Sandy Wernick obit

Sandy Wernick Dies: Adam Sandler’s Manager Who Inspired ‘Sandy Wexler’ Movie Was 86

 He was on the list.

Sanford ‘Sandy’ Wernick, the talent manager and partner/senior executive VP at Brillstein Entertainment Partners, has died. He was 86.

A family representative tells Deadline that Wernick died on Thursday in Rancho Mirage, California, surrounded by family and loved ones, following a brief illness. Private services will be held in Palm Desert, followed by a memorial celebration in Los Angeles at a later date.

Beginning his career as a manager in the 1970s, his clients included Adam Sandler, Tim Herlihy, Lorne Michaels, Jeff Ross, Colin Quinn, Rob Schneider and many more. A co-creator and executive producer of Def Comedy Jam, Wernick also helped package and produce shows like Saturday Night Live, The Muppet Show, The Sopranos, Just Shoot Me, Alf and The Goldbergs.

As Sandler’s manager, Wernick was an EP on his movies Billy Madison (1995), Happy Gilmore (1996), Bulletproof (1996) and The Wedding Singer (1998).

In 2017, Sandler played a character inspired by Wernick in the Netflix film Sandy Wexler, about a talent manager hustling in 1994 Los Angeles, as he attempts to turn talented young singer Courtney (Jennifer Hudson) into a star. Wernick had a cameo in the movie.

Born March 22, 1939 in the Bronx, Wernick graduated from NYU and served in the Army from 1960 to 1962. He worked as an adjunct professor at USC School of Cinematic Arts’ Peter Stark Producing Program, and he volunteered in the Cedars Sinai emergency room.

Wernick is survived by wife of 64 years, Barbara, daughter Michele, son Barry and daughter-in-law Jillian, as well as grandson Sammy, sister Joyce, brother-in-law Jules and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Additional Crew

Bill Bellamy, Jamie Foxx, Cedric The Entertainer, Mike Epps, Adele Givens, Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley, Carlos Mencia, Craig Robinson, Aries Spears, Sheryl Underwood, Michael Winslow, Deon Cole, and J.B. Smoove in Phunny Business: A Black Comedy (2011)

Phunny Business: A Black Comedy

6.8

executive consultant

2011

 

Paul Fusco and Mihaly 'Michu' Meszaros in ALF (1986)

ALF

7.4

TV Series

executive consultant

1986–2004

49 episodes

 

Garry Shandling in The Larry Sanders Show (1992)

The Larry Sanders Show

8.5

TV Series

executive consultant

1992–1998

89 episodes

 

Dana Carvey in Dana Carvey: Critics' Choice (1995)

Dana Carvey: Critics' Choice

8.2

TV Special

executive consultant

1995

 

Men, Movies & Carol (1994)

Men, Movies & Carol

7.4

TV Movie

executive consultant

1994

 

Kate Capshaw in Black Tie Affair (1993)

Black Tie Affair

7.4

TV Series

executive consultant

1993

2 episodes

 

Live from Washington D.C.: They Shoot HBO Specials, Don't They? (1993)

Live from Washington D.C.: They Shoot HBO Specials, Don't They?

6.7

TV Special

executive consultant

1993

 

The 15th Annual Young Comedians Special

7.4

TV Special

executive consultant

1992

 

Deborah Richter and Ami Rothschild in Lookwell (1991)

Lookwell

8.2

TV Movie

executive consultant

1991

 

Garry Shandling: Stand-Up

8.0

TV Special

executive consultant

1991

 

Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O'Neal in Good Sports (1991)

Good Sports

4.8

TV Series

executive consultant

1991

10 episodes

 

Blair Brown in The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd (1987)

The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd

8.2

TV Series

executive consultant

1987–1991

9 episodes

 

A Very Retail Christmas

5.2

TV Movie

executive consultant

1990

 

Don't Try This at Home! (1990)

Don't Try This at Home!

