- - Kevin James credits Adam Sandler for saving “Paul Blart: Mall Cop”: 'Thought my career was over'

Raechal ShewfeltFebruary 5, 2026 at 10:49 PM

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Adam Sandler and Kevin James at the 2007 MTV Movie Awards in Los Angeles

Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Fans of 2009 comedy Paul Blart: Mall Cop have Adam Sandler to thank for the film's success — at least its star Kevin James thinks so.

"He saved me. He made my movie Mall Cop. I would never have gotten that made," James said this week on The Drew Barrymore Show. "He made it happen."

James not only starred in but also cowrote and coproduced the 2009 comedy about a mall security guard who finds himself in a situation where he must become a hero. Sandler, who was already a blockbuster movie star, was also a producer.

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As James recalled, the star of movies such as Happy Gilmore and Big Daddy worked his magic on it.

"We shot it, and we edited it. And you know what it's like seeing the first cut of a movie," James told Barrymore. "It's horrendous."

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Especially this time, at least for James, who'd already worked with Sandler in movies such as I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry.

"I thought my career was over," James recalled. "And we were so panicked. Adam goes, 'Relax, buddy. Let me check it out.' He looked at it. He let areas breathe, and he just knew what to do with it. And he made the movie that was. It was just amazing."

'Paul Blart: Mall Cop' stars Kevin James

Moviestore/Shutterstock

With an impressive $183 million worldwide haul on a relatively modest $26 million budget, according to Box Office Mojo, Paul Bart: Mall Cop was successful enough to spawn a sequel, 2015's Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2. Kevin has since starred in his own series, Kevin Can Wait, and numerous films, including Grown Ups and its sequel with Sandler, 2012's Here Comes the Boom, and Playdate in 2025.

James agreed with Barrymore, who's also frequently worked with Sandler, that the actor is "the greatest."

"Everything he does, I listen," James said. "I just follow him."

In fact, James worked on 50 First Dates, the 2004 romantic comedy that featured both Sandler and Barrymore, who has worked with Sandler multiple times.

Barrymore said that she'd first collaborated with Sandler after repeatedly calling him.

The Charlie's Angels star wanted to meet with him, she said, because she thought they were supposed to "make many movies" together and be like "the Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn of their day," but "not graceful and cool."

That's when Sandler told her that he's been working on something that eventually became their 1998 romantic comedy The Wedding Singer.

James was promoting a new film, Solo Mio, about a groom stranded in Rome after a wedding disaster. The romantic comedy opens Friday.

The Drew Barrymore Show airs weekdays. Check local listings.

on Entertainment Weekly

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