Eminem’s character in Sandler’s comedy was overpowered by a wrestling world champion who felt conflicted throughout filming this scene.
Maxwell Jacob Friedman goes by MJF in AEW, where he achieved the multi-time and world champion titles. However, his aspirations go far beyond the ring, as he is trying to build his acting career before retiring from wrestling.
And this is where he met the superstar who left him awestruck more than anyone ever before.
A Screen Fight
MJF landed the role of Happy’s son in Adam Sandler’s comedy Happy Gilmore 2. He played Gordie, a stubborn meathead with a short fuse, not unlike his father, Happy Gilmore himself. Meanwhile, Eminem played the son of a heckler who tormented Happy in the first movie. Marshall enthusiastically carried on the story’s continuity by following his fictional father’s footsteps and making Happy’s life difficult. Yet the story took a sudden turn when Gordie and his friends showed up and, quite literally, threw him to the alligators.
The following sequence of Marshall’s character defiantly cussing out the predators as he succumbed to his demise was hilarious and very on brand. Marshall even managed to sneak a couple of Slim Shady’s signature lines in this dramatic scene. And while Em had fun on and behind the camera, MJF was going through the experience of acting as an asshole towards a man he admired – all in character.
Meeting the Star
The wrestling star talked about this in his recent interview with Chris Van Vliet on Insight. He phrased it rather strongly: “I did beat the shit out of Eminem, yeah”.
At the same time, he mostly focused on observing Eminem. It was his first time seeing Em “in the wild”, and it was certainly different from what everybody can see on TV.
“Marshall Mathers, he rolls deep”, muses MJF. “He showed up on that movie set with a big crew, probably 10-15 dudes, and they were all easily as big as Luchasaurus. It’s like massive human beings, and I get it because he’s seen some shit. So I’d imagine it’s no different than when a wrestling fan might see me out and about”.
So, while he sees some parallels in how he and Eminem move, MJF by no means sees himself as equal to Marshall. “Being next to who is arguably the greatest rapper of all time was one of the only times in my life where I was star struck”, reveals the wrestler.
Nevertheless, it did not stop MJF from fulfilling his role diligently and drugging Em’s character to the alligator pit. So maybe this acting career isn’t a pipe dream for the young fighter.
