so many ways. We’ve done almost seven projects together, and I’m just so proud of him.
Directed and co-written by Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story, Barbie), Jay Kelly follows its titular character, played by George Clooney, a washed-up actor famous for playing versions of himself, who is on a journey with his longtime manager (Sandler) to find new meaning. Just one of Netflix’s entries for this awards season, Jay Kelly is potentially losing its Best Picture spot to Frankenstein.
George Clooney and Adam Sandler laughing in Jay Kelly
Sandler, however, could still score a Best Supporting Actor nod, though he would not be the winner. One Battle After Another‘s Sean Penn and Sentimental Value‘s Stellan Skarsgård are the frontrunners, while Paul Mescal for Hamnet is also most likely a nominee. This leaves Sandler competing for one of the last two spots with Delroy Lindo, Jacob Elordi, Jeremy Strong, and more.
Jay Kelly has a massive cast of significant actors all playing very small roles, but Laura Dern and Riley Keough are also among the top-billed cast. However, its reviews aren’t holding up against the biggest Oscar contenders. While Jay Kelly has a 79% on Rotten Tomatoes, those that are on a surer path to Best Picture have scores above 80% if not 90%.
Were he supported by a better movie, Sandler would probably already have secured this nomination. However, barring the reviews of Jay Kelly itself, everyone seems to recognize that this is a major milestone in Sandler’s career. His friends may still be excited that he is getting this kind of buzz, as people recognize him as a singular talent, regardless of awards.
Release Date
November 14, 2025
Runtime
132 minutes
Director
Noah Baumbach
Writers
Emily Mortimer, Noah Baumbach
Producers
David Heyman, Noah Baumbach, Amy Pascal
