EXCLUSIVE: Adam Sandler's Death Plans — How Beloved Comic, 59, Has Stunned and Shocked Fans By Laying Out Plans for His Passing
Adam Sandler stunned fans after he openly laid out plans for his passing.
Jan. 16 2026, Published 11:38 a.m. ET
RadarOnline.com can reveal Adam Sandler has startled fans by joking openly about death and longevity, vowing to keep working until the end as he laid out plans for his passing with a typically irreverent promise to make dozens more films before he dies.
The comedian and actor, 59, made the promise while speaking at AARP's recent Movies for Grownups Awards at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, where he accepted a Career Achievement award celebrating performers over 50.
Sandler Jokes About Death While Promising Dozens More Films
Adam Sandler jokes about death while promising decades of new movies.
Sandler, whose career spans nearly four decades and includes a mix of broad comedies and recent dramatic turns, used the platform to reflect on aging, time, and productivity, blending gallows humor with gratitude as his wife, Jackie Sandler and peers watched from the audience.
He told the crowd: "I don't know how much time I have left – 60, 70 years. 80 tops, maybe 90 if I start working out and taking creatine. (Regardless), I promise to everyone here tonight, I will make at least 50 more movies before I am dead – and at least 25 of them will be good."
The line drew sustained laughter and applause, with several attendees later describing it as classic Sandler candor masked as comedy.
AARP event sparks Sandler’s candid reflections on aging.
A source close to the star told us: "People laughed, but there was a moment where it landed harder than expected. He was clearly joking, but also making the point that he has no intention of slowing down just because he's nearing 60."
Another industry source added: "It sounded shocking in isolation, but it was really about defying expectations around age and relevance."
Henry Winkler Intro and Aging Jokes Steal the Show
Henry Winkler introduced Sandler with praise and warmth.
Before taking the stage, Sandler was introduced by his longtime friend Henry Winkler, who praised his work ethic and loyalty.
Sandler then opened his acceptance speech in his exaggerated comic voice, greeting what he called "my silver hair daddies and salt-and-pepper mommas," before poking fun at the implication an AARP honor signals old age.
He said: "The Fonz is in the house! A lot of people said to me, Sandman, I think the AARP Award means that you're old now.' "To that I say, 'It's not because of this award, I got 10 other reasons."
He went on to list a series of increasingly graphic jokes about his body betraying him, sending the room into hysterics.
Family Praise and a Plan to Leave a Lasting Legacy
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Sandler turns mortality into motivation, not retreat.
Among them, Sandler said: "The other day, I had to swallow a Viagra just to take a p---," before adding: "Number two, when I sit down, it sounds like a semi-truck driving over a family of lobsters."
He continued with riffs about his failing taste buds, oversized phone fonts, and falling asleep during Academy Awards screeners, concluding: "For all of you who are getting all the accolades, I must say I love the first 30 seconds of all of your work."
The actor, whose film debut came in Going Overboard in 1989 and whose hits include Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison, and Jack and Jill, also thanked his family.
Married to Jackie for 22 years, Sandler shares daughters Sadie, 19, and Sunny, 17, with her.
He said: "Thank you to my family for supporting my goofiness for all these years, I love you" – framing his dark humor not as resignation, but as a commitment to keep working, joking and showing up for as long as he can.
A source said: "Adam has gotten recent critical acclaim for his dramatic turns for his work in the likes of Jay Kelly, and his plan is clearly to leave some kind of serious mark on cinema before he snuffs it!"
