Cameron Boyce’s mother, Libby Boyce, says Adam Sandler’s decision to weave her late son into Happy Gilmore 2 left her “overwhelmed with gratitude,” praising the comedian for keeping the young actor’s spirit on‑screen six years after his death.
The newly released Netflix sequel, which debuted worldwide on 25 July, slips a brief shot of Disney Channel’s Jessie into a clubhouse television feed as Sandler’s hot‑headed golfer checks in for a tournament, allowing Cameron’s Luke Ross to appear in the background of the scene. Fans quickly flagged the Easter egg on social media, calling it one of several affectionate nods sprinkled through a film packed with cameo surprises.
Libby shared the clip on Instagram, writing that Sandler had been “strategizing their next collaboration” in the days before Cameron died from complications of epilepsy in July 2019 at age 20. The pair first met when the actor was cast as Sandler’s son in Grown Ups and its sequel, forming what Libby described as a “second‑family bond” that continued off‑set and through charity work with the Cameron Boyce Foundation. Sandler previously honored him by dedicating the end credits of 2020’s Hubie Halloween and by funding epilepsy research in his name.
Happy Gilmore 2 arrives nearly three decades after the original and shows its aging hero fighting to regain tour status while mentoring his teenage daughter, a plot Sandler co‑wrote with Tim Herlihy. Shot last year in New Jersey but set loosely in Connecticut, the PG‑13 comedy reunites Julie Bowen and Christopher McDonald and features more than 70 celebrity cameos, from PGA champion Scottie Scheffler to rapper Bad Bunny.
Critics note that the Boyce tribute is less flashy than many of those appearances, lasting only seconds yet carrying outsized emotional weight for viewers who followed the actor from Disney sitcoms to indie dramas. “Adam’s kindness keeps Cameron’s legacy alive,” Libby wrote, adding that she hopes the moment prompts audiences to learn about SUDEP, the sudden unexpected death in epilepsy that claimed her son
