Adam Sandler is back with an all-new Netflix movie that has so much heart. The Week Of is streaming now and tells the story of a devoted father determined to pay for his daughter’s wedding, despite the fact that the father of the groom wants to take charge. The week leading up to the nuptials features so many wild and crazy shenanigans from both sides of the family.
Allison Strong, 27, plays Sarah, Adam’s daughter in the movie, which also stars Chris Rock, Rachel Dratch, Steve Buscemi, and more. Allison told HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVE that “everyone was so kind and generous” on set. She learned so much from Adam and his movie family. She also talked about her acting inspirations and new music! Check out our Q&A below!
You worked with heavyweights like Adam, Steve, and Chris. What did you learn from them?
Allison Strong: I think I mostly learned from example on set. I’ll always remember this one moment with Steve Buscemi. It was about 100 degree-heat out in Long Island. The summer was so crazy. We were shooing on a baseball field. It was so sunny and so hot and we were shooting outside. I was under a cooling umbrella sweating and not particularly my happiest. Steve was there, and he had a smile on his face. He had no umbrella. He was looking down at his lines just smiling and easygoing. I just remember looking over at him during my one moment of overheating thinking I want to be that kind of actor. The kind of actor that doesn’t make a fuss. Even if it’s 100 degrees, it’s better than being anywhere else. I think that’s why Steve is so loved. It was a great example for me. After that, I closed my umbrella, smiled, and thought, “This is still better than anything else I could be doing.” That was one of the best examples, and then seeing the way Adam treats his people and how kind and self-deprecating he is. You want to see him succeed. He hires his friends, and why do you think his friends come back? Because they love him so much. On the first day shooting with him, we actually shot really close to the sequence of the film, but the first day was the first day in the house. He was holding my hands, looking me in the eyes, and I was his daughter. There’s something that your heart responds to when you see him. He’s just himself, and I feel like that’s why people relate to him so much. He’s just such a good guy.
There have been so many Adam Sandler movies over the years. How does The Week Of compare to his other films?
Allison Strong: It’s funny. It almost harkens back to Big Daddy for me, but also with elements of The Waterboy. It’s definitely more Big Daddy, though. This film is going to make you die laughing from the craziness. It’s two families coming together, with the two dads competing so that this wedding can be a success. The film builds in wild, crazy antics until everything falls apart. That’s when I think people are going to cry.
You’re an up-and-coming actress. Who has inspired you in the acting world?
Allison Strong: That’s a really hard question to answer because I started out doing Broadway musicals, so all of the people who inspired me started out in musicals. People like Julie Andrews or Patti Lupone. Now that my career is taking a transition, I really look up to Gina Rodriguez. I’m a young Latina actress as well. I happen to be playing someone Jewish in this film because I’m ethnically ambiguous, I guess you could say. I love how Gina champions young Hispanic women and performers in the industry. Those are the people who definitely inspire me.
Have you considered going back to Broadway?
Allison Strong: Absolutely. I definitely would for the right role. My favorite show that I’ve seen is The Band’s Visit. I would definitely come back. I love theater, but I think I would love to meld my two loves and do a movie musical.
What’s something you want to prove to yourself in your career?
Allison Strong: I think that eventually I’d love to produce my own film and write one. I would love at some point to do something like that. I’m a musician as well and a songwriter. In many respects, I feel like, as artists, we’re all hummingbirds. We have to be good in a couple of different things to keep ourselves occupied. I have a very interesting family, and they’re pretty funny, so I’d love to do something with that material. I think I’d also like to continue working on music. I’m a bilingual singer-songwriter. I write in Spanish and English, so I’d love to delve into that more.
Are you currently working on new music?
Allison Strong: I am. That’s something that will always be a part of my life. It’s so funny, every time I start recording new music, I get another project. Acting takes me away from it. I was actually in the studio with my friend this week, though.