Adam Sandler has paid a heartfelt tribute to Morris the Alligator, his co-star from Happy Gilmore who has died.
In an emotional message shared to his Instagram account on Wednesday, the 58-year-old actor eulogized the reptile not just as an animal actor but as a true collaborator.
“Goodbye, Morris. We are all gonna miss you,” Sandler wrote. “You could be hard on directors, make-up artists, costumers—really anyone with arms or legs—but I know you did it for the ultimate good of the film.”
Sandler recalled an incident in which Morris supposedly refused to leave his trailer without 40 heads of lettuce, plus another time when the reptile took a larger half of a Three Musketeers bar.
“I will miss the sound of your tail sliding through the tall grass, your cold, bumpy skin, but, most of all, I will miss your infectious laugh,” Sandler continued. “Thanks to Mr. Young for taking care of you all these years, and vaya con dios, old friend.”
Morris retired from acting in 2006 and spent the rest of his life at the Colorado Gator Farm in Mosca, Colorado, per Entertainment Weekly. While his precise age was never known, his caretakers estimated he was over 80 years old based on his size and tooth loss.
The farm announced his death through a statement on Facebook on Sunday.
Morris appeared in films like Interview with the Vampire, Dr. Dolittle 2, Blues Brothers 2000, plus starred as the killer alligator in 1980’s Alligator and its sequel, Alligator II: The Mutation in 1991.
However, it was Happy Gilmore that cemented Morris’ legacy.
Although he later couldn't travel due to his age, Morris’ caretaker Jay Young told TMZ in September that the farm would’ve been open to allowing filming on-site if the Happy Gilmore sequel needed him.
According to TMZ, Morris' body will be preserved via taxidermy and remain at the farm to “continue to scare children for years to come.”
Happy Gilmore 2 starring Adam Sandler, Julie Bowen, Ben Stiller, and Christopher McDonald will hit Netflix on July 25.
