The most famous comedian in Spain will be Adam Sandler's lover

Now there's a headline we've always wanted to write. Santiago Segura, who's known to fans of international comedy through the Spanish-language "Torrente" films, will play opposite Adam Sandler in Sandler's next film, "Jack and Jill," two people familiar with the project said Tuesday.

The comedy, which has just begun shooting, has Sandler playing both parts in the new spin on the classic nursery rhyme. He's both family man Jack and will cross-dress as Jill, Jack's annoying sister, who comes for a visit and won't leave. Segura will play Jill's beau.

The Jose Luis Torrente character that Segura made famous (in Spain) is an unsavory, racist cop who angrily patrols his neighborhood even after he's been let go from the force. (You can see a subtitled clip below, though it's not the most representative.) The first three Torrente films have been huge hits in Spain, and a fourth is on the way. There's also an English-language remake that Sacha Baron Cohen is attached to. Segura has had bit parts in "Hellboy" and a few other English-language movies, but this would be by far his biggest comedy role.

"Jack and Jill" already has one of the more unusual casts out there -- Regis Philbin and Shaquille O'Neal have bit parts, among others. A man known for playing an angry, mustachioed Spanish policeman couldn't make things that much weirder.

— Steven Zeitchik

twitter.com/ZeitchikLAT

Photo: Sandler in "Jack and Jill." Credit: Just Jared.

Comments

[Tony Gardner]

I'm thinking that the Times might have this one wrong.
Adam Sandler (as Jill) has the hots for Eugenio Derbez's character in the film "Jack & Jill." Photos of the two of them in character have been all over the internet for a few weeks already.

[Lapijadekoji]

Are you kidding?? The most famous comedian in Spain?? Really??

I'm form Spain, and Santiago Segura is a normal Actor-Director-Writter, not brilliant, not most famous, normal, funny, but very normal, there are many others actors and directors better than Santiago! Please, contrast your information and your fonts!

Anyway, We are always happy to see that other spanish get to be there, in Hollywood! Congratulations Santiago!

[DrD01]

The Torrente films are actually pretty crude. Very funny once you get used to the style of humor, very well done for the most part. But, this should be good, Hopefully they will be great on the screen together!

[Luis Salas]

I'm from Spain, and I can certify that Segura is probably the most famous comedian in Spain. So you've got that right!.
To Lapijadekoki; are you from Spain? Sure? and you think there are a comedian more famous than Santiago? Maybe you've been living in a cave the last ten years (or in LA). Don't be stupid and stop missinforming people, would you?

[Sara]

Luis Salas, I can tell you a few. For example: Andreu Buenafuente, Florentino Fernández, El Gran Wyoming, Josema Yuste, José Mota... Santiago Segura is just a famous comedian/actor/director or whatever you call him, but saying he's "the most famous Spanish comedian" is not even close to be true (taking into account the large amount of comedians that this country has). Also, saying that something is "the most X" is not something that good journalists should do: did they interview all Spaniards to check if he's indeed the most famous? Does he have an award for "the most famous Spanish comedian"? Who is entitled to say someone is the most X in something?