MJF To Appear In Classic Adam Sandler Movie Sequel

Maxwell Jacob Friedman, or MJF as he's known to wrestling fans, is making a name for himself inside the ring and in Hollywood, too. The former AEW World Champion first appeared in A24's The Iron Claw and has since caught the acting bug.

On Friday (September 27) Deadline announced that MJF has joined the cast of Happy Gilmore 2. There's no indication what the AEW star will do in the film yet, and the sequel's plot is still a mystery. The film is currently in production with Julie Bowen and Christopher McDonald reprising their roles along with Adam Sandler returning as temperamental golfer Happy Gilmore.

Released in 1996, Happy Gilmore further solidified Sandler as a box office powerhouse. On a budget of $12 million, Sandler's second starring vehicle earned over $82 million worldwide and remains one of the actor's most beloved comedies. Sandler co-wrote the film and won an MTV Movie Award for best comedic performance.

Friedman recently finished work on The Floaters, a comedy starring Seth Green and Aya Cash, and Stranglehold alongside Ron Perlman and Justin Long. MJF is just the latest pro wrestler to segway into a career in film. Drew McIntyre debuted in Dave Bautista's The Killer's Game earlier this summer, and CM Punk has also dipped his toe in cinema in the past few years.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, John Cena, and Bautista are the current standard-bearers for wrestlers appearing in film, but they are certainly not the first. In the past, Andre the Giant, Hulk Hogan, and Roddy Piper were all featured in successful big-budget Hollywood productions.