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Adam Sandler
Birthday: September 9, 1966

The breaks: Another proud son of Brooklyn (though raised in New Hampshire), it was Adam's quirky looks, (dirty) boyish charm and successful Boston-area stand-up shows that won him a role as Smitty on TV's 1980s ratings king, The Cosby Show, and later, a minion gig on MTV's game show Remote Control. Later, he landed a coveted spot on the Saturday Night Live roster at age 25. On the big screen, Adam bounced around bit roles until putting his own comedy formula -- slapstick tricks, goofy gags and sweet sincerity -- to the test with 1995's Billy Madison. The risk paid off, but the long string of same-vein follow-ups, including The Waterboy and Little Nicky, lost luster at the box office. Luckily, unlike so many peers, Adam's foray into drama -- playing the lead role in Paul Thomas Anderson's 2002 film, Punch Drunk Love -- proved his range and won him higher-brow raves ("Sandler delivers the kind of knockout performance that even his staunchest defenders probably didn't realize he had in him," praised one critic). But Adam's not about to take himself too seriously: "I'm just a buffoon. That's all. I look in the mirror, I see a buffoon. That's all I want to see."

Funniest moment: Billy Madison's golf course smackdown with mensch-turned-madman Bob Barker.

Most romantic moment: Robbie's high-flying finale kiss with Julia (Drew Barrymore), after a sweet serenade (The Wedding Singer).

Sidekick: Adam married longtime love, model Jackie Titone, in June 2003.

Up next: The romantic comedy Spanglish with Téa Leoni, followed by Click, about a workaholic and his supernatural remote control.

Next: Ben Stiller

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