Adam Sandler became an actor because he wanted to be famous

He told the Sunday Times Culture magazine: "As a kid I 100 per cent wanted to be famous.

"When I was 17 and got into stand-up I wanted what Eddie Murphy had - walking down a street, people going, 'My God!' That would let friends at school and your parents know you had made it, and that was my first goal.

"So yes, I wanted fame, but a couple of years in you also want to be good. And that becomes the goal."

Adam - who has daughters Sunny, 19, and Sadie, 16, with wife Jackie - admitted working can be difficult because he can't let any personal problems get in the way when he's on set.

He said: "Trying to play a light mood when you are feeling darkness is not easy...

"Look, no part of me, zero, wakes up and says, 'Man, I wish that this hadn't happened.'

"But you have a real life. You have ups and downs just like everybody. People overlook that. You can be in the room but your head is spinning in another direction because of work. But that's the same with every job."

His Jay Kelly co-star George Clooney agreed, recalling 17-hour days on the set of E.R..

George said: "You cannot be sick. I never missed a day."

He told how Julianna Marguiles took a phone call on set one day to tell her "someone she really loved" had passed away.

He added: "And she was crying. But we had to do this long, funny scene - someone had an arrow stuck in their head. And she put the phone down, wiped away the tears, nailed the scene and then came back and cried. You can never let them see you sweat."

Meanwhile, Adam admitted it isn't as easy to get a comedy green-lit these days.

He said: "The enthusiasm isn't as high as 15 years ago. It is a numbers game and comedies just weren't hitting as hard as they used to. Still, there are a lot in production now - they're cheap to make. But it's not the same as it used to be."