ON SUNDAY, "60 MINUTES" GOES HOME WITH ADAM SANDLER

Box Office Comedy Star Shows His Childhood Home and Talks About His Upcoming Role Against Type as a Desperate Gambler in a Dark Drama

60 MINUTES gets a rare visit to Adam Sandler's childhood home where his close-knit family encouraged him to pursue what has turned out to be a prolific career as a stand-up comedian, cast member of "Saturday Night Live," and box-office superstar. Much of his success was built around his unique style of comedy, but his latest movie role could change Sandler's reputation forever. Sandler explains to Sharyn Alfonsi how he switched gears from comedy to drama to play a desperate gambler in "Uncut Gems." The story will be broadcast on 60 MINUTES Sunday, Dec. 8 (7:30-8:30 PM, ET/7:00-8:00 PM, PT) on the CBS Television Network.

In the Manchester, N.H., home where his mother, Judy, still lives, the star of "Happy Gilmore" and "The Wedding Singer" gives his mom credit for building some of the confidence he needed. "My mother said how great I was all the time. I started to believe her," says Sandler, whose films have brought in billions at the box office.

He recalls the attention he got when he imitated his grandmother. "'Well, you know, Adam,' she always used to say. 'Well, you know you cannot digest cantaloupe.' That was her big thing because I ate a lot of cantaloupe growing up. And she'd say, 'That's not good for your stomach. That's why you always get bellyaches.' She didn't know I was faking bellyaches to stay out of school. She thought it was the cantaloupe."

"Uncut Gems" opens wide on Dec. 25 and is a rare dramatic role for Sandler. He plays an intense New York jeweler with a dangerous gambling habit. It is a role that required serious preparation and acting. "I was scared," he tells Alfonsi.

The 60 MINUTES profile also touches on the early disappointment when he left the cast of "Saturday Night Live" and how he's finally gotten over some of the harsh critiques of his zany films. He also takes 60 MINUTES cameras to New York's Diamond District, where much of the new film was shot, and to a public basketball court, where he often plays when in New York City.

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