Harrison Ford Had An Odd Request For Adam Sandler When They First Met

Harrison Ford and Adam Sandler are two undeniable icons in their respective Hollywood circles. Ford is perhaps best known for his roles in action-adventure thrillers and sci-fi epics like the "Indiana Jones," "Star Wars," and "Blade Runner" franchises. Sandler, meanwhile, is synonymous with slapstick comedies and romcoms like "Billy Madison," "Happy Gilmore," and "50 First Dates." Yet, while their individual niches mean they have never actually worked together, Ford and Sandler have crossed paths in the real world. In fact, the first time they met, a relatively fresh-faced Sandler was not only awestruck by the fact that Ford knew who he was, but also taken aback by an odd request the "1923" actor made of him.

Sandler, who's certainly no stranger to bizarre interactions, recalled his first meeting with Ford during an appearance on "Conan" in March 2017. The moment came about after Ford's "Star Wars" co-star Carrie Fisher, who served as a script doctor on the Sandler-led 1998 comedy "The Wedding Singer," invited Sandler himself to one of her famous parties. It was during said party that Ford approached Sandler after recognizing him from the aforementioned "Billy Madison," which had released a few years prior, in 1995. "He goes, 'I would love for you to come over to my house ... and I would love for you to wash my car,'" Sandler shared, much to the amusement of the live studio audience.

Ford then apparently explained the request, supposedly telling Sandler, "My kids think you're funny, and it would just be such a kick for them to see that." Sandler and host Conan O'Brien then concurred that only someone with Ford's star power could get away with making that kind of remark to a fellow actor.

Adam Sandler recalled another humorous early interaction he had with Harrison Ford during a December 2022 appearance on Josh Horowitz's "Happy Sad Confused" podcast. However, this one requires a bit more context.

During a now-famous segment from a 1994 episode of "Saturday Night Live," Sandler celebrated Hanukkah by performing a song where he listed off various celebrities who are either fully or partially Jewish. "Harrison Ford's a quarter Jewish, not too shabby," he sings in the clip. Twenty-eight years later, Sandler told Horowitz that most of the people he named in the song were good sports about it. When he crossed paths with Ford, however, the "Regarding Henry" star fact-checked him. "Everybody was nice. Everybody was happy," Sandler said, adding, "Actually, Harrison Ford — I think I say Harrison Ford's a quarter Jewish, right? ... Back then, when I wrote it... I don't think Google was around. So, I was, like, going off of something. I don't know. 'He's a quarter Jewish.' And I remember when I met Harrison Ford, he goes, 'Half.'"

Indeed, while Ford's father, Christopher, had a Catholic background, the actor's mother, Dorothy (née Nidelman), was an Ashkenazi Jewish woman, making Ford himself half Jewish. That being said, if you want to get really technical, since Judaism is traditionally matrilineal (as in passed down by one's mother), Ford would actually be considered fully Jewish under classical religious law. In any case, Sandler's estimate was clearly a bit off — and Ford was apparently more than happy to let him know.