LEGENDARY CBS sports commentator Verne Lundquist has revealed he nearly missed out on the iconic movie role that made him a cult comedy favourite in Happy Gilmore.
Lundquist reveals he would not have been in the movie because the script was originally written for someone else.
Verne Lundquist is widely known for his long career with CBS[/caption]
The legend has been speaking about how he got into Happy Gilmore[/caption]
In a bombshell chat, the smooth-voiced veteran said he was stunned when the script for Adam Sandler’s 1996 golf hit was hand-delivered to his hotel room and bore a scratched-out name in the corner.
Lundquist told Awful Annoucing: “I looked at the top right-hand corner.
“They’d tried to erase the name but I could still see it. It said Pat Summerall.”
Producers had originally wanted the legendary NFL voice but when the role opened up, it was Uncle Verne who got the nod and nailed it.
His cameo as the deadpan TV commentator in Happy Gilmore has since become one of the film’s most iconic parts.
Lundquist became an unexpected comedy legend trading dry play-by-play with Sandler’s chaotic Happy and delivering cult lines like a pro.
Despite his towering broadcasting resume fans still shout “In your life!” at him for Happy Gilmore, not the Masters.
And now, nearly 30 years later, Lundquist is back reprising the role in Happy Gilmore 2, alongside Sandler and rap superstar Post Malone.
He said:“Nothing was going to stop me from making time for the sequel.
“Not when I almost didn’t make it into the first one.”
His career began in the 1960s, first on radio in Austin, then on TV in Dallas, where he became the voice of the Dallas Cowboys for nearly two decades.
From there, it was a rise to national stardom. Lundquist worked with ABC Sports, then joined CBS in 1982, calling everything from NFL to figure skating, college football to NCAA basketball.
His voice was the sound of Saturdays for millions of Americans.
He became especially beloved on the SEC on CBS, where he spent 17 years calling epic college football clashes.
Now, after officially retiring from CBS with one final Masters broadcast in 2024,
Verne is back onto the silver screen for one more go-round with Happy this time not nearly erased but front and center.
