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When Max Kessler stepped foot on Syracuse University’s campus in 2010, he didn’t get the usual “What’s your major?” or “Where are you from?” Instead, everyone told him he looked just like Adam Sandler.

By then, he was used to it. The first time someone mentioned the resemblance, he wasn’t even a teenager, even though Sandler is over two decades older than him.

“Okay. I get it. I look like the guy,” he said. “I think, ‘Wow, this is a little freaky.’ But I don’t look in the mirror and say, ‘I’m his younger self.’ I think people see it more than I do.”

Turns out, Sandler and his team saw the resemblance, too. The SU alumnus was cast in Sandler’s “Happy Gilmore 2,” which premiered on Netflix on July 25. Max played the body double for young Happy in the film’s opening montage flashbacks.

Max met his wife, Nicole Kessler, at SU during the first weekend of their freshman year, and Otto the Orange even made an appearance at their wedding in December. Nicole said the resemblance was something she always noticed. In fact, many of his childhood friends have Max’s number saved in their phones as Adam.

“He dresses just like Adam Sandler in his normal wardrobe, so that really just kind of adds to it,” Nicole said. “He was Happy Gilmore every year for Halloween in college.”

Despite decades of comments about his doppelganger, Max was never a die-hard Adam Sandler fan. He was more into sports than movies. But when Sandler played a character named Max Kessler in his 2016 film, “The Do-Over,” it caught his attention.

“I remember thinking, ‘Someone must have dubbed the script,’” Max said. “There’s no way this is real.”

And yet, it was. Max created a Reddit account that day and posted about the coincidence. Quickly, the post amassed over 10 million views, including one from Sandler himself, who responded by prompting Max to recreate a silly photo.

The name of Adam Sandler’s character in his new movie, “The Do-Over” is Max Kessler. My name is Max Kessler. Oh yeah, and I look just like him.
byu/therealmaxkessler inpics

Sandler invited Max to the red carpet premiere for “The Do-Over” where the pair met for the first time in an Entertainment Tonight interview. Sandler called Max a “younger, better, sweeter” version of him. Meeting a successful, A-list celebrity could be intimidating, but Sandler was welcoming, warm and down to earth, Max said.

“It was like we knew each other for years,” Max said. “It was very natural, and it probably shouldn’t have been, because I’m on a red carpet and I’m freaking out.”

The story gained national attention and Max made appearances on Entertainment Tonight and Good Morning America. During his short stint of fame, interviewers asked Max if he would ever be in a future Adam Sandler movie.

“They have my phone number,” he’d tell them.

Nine years later, they called.

Max received a message asking if he’d be interested in being a body double for young Adam Sandler in “Happy Gilmore 2.” He knew he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work on a major Netflix film.

“Max is the type of person where he is up for any challenge,” Nicole said. “When they called, he was nervous, but he was ready for it. He was so nervous but he had such a positive outlook that this was just a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Around two total weeks on set, Max got a glimpse into the Hollywood he’d always heard about. Max received mentorship from seasoned actors and his acting and golf coaches. He learned to perform in front of thousands of extras, actors and crew, and even how to mimic Sandler’s facial movements and mannerisms.

When Kessler and Sandler met for the first time on a red carpet, Kessler wasn’t starstruck. The interaction between the lookalikes felt very natural, Kessler said. Courtesy of Max Kessler

Max worked directly with Sandler, who’d perform the stunt before him to help Max accurately replicate Sandler’s movements and dialogue. As days went on, the actor gave Max more leeway to make the scenes his own with “less hand holding.” On set for “Happy Gilmore 2” felt like getting dropped into a PGA Tour event or the Saturday Night Live soundstage, which are some of the settings of the movie, he said.

“You get to peel the curtain back and see how they became so successful and how it translates into filming,” he said. “You’re not a fan anymore. You really need to make sure you execute and do a good job.”

When the film premiered, Max hosted a screening for his family. His father, Jay Kessler, woke up at 5 a.m. on the morning the movie came out on Netflix. He watched the beginning montage and fast forwarded through the rest to see his son’s name in the credits. He described it as “phenomenal.”

On Max’s last day on set, the cast and crew started clapping out of nowhere. Max looked around, confused. It wasn’t until they said, “That’s a wrap on Max,” that he realized it was for him.

“Oh, they’re clapping for me,” Max said. “All these people are standing up and giving me accolades. It was really the icing on the cake.”

Published on August 25, 2025 at 10:10 pm
Contact Eliana: ehrosen@syr.edu