Adam Sandler’s longtime manager Sanford ‘Sandy’ Wernick has died at the age of 86.
Wernick died on Thursday following a brief illness, a family representative confirmed to Deadline.
Wernick, who was a talent manager and partner/senior executive VP at Brillstein Entertainment Partners, passed away in Rancho Mirage, comforted by the presence of his family and loved ones.
A private service is set to take place in Palm Desert, with a memorial celebration planned in Los Angeles at a later date to honor his legacy.
Sandler famously played a character inspired by Wernick in the 2017 Netflix film Sandy Wexler.
He portrayed a talent manager in 1994 Los Angeles trying to launch the career of a gifted young singer played by Jennifer Hudson. Wernick even made a special cameo appearance in the film.
Adam Sandler’s longtime manager Sanford ‘Sandy’ Wernick has died at the age of 86; They are pictured in 2017
During his time as Sandler’s manager, Wernick served as an executive producer on several of the comedian’s hit films, including Billy Madison (1995), Happy Gilmore (1996), Bulletproof (1996), and The Wedding Singer (1998).
Aside from Sandler, Wernick’s client list also included Jeff Ross, Lorne Michaels, Rob Schneider, Tim Herlihy, Colin Quinn and more.
