I’m no film critic—my movie expertise peaks at quoting Billy Madison over beers—but when Eminem, the rap legend, pops up in Happy Gilmore 2, I’m all ears. The sequel to Adam Sandler’s 1996 golf comedy hit Netflix on July 25, 2025, and it’s packed with more cameos than a celebrity golf pro-am. Eminem’s role, teased in the trailer and detailed by Sporting News, is a brief but spicy one, channeling the spirit of the original’s heckling “jeering fan.” With a bucket hat, beard, and a sharp “jackass” jab, Slim Shady steps onto the green to mess with Happy Gilmore’s head. Is this cameo a home run or just a nostalgic swing and a miss? Let’s break it down with a grin and a raised eyebrow at my own lack of golfing chops.
The Happy Gilmore 2 Vibe: Nostalgia Meets New Faces
Happy Gilmore 2 picks up 29 years after the original, with Adam Sandler reprising his role as Happy Gilmore, the hockey-player-turned-golfer with a temper and a killer drive. The plot mirrors the first film: Happy’s back on the course, this time to fund his daughter Vienna’s ballet school tuition, per Netflix Tudum. Directed by Kyle Newacheck and co-written by Sandler and Tim Herlihy, the sequel leans hard into nostalgia while roping in a star-studded cast. Returning players include Julie Bowen as Virginia Venit, Christopher McDonald as the smarmy Shooter McGavin, and Ben Stiller as the unhinged Hal L., now running a support group, per Wikipedia.
The cameo list is absurdly stacked: Travis Kelce as a hotel employee, Bad Bunny as Happy’s driver, wrestlers MJF and Becky Lynch, and golfers like Rory McIlroy and Jack Nicklaus, per ABC News. But Eminem’s role has fans buzzing, thanks to his comedic track record in Funny People (2009) and Sandler’s gushing on The Dan Patrick Show: “Eminem was cool, he came by, he was great. He’s a great guy and he was funny as hell”. Filmed in a single day in New Jersey, Eminem’s scenes were a whirlwind, with “a million things we can use,” Sandler told Rolling Stone.
Eminem’s Role: The New “Jeering Fan”
Eminem’s cameo is a direct nod to the original’s “jeering fan,” played by Joe Flaherty, who taunted Happy with “ya jackass” taunts and even tried to run him over, per Sporting News. In the sequel, Eminem plays a rival golfer who gets under Happy’s skin during a tournament. Sporting a bucket hat and beard, he’s nearly unrecognizable until he delivers the iconic “jackass” line, as seen in the trailer at the 1:46 mark. The TMZ breakdown adds a twist: Eminem’s character references Flaherty’s fan as his father, now “in the great Sizzler in the sky,” before Happy’s buddies toss him into a lake. It’s a quick, chaotic scene that echoes the original’s slapstick vibe.
“The rapper’s character only flashes across the screen for a second, but it is enough to catch the mood—he is mad, rude, and probably not a fan of Happy’s short game,” notes Eminem.Pro.
This isn’t Eminem’s first rodeo with Sandler—they shared a scene in Funny People, and insiders told The Sun that Em was “a big fan of the original movie” and “an absolute delight on set”. His comedic chops shone through, with one source saying, “He’s playing a comedic role and he really had fun with it”. X posts, like one from @Shadyind, hyped the cameo with a clip, calling it a “SPOILER ALERT” moment.
Does It Work? A Mixed Bag
The original Happy Gilmore was a comedy gem, with Bob Barker’s fistfight and Lee Trevino’s cameos stealing scenes. Eminem’s role aims to capture that same anarchic energy, but reviews are split. ScreenRant argues it “outpaces any cameo from the original,” citing the sequel’s broader star power. Yet IMDb reviews lament the film’s reliance on nostalgia and “unnecessary cameos,” with one user saying it “fell well short of delivering”. X users are divided too: @Paulfwood1 was pumped to “tap it in” with Happy, while others, like a Reddit thread, questioned the sequel’s appeal, with one user snarking, “I’m surprised people are excited for any Adam Sandler movie”.
My take? Eminem’s cameo sounds like a riot—his sharp-tongued delivery and the Flaherty nod are clever—but a one-day shoot feels like a cameo for cameo’s sake. The trailer’s quick cut suggests it’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, and if you’re not squinting for Em under that hat, you might miss the joke. Still, pairing Slim Shady’s intensity with Happy’s hotheadedness is a recipe for laughs, even if the film leans too hard on nostalgia.
Why Eminem? Why Now?
Eminem’s casting makes sense: his Funny People role showed he can nail comedy, and his friendship with Sandler likely sealed the deal. Plus, Happy Gilmore 2’s July 25 release aligned with Shark Week and his STANS documentary on August 7, keeping him in the spotlight. But the real question is whether this cameo adds to the film’s heart or just piles on the star power. The plot—Happy golfing for his daughter’s future—has the same underdog charm as the original, but HipHopDX critics worry it’s “all cameos and callbacks,” risking a “crappy sequel”.
As a guy who’d rather dodge a golf ball than swing at one, I’m cautiously stoked. Eminem tossing shade at Happy Gilmore is peak chaos, but if the film’s just a cameo parade, it might not live up to the original’s magic. For now, I’ll grab my popcorn, keep an eye out for that bucket hat, and hope Em’s “jackass” line lands as hard as Happy’s drive.
