Adam Sandler Pays Tribute To ‘Happy Gilmore’ Alligator, Dead At Age 80

Carl Weathers talks to Adam Sandler in a scene from the film ‘Happy Gilmore’, 1996. (Photo by ... More Universal/Getty Images) Adam Sandler is mourning the loss of his Happy Gilmore co-star Morris the Alligator, who died last weekend. Morris played the alligator responsible for biting off the hand of Happy Gilmore’s (Sandler) mentor, former golf pro Chubbs Peterson (Carl Weathers). Colorado Gators, which housed Morris, broke the news of the gator’s death on its Facebook page on Sunday, writing, “Colorado Gators is sad to report the passing away of our oldest alligator, Morris. Morris was known for his work in many movies and TV shows from 1975 to 2006, when he retired to live out his days at Colorado Gators. Forbes How A Fake Decapitation Landed Directors ‘Final Destination Bloodlines’ By Tim Lammers “His exact age was unknown, but he was 9 feet long in 1975 and by his growth rate and tooth loss, we can estimate his age at over 80 years. While we knew this was inevitable, we are very saddened by his passing to old age. RIP Morris.” News of Morris’ death eventually reached Sandler, who posted his condolences and memories of the alligator on social media on Wednesday. Sandler’s post on X begins by saying, “Goodbye, Morris. We are all gonna miss you. 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. The day you wouldn’t come out of your trailer unless we sent in 40 heads of lettuce taught me a powerful lesson: never compromise your art.” Forbes ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ Reviews: Do Critics Accept Tom Cruise’s Final ‘Mission’? By Tim Lammers Morris’ alligator character didn’t survive Happy Gilmore , of course, and the sight of his decapitated head, via Happy, inadvertently caused Chubbs’ death. Morris and Chubbs’ story, however, had a happy ending, as Happy spots the two — along with President Abraham Lincoln — waving to him from heaven at the end of the movie. You can see Sander’s social media tribute to Morris the Alligator in its entirety below. Adam Sandler Will Soon Return With ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ Adam Sandler’s golf champ will return after nearly a 30-year break in Happy Gilmore 2 , which is slated to begin streaming on Netflix on July 25. Original cast members Julie Bowen and Christopher McDonald are returning for the sequel, which will also star Ben Stiller, Travis Kelcie and Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio — aka Bad Bunny — as well as other stars in cameo appearances. Forbes ‘Final Destination Bloodlines’ Directors On Elevating Franchise, Tony Todd And More By Tim Lammers In the original Happy Gilmore , Happy enters a golf tournament to earn money to buy Grandma’s (Frances Bay) house back from the IRS. Along the way, however, Happy runs into a variety of troubles caused by the likes of Morris the alligator and McDonald’s sleezy golf pro Shooter McGavin. The original Happy Gilmore can be rented or purchased on a variety of digital platforms via video on demand, including AppleTV, Fandango at Home, Microsoft, Prime Video and Spectrum. Forbes How Did Sally Field React To Son’s Horror Film ‘Clown In A Cornfield’? By Tim Lammers Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/timlammers/2025/05/15/adam-sandler-pays-tribute-to-happy-gilmore-alligator-dead-at-age-80/