Morris the alligator, the unforgettable creature who clashed with Adam Sandler in Happy Gilmore, has died at the age of 80. The longtime animal actor passed away at the Colorado Gator Farm, where he had lived since retiring from Hollywood nearly two decades ago, per NBCNews. Morris’ career began in 1975 after he was rescued from a backyard in Los Angeles where he had been kept illegally. He went on to appear in a number of well-known movies and shows including Interview with the Vampire, Dr. Dolittle 2, Blues Brothers 2000, Night Court, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno alongside Steve Irwin. Despite his long list of credits, it was his role in Happy Gilmore that made him a cult favorite. In the film, Sandler’s character loses a golf ball to Morris and ends up in a full-blown fight with the gator, who had previously taken the hand of Chubbs Peterson. The scene became iconic, giving the alligator a permanent place in comedy history. Morris retired in 2006 and grew to nearly 11 feet long and 640 pounds before his health began to decline. “He wasn’t lunging at us and wasn’t taking food,” said farm owner Jay Young in an emotional video tribute. Sandler’s farewell Adam Sandler honored Morris with a touching Instagram post, recalling the animal’s quirks and unexpected warmth. He joked about Morris refusing to leave his trailer without a payment of 40 heads of lettuce and thanked him for once letting Sandler have the bigger half of a candy bar. The tribute balanced humor and heartfelt gratitude, reflecting the bond they shared on set. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Adam Sandler (@adamsandler) “You could be hard on directors, make-up artists, costumers, really anyone with arms or legs,” Sandler wrote. “But I know you did it for the ultimate good of the film.” Though Morris will not return for Happy Gilmore 2, Adam Sandler made it clear the gator’s legacy will live on. “Vaya con dios, old friend.”