Adam Sandler receives first leading actor SAG nomination for ‘Hustle’ but already leads fashion icon status

When you think of Adam Sandler, do you think of the award-winning actor, ‘Happy Madison’ producer or even a fashion icon…?

While Adam has garnered hundreds of nominations across his 35-year career including nods at the Golden Globes, Primetime Emmys and even the Grammys. And 2023 marks a turning point for Adam as he receives his first leading actor Screen Actors Guild nomination.

The comedian ‘hustled’ his way to be named in the outstanding performance category alongside heavy competition Austin Butler (Elvis), Brendan Fraser (The Whale) and Colin Farrell (Banshees of Inisherin), for his leading role in Netflix’s basketball drama film ‘Hustle’.

Adam’s role in the movie was atypical to his usual comedic typecast, with the Brooklyn-born actor playing a washed-up basketball scout.

The 54-year-old has been heavily campaigning ahead of the awards season participating in podcasts, roundtable discussions and even accepting an honorary Gotham award, but was over the moon to see his name appearing for the first time in the leading SAG category.

He tweeted to his 3.1 million followers: “Thank you to everyone at SAG. That was real cool. And love to all.”

The nod not only marks Adam’s first major acting recognition since he started his career but also comes after Adam’s role in 2020’s Uncut Gems was snubbed by the awards.

Some believe that Adam’s ‘Hustle’ role would have also been disregarded, if it weren’t for the basketball dramedy appearing on streaming giant Netflix, who have been promoting the production heavily in addition to other leading films ‘Glass Onion’ and ‘Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio’.

It also helps that the Screen Actors Guild awards are being streamed for the first time through Netflix’s Youtube this year, filming on 26 February.

Despite Adam Sandler receiving a long-awaited nomination for a leading role, the Just Go With It actor has been leading the way for fashion inspiration over the past three years.

Usually seen decked out in a comfy attire with ‘parachute-style’ basketball shorts, oversized t-shirts and Nike trainers, the dubbed ‘grocery-run look’ has been inspiring influencers since 2021, beating the likes of Harry Styles, Lizzo and Britney Spears for fashion trends.

As a result, fashion magazine Vogue gave the award for ‘Fashion Icon’ to Adam with other titles such as ‘Y2K King’ and ‘Adam Sandler Summer’ being thrown around - the latter gaining over 2.6 billion views on TikTok.

In addition to influencers, celebrities such as Pete Davidson have expressed their love for the look, with the SNL comedian naming Adam Sandler as his favourite fashion icon in 2020.

While Justin Bieber’s baggy shorts have been likened to Adam’s style, GQ have also queried whether Adam is beating Bella Hadid in terms of being an unofficial ‘Uggs’ ambassador.

The top model was seen wearing a pair of the mini boots last year causing searches to jump 152%, according to Lyst data.

Hopefully, Adam can add a SAG award to his leading fashion icon status in February.