Six years after his onscreen son died, Adam Sandler paid tribute to Cameron Boyce with his latest movie.
With Happy Gilmore 2 now available to stream on Netflix, eagle-eyed viewers have noticed Sandler’s Grown Ups co-star appearing on a TV in the background of one scene, following the young actor’s death at age 20 in 2019.
“Adam put a tiny Cameron Boyce (played his son in Grown Ups) tribute in Happy Gilmore 2. Excuse me while I sob,” wrote one viewer on X, sharing an image of the scene with what appears to be Boyce in an episode of Disney Channel’s Jessie playing on a TV.
Sandler’s 2020 Netflix comedy Hubie Halloween featured a tribute to Boyce, who was supposed to appear in the film before he died.
“In loving memory of CAMERON BOYCE,” the tribute read. “Gone way too soon and one of the kindest, coolest, funniest, and most talented kids we knew. You live on forever in our hearts and are truly missed every day.”
Boyce — who was also known for his roles in Descendants, Jessie and Mrs. Fletcher — died in his sleep on July 6, 2019. His family noted at the time that his death was caused by “an ongoing medical condition,” which was later revealed to be epilepsy.
“It is with a profoundly heavy heart that we report that this morning we lost Cameron,” a family rep said in a statement. “He passed away in his sleep due to a seizure which was a result of an ongoing medical condition for which he was being treated. The world is now undoubtedly without one of its brightest lights, but his spirit will live on through the kindness and compassion of all who knew and loved him.
“We are utterly heartbroken and ask for privacy during this immensely difficult time as we grieve the loss of our precious son and brother,” they added.
Boyce’s family started the Cameron Boyce Foundation in his honor, aiming to cure epilepsy by funding research, education and awareness campaigns.
