This Is How ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ Included the Late Bob Barker

This article contains spoilers for Happy Gilmore 2.

The newly-released Happy Gilmore 2 features the return of several familiar characters, but sadly, a number of cast members from the original movie have passed away in recent years — from Carl Weathers (who played Happy’s mentor Chubbs), to Joe Flaherty (who played Shooter McGavin’s creepy superfan), to Morris the alligator (who played the alligator).

Then there’s Bob Barker. The Price Is Right host famously played himself in Happy Gilmore, brawling with Happy in what was arguably the most memorable scene in the movie. While bringing Barker back for the sequel likely would have been a no-brainer, unfortunately he died in 2023 at the age of 99 (without going over).

Incidentally, anyone interested in seeing a rematch between Barker and Adam Sandler might want to check out this video from Comedy Central’s 2015 Night of Too Many Stars.

Despite the fact that he’s now in the great Showcase Showdown in the sky, Barker does make several appearances in Happy Gilmore 2 — just not in a way that required Star Wars-esque VFX technology or dabbling in the dark arts. 

For starters, in the movie’s opening montage, we learn that Happy Gilmore scored a number of non-Subway endorsement deals following the events of the first movie, including becoming a spokesman for Trojan condoms after having five kids with Victoria Venit. Plus, Happy also got into the gaming industry. “Tiger Woods had a video game, so we did a Happy Gilmore one,” Happy reveals. 

But in addition to golfing, the digital Happy avatar could also choke out his caddy and fight with a PlayStation-like version of Barker. “I think you’ve had enough,” the pixelated Barker intones. 

“I think the computer guys made it a little too realistic,” Happy admits.

The movie does include a prolonged, brutal fight scene, but it’s between Happy and Shooter McGavin, and it takes place, not on the golf course, but in the cemetery where Happy’s wife is buried. And among the tombstones we see Barker’s name prominently displayed. “Game over bitch,” Happy shouts before Shooter employs Barker’s signature choking move.

And if all that wasn’t enough, in the final moments of the movie, Happy gazes into the heavens and once again sees Chubbs, his alligator nemesis and Abraham Lincoln. But this time, he also sees his grandmother, Flaherty’s heckler, Mr. Larson, the new character played by Eminem and Bob Barker. 

Come to think of it, all of this was probably a lot more work than simply hiring Drew Carey to come to the set and take a few punches.