Shine on Adam Sandler, you Uncut Diamond

Adam Sandler has never been interested in the awards season buzz. The actor, who has garnered Golden Globe, Grammy and Primetime Emmy nominations throughout his illustrious career — as well as his share of Raspberry-winning flops — doesn’t have time for it. Win or not.

So much so, a simple text or results email will suffice, he explains: “Like, ‘You got this’, or ‘You didn’t get that’. I’m like, ‘Alright, just leave me alone man. I’m just glad we made a great movie’.

Sandler, 53, is being interviewed for his latest film, Uncut Gems. A crime-thriller-turned-runaway hit that’s stirred a furore among some critics for its lack of Oscar nominations.

He plays Howard Ratner, a charismatic New York City jeweller who’s always on the lookout for the next big score. But things come to a head when, after a series of high-stakes bets, he finds himself atop a high-wire act, balancing business, family and encroaching adversaries on all sides.

And who better to create some anxiety-inducing cinema than masters of the trade — and acclaimed Good Time filmmakers — Josh and Benny Safdie?

“This was a 10-year project for us,” Josh says of the film, which stars everyone from LaKeith Stanfield to Idina Menzel, NBA’s Kevin Garnett and even The Weeknd, aka Abel Tesfaye.

“But the original impetus was inspired by our dad’s time working in the Diamond District and the stories that he would tell.

“You would always be on the edge of your seat listening to him... ‘Well what did you do next?’

‘What do you mean they poked your tyre — you knew they were following you, so you didn’t pull over?’” he mimics.

“He’s like, ‘I couldn’t pull over, they were going to kill me!’

“But the stories were also comedic and ridiculous,” he concludes. “So then you start researching the Diamond District and there’s this energy there, where people gamble on top of gamble and there’s seven different things happening at once. You’re trying to pay attention to it all, but it’s a lot!”

Perfect for a high-octane thriller, then. How did they keep up the pace?

“In the edit process, that’s something we talked about a lot,” recalls Josh, 35.

I remember there’s a scene in the SUV and once we did the score, we dropped it in, and I was like, ‘Let’s take it out for a second because I’m going to have a heart attack’.

Over the past three decades, Sandler has earned his stripes in comedy — from Saturday Night Live in his early 20s, to starring in countless Hollywood favourites, from Happy Gilmore and The Wedding Singer to 50 First Dates.

Most recently, he starred in Netflix dark comedy Murder Mystery, which saw him reunited with his Just Go With It co-star, Jennifer Aniston.

High praise

But it’s his venture into dramatic territory, with roles in such hits as Punch-Drunk Love, The Meyerowitz Stories and now Uncut Gems, that has earned him the most praise. The latter was hailed the “best performance of his career” by critics.

So how did Sandler prepare for such a feat? “I studied jewellery a lot hanging out in the Diamond District, met a lot of gamblers, and I brought some of my own insanity, in my own thinking process, into the part,” he says modestly.

If rumour has it, the star turned down the role back in 2012.

“They say I did but I never saw this thing, man!” Sandler protests. “My manager or agents might have said, ‘He’s busy’ or something, but I don’t remember getting this thing.

“I probably would’ve said ‘Yes’ if I saw it, but I’m glad it happened now,” teases the father of two.

The Safdie brothers — who admit his team passed up on it at the time— are too.

“It’s great when you meet a star and they are unique,” Josh says. “He’s unique because he’s so himself and he’s so grounded, and he’s such a good person, but he’s also nuts in the greatest way possible.

“His humour is amazingly strange, and we’ve loved it forever since we were little kids, as that’s the first thing we learned from him: his humour.”

Uncut Gems is in cinemas now