George Clooney reportedly wanted to ensure Adam Sandler, typically known for his comedic roles, was taken more seriously while filming Jay Kelly.
At the film’s AFI Fest premiere on Thursday, Clooney told The Hollywood Reporter that he banned the crew from referring to Sandler by his nickname “Sandman.”
“You get treated the way you treat yourself,” Clooney began.
“This was a different kind of role for Adam, and I wanted to make sure that he wasn’t making fun of his incredible talent.”
“He likes to just deflect, and I was like, ‘You know what, dude, you’re really good in this film and you’re a really good actor — let’s not just make jokes.’”
Sandler later joked in response, “I still call myself the Sandman; he can’t stop me,” but admitted he appreciated Clooney’s gesture.
“He just is very protective over me. He’s a really nice guy,” he told the publication.
“We would do all these scenes together and we’d get deep together, and he’d say, ‘I just want people to recognize that.’ I’d say, ‘I’m OK, I like just working hard,’ and he’d say, ‘No.’”
“He’s very nice — he’s trying to look out for me,” Clooney concluded.
