Adam Sandler as Happy Gilmore; Cameron Boyce. Credit :
Courtesy of Netflix; Amanda Edwards/WireImage
- Netflix delighted subscribers with the arrival of Happy Gilmore 2 on Friday, July 25
- Viewers have been quick to spot a “lovely” nod to Cameron Boyce in one scene of the comedy
- Boyce, who died in 2019 at age 20, previously appeared alongside Adam Sandler in Grown Ups and Grown Ups 2
Happy Gilmore 2 features plenty of star-studded appearances, but one in particular is inspiring Netflix viewers to pause their screens to catch a glimpse.
Since the Adam Sandler-led comedy arrived on Netflix on Friday, July 25, several fans have already pointed out what they’re calling a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it tribute to Cameron Boyce — the late Disney Channel star who appeared as Sandler’s son Keithie in both Grown Ups and Grown Ups 2.
During the scene, Sandler’s golfer character, Happy Gilmore, can be seen walking up toward a check-in booth with his clubs in hand. As he approaches, the person inside the booth is watching a show on a CRT television — Boyce then appears on screen.
The Boyce easter egg appears to be from an episode of Disney Channel’s Jessie, in which Boyce played Luke Ross from 2011 to 2015. The short nod has been described by fans as a “lovely tribute.”
Happy Gilmore 2 also features appearances from Alix Earle, Bad Bunny, Travis Kelce and pro golfer John Daly, among others.
Cameron Boyce appears on a TV screen in ‘Happy Gilmore 2’. Netflix
Boyce and Sandler, 58, first worked alongside each other in 2010’s Grown Ups, before reprising their roles as father-son duo Lenny Feder and Keithie Feder in 2013’s Grown Ups 2. Boyce also found success on Jessie and beyond for Disney, notably playing Cruella de Vil’s son Carlos in the Descendants franchise.
Boyce died suddenly at the age of 20 in July 2019 after experiencing a seizure in his sleep. In the years since, the Cameron Boyce Foundation, which was set up in his memory, has continued to support causes close to him and has funded research towards a cure for epilepsy.
Happy Gilmore 2 isn’t the first Sandler film to feature a nod to Boyce. Halfway through the credits of 2020’s Hubie Halloween, those behind the film incorporated a photo of Boyce alongside a touching message.
“In loving memory of Cameron Boyce,” the tribute read. “Gone way too soon and one of the kindest, coolest, funniest, and most talented kids we knew. You live on forever in our hearts and are truly missed every day.”
Boyce’s former Disney costars have continued to honor him over the years, too, including on the sixth anniversary of his death in July.
Before that, Dove Cameron shared a message about her friend back in May on what would have marked his 26th birthday. “I still feel you all the time. catch you in the next life,” she wrote on Instagram, alongside a series of all black-and-white photos. “happy birthday. i love you.”
Kenny Ortega, who directed Boyce in the Descendants films, penned his own tribute on Instagram in May, writing that he’ll “hold a place deep in my heart for always.”
“You are still my fave. That will never change. I celebrate you today, your birth, and the everlasting light you shown in your time with us,” Ortega said.
“You made every room brighter when you entered it. You are love, light and forever with us,” he added, before encouraging fans to contribute to his foundation.
