Adam Sandler says
he would like to work alongside gay rights groups after
starring in I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry.
Sandler, who was
in Mexico with costar Kevin James to promote the film's
opening in theaters there, told a news conference: ''If I
can help anybody in any way, I certainly would.''
But the
41-year-old actor-comedian stopped short of calling himself
a potential gay icon.
''I don't think
that's gonna happen, dude -- certainly not,'' Sandler
said. ''If I was a gay man, I wouldn't want me to
represent'' the gay community.
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, scheduled
to be released on DVD in the United States in November,
tells the story of two straight firefighters who
pretend to be gay domestic partners so they can
get pension benefits. The movie raked in about
$35 million in U.S. box-office sales on its opening weekend
despite weak reviews and some complaints of
homophobia.
''Of course, we
didn't want to offend anybody or hurt anybody,'' James
said at the news conference Thursday. ''If we can help
people too along the way, that would be great.''
Sandler described
the kiss the two actors shared during filming as ''not
bad.''
''He was clean,
and he seemed to brush his teeth and all that,'' Sandler
said. (AP)