Adam Sandler remembers Happy Gilmore co-star Bob Barker: ‘The man. The myth. The best’

Adam Sandler has shared a heartwarming tribute to his Happy Gilmore co-star Bob Barker, who died over the weekend.

Barker died of natural causes at his home in the Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles on Saturday morning (26 August). He was 99.

Tributes have flooded in following news of Barker’s death, with Sandler being the latest celebrity to remember the late TV presenter.

Barker retired in 2007 after hosting the hit CBS game show The Price is Right since 1972.

"The man. The myth. The best. Such a sweet, funny guy to hang out with," Sandler wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "Loved laughing with him. Loved him kicking the crap out of me.

“He will be missed by everyone I know! Heartbreaking day. Love to Bob always and his family! Thanks for all you gave us!’

The Uncut Gems star, 56,  accompanied his post with photographs of him and Barker together.

Barker starred in Sandler’s 1996 golfing comedy Happy Gilmore as himself, appearing in the film when he was paired with Sandler’s character in the Pepsi Pro-Am tournament.

Tensions between the two characters come to a head during the tournament when the duo fall to the bottom of the standings, leading Barker’s trademark likability to slip.

The two get into a brawl on the golf course, with Barker announcing: “I don’t want a piece of you. I want the whole thing.”

Gilmore appears to get the better of Barker with a tackle that sends them both tumbling down the hill.

It’s at this point that Sandler utters the film’s most iconic line, a spin on Barker’s Price is Right catchphrase: “The price is wrong, b****.”

Barker, however, springs up out of nowhere to kick Gilmore in the face, restarting the fight, which ends with him saying: “Now you’ve had enough, b****.”

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In 2015, Barker and Sandler stepped back into their much-loved characters for Comedy Central’s Night of Too Many Stars, which raised money to benefit autism programs.

The duo continued their fisticuffs, only this time in a hospital, using bedpans as weapons.

One year later, the same year Barker stepped down from presenting The Price is Right, Sandler participated in a CBS special celebrating Barker’s legendary career.

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The Click star recited a poem written in honour of the TV presenter.

During his career, Barker won 19 Daytime Emmy Awards, received an Emmy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1999 and was inducted into the Television Academy’s Hall of Fame in 2004.

Barker was also known for his support of animal rights causes. He donated $5m (£3.98m) to the anti-whaling Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which named one of their ships after him.

In 2013, Barker donated $1m (£795,500) to move three captive elephants from the Toronto Zoo to a sanctuary in California.

Barker had said it was his wife, Dorothy Jo Gideon, who was behind his fight to help animals.

Gideon died of lung cancer in 1981 and he never remarried.

“She was ahead of her time. She really was,” said Barker of his late wife. “She stopped wearing fur coats before anyone was stopping. She became a vegetarian before people were becoming vegetarian. And I gradually did the same thing with her.”