Warning: Happy Gilmore 2 spoilers ahead!
Plot twist!
Julie Bowen revealed her initial thoughts upon first learning of her character’s shocking storyline in Happy Gilmore 2 when speaking with PEOPLE exclusively ahead of the sequel’s July 25 premiere on Netflix.
For the golf-centric movie’s second installment, Bowen, 55, reprises her role as Virginia Venit. In the original film released nearly three decades ago, her character is the love interest of Adam Sandler’s titular role of Happy Gilmore.
However, less than five minutes into Happy Gilmore 2, Virginia — who’s now married to Happy, welcomed five kids together and started a family — dies upon getting struck by a golf ball, which was hit by her husband during a tournament.
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Julie Bowen attends the “Happy Gilmore 2” Premiere on July 21, 2025 in New York City.
Bowen, who’s previously said she assumed a younger actress would replace her in the sequel film, found it comical when she learned of her character’s fate.
“When I found out that I was killed on page 12, I started laughing,” the actress tells PEOPLE exclusively. “I was on vacation with my family, and I had no wifi. I could barely read this thing. I only had my phone, and I was like, ‘Am I seeing this right’? Trying to blow it up.”
“And I was like, ‘Oh, yeah, I’m dead. And he kills me,’ ” she says with a laugh, referring to Sandler’s character. “Then I just started laughing. I just started laughing and laughing, and Adam was trying to get through to me. I was on island with no wifi and barely any cell, and we finally connected.”
“I go, ‘I don’t care. It’s great. Happy can’t be happy,’ ” she jokes.
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Julie Bowen and Adam Sandler in “Happy Gilmore.”
Despite Virginia’s unfortunate beginning (well, ending) in the film’s earliest scenes, Bowen was simply honored to be involved in the iconic film’s reprisal.
“It’s just fun to be part of the whole thing,” she says, noting, “Of course, why would I not want to be part of Happy Gilmore, whether I’m a big part, a little part.”
Of Sandler, Bowen adds, “It was really important to him to have as many of the original cast members there.”
Although Virginia dies early in the film, that’s not the last viewers see of her.
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Julie Bowen and Adam Sandler
“His love for me drives the story,” Bowen says of Happy’s memories of his wife, which give him strength while golfing under pressure and drive him to be the best father he can be for their kids.
Above all, Bowen was pleased with the love storyline that was a continuation from the original 1996 film.
“I was delighted to find out that Adam felt that Happy and Virginia had stayed together. That’s cool,” she tells PEOPLE.
Happy Gilmore 2 is currently streaming on Netflix.
Read the original article on People