When you think of Adam Sandler, you might imagine him posing on the cover of an entertainment or comedy magazine—but the 56-year-old actually wound up in a much more unexpected place: AARP The Magazine. AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization for empowering people age 50 and older.

Sandler began his career on Saturday Night Live when he was in his mid-twenties, and, in the recent article, talks about how much he’s grown as a person and actor since then.

“I’m calmer than I used to be. I used to go nuts. I had a quick temper, quick reactions. I made a lot of dumb mistakes and said a lot of stupid things,” he explained. “Looking back on relationships, I could be an ass. I was selfish. I was competitive with other comedians and stuff. My father would say, “That guy’s funny,” and I would say, “Hey, I’m funny, blah, blah,” and he’d be, like, “Why can’t you both be funny?” Because I was hungry, I didn’t always see clearly then.”

After his ride on SNL, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood films, many of which were comedies. In the article, Sandler talks about what it means to him to grow older in Hollywood. As he continues to age, he finds it more fun to play roles similar to that of his real world, and focus less on getting a good laugh.

“I like my age, and it’s fun to play my age. It’s freeing. I don’t have to be true to anything other than what I look like and what I think and what I do in life. I’m nonstop commitment to my projects,” he said.

Sandler also discussed how he’s been leaning more towards drama genres for movies rather than comedy—and why: “I like giving myself over to a new challenge,” he said. “Sometimes I feel like I’m tapped out with new thoughts, and then all of a sudden, something new comes up and I go, ‘Okay, how can I make this happen?’ It was cool as hell pushing myself in new ways like I did on Uncut Gems. Running around the Diamond District in New York, the intensity of that amazing character, or in Hustle, being around the greatest NBA players, and not worrying about laughs as much as what each character is going through and pulling for. But I do love comedy more than anything.”

He. also mentioned how he hopes his fans enjoy the new direction he’s going in. “I want people to continue to enjoy what I’m doing,” he said. “I hope they’ve had a good time with my movies, with what we’ve given them and, whether you’ve liked me or not, appreciate that I’ve tried my best.”

Can you believe Sandler is 56 years old? What did you like about the work he did in his early career, and what do you like about it now?