7.1

TV Movie

executive consultant

1990

 

Sunday Night with Larry King (1990)

Sunday Night with Larry King

TV Special

executive consultant

1990

 

The Dave Thomas Comedy Show (1990)

The Dave Thomas Comedy Show

6.2

TV Series

executive consultant

1990

5 episodes

 

The 13th Annual Young Comedians Special (1989)

The 13th Annual Young Comedians Special

6.3

TV Special

executive consultant

1989

 

The Wickedest Witch (1989)

The Wickedest Witch

6.8

TV Movie

executive consultant

1989

 

Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney, and Scott Thompson in The Kids in the Hall (1988)

The Kids in the Hall

8.4

TV Series

executive consultant

1988

1 episode

 

Mr. Miller Goes to Washington Starring Dennis Miller (1988)

Mr. Miller Goes to Washington Starring Dennis Miller

6.4

TV Special

executive consultant

1988

 

Christine Baranski and Keith Szarabajka in Big Shots in America (1985)

Big Shots in America

TV Movie

executive consultant

1985

 

Buffalo Bill (1983)

Buffalo Bill

7.4

TV Series

executive consultant

1983–1984

25 episodes

 

George Dzundza, Susan Tyrrell, and Sam Whipple in Open All Night (1981)

Open All Night

7.2

TV Series

executive consultant

1981–1982

13 episodes

 

Production Department

New

The Jackie Bison Show (1990)

The Jackie Bison Show

TV Special

production consultant

1990

 

Producer

Cameron Dallas in Chasing Cameron (2016)

Chasing Cameron

3.7

TV Series

executive producer

2016

1 episode

 

Martin Short and Maya Rudolph in Maya & Marty (2016)

Maya & Marty

6.6

TV Series

producer

2016

 

Adam Goldberg, Michael Ian Black, Jim Gaffigan, Ashley Williams, and Tongayi Chirisa in The Jim Gaffigan Show (2015)

The Jim Gaffigan Show

7.5

TV Series

executive producer

2015

1 episode

 

Colin Quinn: Long Story Short (2011)

Colin Quinn: Long Story Short

7.9

TV Special

executive producer

2011

 

Def Comedy Jam (1992)

Def Comedy Jam

8.0

TV Series

executive producer

1992–2008

2 episodes

 

Movie Club with John Ridley

TV Series

executive producer

2004

 

Comedy Inc. (2002)

Comedy Inc.

2.9

TV Series

executive producer (2003-2004)

2002–2007

 

Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler in The Wedding Singer (1998)

The Wedding Singer

6.9

executive producer

1998

 

Adam Sandler and Damon Wayans in Bulletproof (1996)

Bulletproof

5.8

executive producer

1996

 

Adam Sandler in Happy Gilmore (1996)

Happy Gilmore

7.0

executive producer

1996

 

Bob Saget: In the Dream State

7.1

TV Special

executive consultant

1990

 

Father Guido Sarducci's Vatican Inquirer: The Pope's Tour

TV Special

executive producer

1987

 

CBS Summer Playhouse (1987)

CBS Summer Playhouse

6.4

TV Series

consulting producer

1987

1 episode

 

Caesar's 20th Birthday Celebration

TV Special

executive producer

1987

 

Jasper Carrott in Cinemax Comedy Experiment (1985)

Cinemax Comedy Experiment

4.1

TV Series

executive producer

1986

1 episode

 

The Second City 25th Anniversary Special (1985)

The Second City 25th Anniversary Special

5.9

TV Special

executive producer

1985

 

Actor

Adam Sandler in Sandy Wexler (2017)

Sandy Wexler

5.3

Peter Marvelle

2017

 

Adam Sandler and Kevin James in I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry (2007)

I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry

5.9

Jail Guard

2007

 

Jerry Stiller, Kevin James, and Leah Remini in The King of Queens (1998)

The King of Queens

7.4

TV Series

Principal Nagel (as Sanford Wernick)

2007

1 episode

 

Thanks

Garry Shandling in The Garry Shandling Show: 25th Anniversary Special (1986)

The Garry Shandling Show: 25th Anniversary Special

7.8

TV Special

special thanks

1986

 

Self

Finding Sandler

Self (Sandler's Manager)

Completed