The 1998 movie The Waterboy is easily one of Adam Sandler’s most popular films. Inspired by one of Sandler’s Saturday Night Live characters, Sandler’s portrayal of a fictional waterboy named Bobby Boucher was definitely one for the ages. Despite not getting a lot of good reviews, the movie was a huge box office success. Full of comedy and, The Waterboy is one of those movies you can enjoy without having to think too much about what’s going on. In the years since the film’s release, some of the cast members have gone on to have tremendously successful careers while others have stayed a little more out of the spotlight. Keep reading to find out what happened to the cast of The Waterboy.
Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler is only on the list by default seeing as how many people are likely well aware of what he’s been up to in recent years. After The Waterboy, Sandler went on to star in several other successful movies including Little Nicky and Big Daddy. However, by the time the mid-2000s rolled around, it seemed like the public started to move on from Sandler’s brand of humor. Despite that, he has continued to work very consistently. In addition to all of his comedic roles, Sandler has also gotten experience with more serious parts and his fans really seem to love them. It turns out there’s much more to Sandler than just being silly all the time.
Fairuza Balk
Fairuza Balk was still in elementary school when she started her acting career. However, it didn’t take her long to show the world that she was much more than just another cute kid. By the time she was cast in The Waterboy, she already had well over a dozen acting credits to her name and she was one of the most recognizable young stars in the business. However, by the early 2000s, we were seeing less and less of Fairuza. Apparently, however, that decision was all hers. Eventually, she decided that she didn’t want to spend as much time in the spotlight. During an interview with Dread Central, Fairuza said, “I struggled a lot with being pushed too hard in my 20’s, with people telling me that I had to keep taking more and more movies because that’s really only when I’d be relevant. Hollywood is designed that way; it’s always about the new flavor of the moment and I’ve always preferred to be a bit more mysterious. I’d rather only take on projects that I want to, not take everything that’s offered to me so I can be more relevant. There’s no satisfaction in working like that, at least for me.” Don’t get it twisted, though, Fairuza has continued to work regularly since The Waterboy. In addition to several on-screen appearances, Fairuza has also done some voice acting. Most notably, she was in two episodes of the popular animated series Family Guy.
Jerry Reed
Jerry Reed had already been in the entertainment industry for more than 30 years when he was cast as Coach Red Beaulieu in The Waterboy. In the film, he was the primary antagonist who fired Bobby Boucher from his job as the waterboy of the University of Louisiana football team. Throughout the film, Bobby is on a mission to find a way to get back at coach Beaulieu which lends itself to lots of funny moments. Sadly, The Waterboy would end up being Jerry’s final movie. He passed away in 2008 due to complications from emphysema. He was 71 years old at the time of his death.
Henry Winkler
After spending 10 years playing Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli, it would have been very easy for Henry Winkler to be typecast and fade into obscurity. However, he never let that happen. By the time he was cast in The Waterboy, Henry had already had a very successful career on the screen and behind the camera. In his role as Coach Klein, Henry brought a great sense of humor and plenty of acting chops. In the years since, Henry has continued to be a fixture in the entertainment industry. He has also gotten involved in the world of children’s books. In 2003, he released the first book in his series Hank Zipzer: The World’s Greatest Underachiever. Despite now being in his 70s, Winkler isn’t showing any signs of slowing down any time soon. He is currently working on a film titled Shoot the Rooster that is set to be released at some point in 2021.
Kathy Bates
Kathy Bates is arguably one of the most successful actresses of her generation. Many people were probably surprised to see her in a movie like The Waterboy because she is best known for her more serious roles. That said, Kathy’s comedic timing has always been on point, so it’s easy to see she was the top choice to play Bobby Boucher’s mother. Since the film, Kathy Bates has continued to shine on the big and small screens. While it’s true that her movie roles are what she is best known for, her TV roles have earned her two Primetime Emmy Awards. Things in Kathy’s career have gone great, but the same can’t be said for all aspects of her personal life. In 2003, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. In 2012, she was also diagnosed with breast cancer and had to undergo a double mastectomy. Despite her health issues, Kathy Bates continues to work. She currently has three projects in the pipeline including a movie called Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret which is based on the children’s book of the same name. Unfortunately, none of her upcoming movies have release dates.
Larry Gilliard Jr.
Larry Gilliard Jr. is the kind of actor who can truly do everything. In his role as Derek Wallace in The Waterboy, he got the chance to really tap into his comedic side. Although Larry has continued to work very consistently since The Waterboy, most of his focus has been on TV roles as opposed to movies. Some of his most notable appearances after The Waterboy include TV shows like The Wire and The Walking Dead. Outside of acting, Larry has also gotten back in touch with his first love. He has played the clarinet for many years and actually attended Juilliard as a clarinet performance student. However, he ultimately decided that he wanted to focus on acting. Based on his Instagram profile, it also appears that he likes spending time outdoors and enjoying the simple things in life.
Peter Dante
Peter Dante wasn’t one of the biggest names in the cast of The Water Boy, but he left a lasting impression nonetheless. Unlike the other actors on the list, Peter didn’t have a big career before The Waterboy, and he only appeared in small roles afterward. Many of his roles were in Adam Sandler movies and his most recent on-screen appearance was in the 2013 movie, Grown Ups 2. Sadly, things haven’t gone so well for Peter in recent years. According to an article from Fox News, Peter “was arrested in Los Angeles on Wednesday at 9:40 a.m. with a felony charge after an altercation with his neighbor. He was booked in Los Angeles county jail and was released that night after posting a $50,000 bond.” Sources have reported that the altercation began because Peter was aggravated by loud noises that were the result of a construction project his neighbor was having done. Peter allegedly threatened to kill his neighbor and harm other members of the neighbor’s family. Recent photos of Peter also show him looking much different than most people remember. He is set to appear in court in January of 2022.
Blake Clark
Throughout his career, Blake Clark has always been known for his ability to make people laugh. Before The Waterboy, he had already had a string of successful roles including Harry in Home Improvement. Naturally, he fit right in with the rest of the cast of The Waterboy. After the film’s release, Blake continued to land TV and film opportunities. In addition to live-action work, he also got started with voice acting. In 2010, he became the voice of Slinky Dog in the Toy Story franchise after the original actor and Blake’s longtime friend, Jim Varney, passed away. On top of voicing the character in the 3rd and 4th films, he also voiced him in three video games. Now in his mid-70s, Blake Clark is still going strong. However, he doesn’t have any upcoming projects in the works at the moment.
Jonathan Laughran
You know what they say, it pays to have friends in high places. Jonathan Loughran is proof of that. Jonathan is a long-time friend of Adam Sandler’s and has appeared in many of his films. Outside of the work he’s done with Sandler, it doesn’t appear that Jonathan has a serious interest in acting. As a result, he has the least impressive resume of everyone on this list. Blake’s most recent on-screen appearance was in the 2020 movie The Wrong Missy. According to his IMDB page, he doesn’t have any new projects in the works.Adam Sandler
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