Bill Cosby’s advice to Adam Sandler: ‘Keep it clean’

theGRIO REPORT - 'Grown Ups 2' stars Adam Sandler and Kevin James talk about their new film and reflect on their years working on Bill Cosby's TV sitcoms...

Chris Witherspoon

Jul 12, 2013

Funny man Adam Sandler teams up again with his buddies Kevin James, Chris Rock and David Spade for Grown Ups 2.

The film is the sequel to Grown Ups (2010), and this time around the adults are learning lessons from their kids on a day full of surprises.

Is Shaquille O’Neal the next Denzel Washington?

Basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal also stars in the film and shows off his comedy skills.

“He was surprisingly good,” James said of his 7’ 1” co-star. “He was not only good but he was good to other actors.

Grown Ups 2 is just one more acting credit to add to O’Neal’s growing resume of films including Kazaam, Steel, and Scary Movie 4.

When asked if Shaq could possibly be the next Denzel Washington? Sandler responded “oh yeah, if he wanted to be.”

“He’s funny, and he’s a strong man. He was cool. He would allow some of us, if we worked late, to ride him home, and we’d all hop on top of Shaq and he would run home and drop us off at the hotel and stuff.”

The best advice from Bill Cosby

Aside from starring in several films together, Sandler and James have something else in common; they both started out their acting careers working with Bill Cosby.

From 1987-1988 Sandler appeared on four episodes of The Cosby Show as Theo Huxtable’s high school friend “Smitty.” And James’ King of Queens character, Doug Heffernan, first appeared on Bill Cosby’s TV series Cosby in 1996.

Sandler says Cosby’s legacy played a strong influence on his generation of comedians. “He was the one,” he said.

“He was extra smooth, and I remember watching him and learning a lot from him, and how he just ran the set,” James confessed.

Sandler was a teenager when he worked on The Cosby Show, but still remembers the best piece of advice Cosby gave him.

“I was just a kid… he wouldn’t remember. I was only like 18 or something,” Sandler recalled. “He told me ‘you should try to keep it clean when you do you act, and think about if it’s necessary to use that curse or not.’”

To this day the Happy Gilmore star says he has never cursed in one of his films.

“I was filthy in the beginning, but I turned into a decent human.”

Grown Ups 2 is now playing in theaters nationwide.

Follow Chris Witherspoon on Twitter for more Entertainment news at @WitherspoonC