Adam Sandler Made His Acting Debut on The Cosby Show

Before he became a comedy icon, Adam Sandler was just an aspiring actor and comedian. Sandler's acting journey began in the 1980s, when he booked his first TV role on The Cosby Show. Not a bad gig, considering The Cosby Show was the number one rated show on TV at the time.

For a four-episode stint in 1987 and 1988, Sandler played Smitty, a member of Theo Huxtable's (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) friend group at school. The role may have been his onscreen debut, but as you can see in the above clip, Sandler still managed to show off his comedy chops. Three years later he joined the cast of Saturday Night Live, and the rest — as they say — is history.

Sandler plays a down on his luck basketball scout in the new feature film Hustle, which dropped on Netflix today.

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Kirstie Renae is a writer, blogger, and Austin-based actress with a penchant for binge-watching TV with her dogs. Follow her on Twitter @KirstieRenae.