Adam Sandler paid tribute to a toothy co-star, the alligator that appeared in his hit film "Happy Gilmore," which died Sunday from old age.
The reptile, which was over 80 years old, had audiences in hysterics when it nearly sabotaged the Tour Championship chances of Sandler's character in the comedy.
"Goodbye, Morris. We are all gonna miss you," Sandler wrote on Wednesday on social media. "You could be hard on directors, make-up artists, costumers — really anyone with arms or legs — but I know you did it for the ultimate good of the film."
Sandler added, "I will miss the sound of your tail sliding through the tall grass, your cold, bumpy skin, but, most of all, I will miss your infectious laugh. Thanks to Mr. Young for taking care of you all these years, and vaya con dios, old friend."
The Colorado Gator Farm, where Morris spent his retirement after ending a showbiz career in 2006, announced his death on Sunday. In a tribute, the farm noted that Morris began his entertainment career in 1975 and, although his exact age was never confirmed, his size and signs of aging, like tooth loss, suggest he was over 80 years old.
"While we knew this day would come, we're deeply saddened by his passing from old age. RIP Morris," the statement read.
Morris' longtime caretaker, Jay Young, noted that the alligator "started acting strange about a week ago, he wasn't lunging at us and wasn't taking food." Tearing up, Young said that it may be "strange to people that we get so attached to an alligator," but he was glad that Morris "had a happy time here, and he died of old age."
Over a 30-year career in Hollywood, Morris earned an impressive list of film credits, sharing the spotlight with the likes of Tom Cruise, Eddie Murphy, and Dan Aykroyd in movies such as "Interview with the Vampire," "Dr. Doolittle 2," and "Blues Brothers 2000," according to Entertainment Weekly. He also landed leading roles in the cult classics "Alligator" (1980) and its sequel "Alligator II: The Mutation "(1991).
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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