What role does Ben Stiller play in Happy Gilmore 2? Everything to know about the actor

Netflix dropped a new teaser trailer for Happy Gilmore 2, which made the titular champion golf player the talk of the town. After almost three decades, the sequel to the 1996 sports comedy is finally going to hit the screens on July 25, 2025.

Adam Sandler is returning as Happy Gilmore as are several other members of the original cast including Christopher McDonald's Shooter McGavin. One such cast member is Ben Stiller who had an uncredited role as Hal L, the film's secondary antagonist in Happy Gilmore. Stiller repises his role, as Hal L makes a brief appearance in the Happy Gilmore 2 teaser.

In Happy Gilmore, Hal L is an orderly at the old-age nursing home where Happy's grandmother resides after her house is ceased due to unpaid taxes. Initially, Hal appears to be a nice guy who cares for the people at the nursing home.

However, as the movie progresses, it is revealed that Hal is far from the nice guy he pretends to be as he exploits and abuses the home's residents. Much is not known about his character in Happy Gilmore 2 as of now.

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Everything we know about Ben Stiller

Ben Stiller at the 2025 SXSW Conference And Festival (Image via Getty)

Ben Stiller was born to comedians, Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, on November 30, 1965, and raised in Manhattan. His parents used to take him to their workplaces when he was very young. His interest in filmmaking led him to make movies with his sister and friends in the Super 8 format.

After graduating from school in New York in 1983, Stiller moved to Los Angeles and enrolled as a film student at the University of California. However, he dropped out after 9 months and began pursuing a career in the entertainment industry. He had made his acting debut at 9 in his mother's TV series, Kate McShane.

After The Ben Stiller Show, Stiller made his directorial debut in 1992 with Reality Bites, a commercial success despite receiving mixed reviews. His work on films like There’s Something About Mary, Zoolander, and Tropic Thunder earned him further acclaim.

Since 2010, he has been majorly focused on TV shows and has directed and executive produced shows like Escape at Dannemora and Severance. Both shows have earned him Emmy nominations. He has several accolades including an Emmy, a Directors Guild of America Award, and a Teen Choice Award.

According to Us Weekly, Ben Stiller and actress Christine Taylor have been married since 2000. The couple have appeared in several of Stiller's movies together. They have two children, a daughter named Ella Olivia, who recently graduated from the Juilliard School with an acting degree, and a son named Quinlin 'Quinn' Dempsey. Us Weekly further reported that Stiller and Taylor announced their separation in 2017 but reconciled later during the pandemic.

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Ben Stiller on reprising his role as Hal L in Happy Gilmore 2

In an interview with Collider published on November 20, 2024, Stiller said that he is always ready to star as Hal L. and is excited to reprise one of his lesser-known characters. In fact, he already appeared as Hal in Adam Sandler's Hubie Halloween, which also starred Julie Bowen. Earlier, she played Happy Gilmore's longtime lover, Virginia Venit, in the 1996 film.

Stiller also reflected on how he enjoys playing Hal in the movies because he has "no redeeming characteristics." He said:

"I love Adam. He's a dear friend. And the opportunity to do that guy is just so much fun because he has no redeeming characteristics. I think he's a good person inside. I think he's misunderstood. It bothers him that everybody loves Happy. You don't have to worry about making him likable, so it's really fun to just go for it. We had the best time."

Stiller also teased about Hal's name in Happy Gilmore 2. He said:

"There is a good reveal in the movie having to do with Hal’s name that I won’t say. There’s a good surprise there."

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Happy Gilmore 2 will premiere on Netflix on July 25, 2025.