Paul, you were incredibly frightening as the Riddler in “The Batman,” and I’m wondering, Adam, does a performance like Paul’s in the film inspire you to say, “You know what, I think I might be interested in playing a role like this” — either being a superhero or a supervillain and Paul, have you encouraged him to do as such?
Sandler: Oh, man, yes! That’s a good question [but I wouldn’t]. It’s just due to me wearing anything tight on the body [that’s] going to be awful for everybody. But no, Paul was incredible in that movie … I’m so happy we get to work with each other. He has so many roles, and so many performances, including the Riddler that have inspired me and my family. My daughter loves Paul as an actor, and I just love his career.
Paul, can you see yourself pushing Adam in that direction? I’d love to see Adam go down a deep, dark hole to play a role like you did with the Riddler.
Dano: I agree, but I don’t think he needs the push [because the] right people are [already] calling. I mean, from PTA [Paul Thomas Anderson] to the Safdies [Benny and Josh] and to [“Spaceman”], those are real performances. They’re not just, “Hey, let’s just downplay it a little bit. Let’s just turn the volume down on Adam Sandler a little bit.” When you watch “Uncut Gems” and you watch “Spaceman,” you see it’s real work. It’s a real character, a real performance, and I think that everybody now sees that so I don’t even think he needs a push.
Also starring Kunal Nayyar, Isabella Rossellini, and Lena Olin, “Spaceman” debuts on Netflix on March 1. This interview was edited for clarity.
