Cast ofThe Sandlot(1993).Photo: 20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection
Thirty years later,The Sandlotis still hitting home runs in our hearts.
The 1993 coming-of-age film revolves around a boy named Scotty Smalls (Tom Guiry), who befriends a group of boys who play baseball at his new neighborhood’s sandlot during the summer of 1962.
Multiple baseballs are lost after they’re thrown into The Beast’s backyard, never to be seen again as the boys live in fear of the monster dog on the other side.
Speaking with PEOPLE this week amid the film’s recent 30th anniversary and his partnership withDairy Queento celebrate the return of theS’mores BlizzardTreat, actorPatrick Renna— who played Hamilton “Ham” Porter inThe Sandlot— recalls hanging out with his cast mates as some of his favorite memories from makingthe summer-centric film.
“Those are the best memories because we truly were like brothers on and off the field,” says Renna, now 44. “So the moments of back in the apartment complexes we were staying in, in the swimming pool and just being buds over the summer. Those are the best memories.”
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Patrick Renna inThe Sandlot(1993).20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection
In fact, they are so close that, three decades later, they’re still on a group text — though, as Renna jokes to PEOPLE, “A couple of the guys have Android. So it’s real painful because [the texts show up in] the green bubble. I can’t take it.”
“We’re all on it. We’re all pretty close,” he says. “Some of the guys,Marty [York] and Victor [DiMattia], are quite close and they’ve sort of stayed in touch over all the years. But I see them a couple times a year, and it’s like no time has passed and we just jump right back into it.”
“We’re close, for sure. We all share this great moment in history together,” he adds.
The original movie reveals the future fates of each of the main characters at the very end, which might pose some challengesfor a potential sequel— but Renna says he’d be open to reprising his hilarious character on one condition.
“[Ham] became a wrestler. So I would sign on if the first shot was me in wrestling garb, jumping off the high rope landing on someone. That would be the only way I’d be in,” he jokes.
“I know it’d be kind of fun,” Renna adds. “I mean, of course I’d do something like that — you just want to make sure that it didthe original movie justice. But as long as there was some confidence that that would happen, I would definitely be interested.”
In reality, “it’s hard to do” a follow-up to such a beloved film justice, as “something both adults and kids are both equally invested in or interested in doing does not come around every day,” he says.
Something that does appeal to both kids and adults alike? The DQ S’mores Blizzard Treat, which Renna is so excited to help promote as part of the fast-food chain’sSummer Blizzard Treat Menu.
The actor appears in anew ad for the S’mores BlizzardTreat, acting out a twist on his iconicSandlotscene in which Ham teaches Scotty how to make the perfect s’more. The scenes is arguably the most famous in the film, and is where Ham’s line, “You’re killin' me, Smalls!” comes from.
In the ad, Renna demonstrates how to enjoy a S’mores Blizzard Treat — which simply involves the use of a spoon! — and ends with a cheeky, “What’s the opposite of ‘killin’ me'?”
Patrick Renna for DQ.DAIRY QUEEN
RELATED GALLERY:The SandlotCast: Where Are They Now?
Renna himself tells PEOPLE the partnership was a perfect fit because “my favorite treat has always been something in the family of one of these Dairy Queen Blizzards.”
“And then, of course,because it’s s’mores, it was a no-brainer, but it’s getting [to be] summer and it’s kind of perfect,” he explains. “After a hard day’s work or a game of baseball, the perfect thing to go grab is one of these Blizzards.”
Asked whether he’s anything like Ham in terms of creating the perfect s’more at home or if he prefers his own take, theBoys of Summeractor andHambino Athleticsfounder says he’s “a traditional guy” — and, as such, has “never made one outside of the three ingredients” that are typically involved: graham cracker, marshmallow and milk chocolate.
“The most important part is you just have to cook them long enough so that they’re nice and melty,” Renna says. “But that’s the great thing about a Blizzardis they’re just ready to go.”
source: people.com
