The Emmy winner spoke with PEOPLE exclusively about reprising her role as Virginia Venit in the 'Happy Gilmore' sequel, nearly 30 years after the original

Julie Bowen is opening up about her unexpected storyline in Happy Gilmore 2, the long-awaited sequel to the 1996 comedy classic. In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the Emmy-winning actress revealed her reaction upon learning her character, Virginia Venit, dies within the first few minutes of the film.

Yes, Julie Bowen's character dies early in ‘Happy Gilmore 2’. She is hit by a golf ball on Mother's Day, from a shot hit by Happy, and dies.

Happy Gilmore 2' is streaming live on Netflix today, July 25, and the anticipation for the sequel has been at a fever pitch, ever since the Adam Sandler project was announced.

The actress reprises her role as Virginia Venit in the "Happy Gilmore" sequel, nearly 30 years after the original film premiered

Julie Bowen was surprised when Netflix asked her to return for “Happy Gilmore 2.” During a recent interview on the “Inside of You” podcast, Bowen explained she was certain she’d be replaced as the love interest for Adam Sandler’s titular golfer by a younger actress for the highly anticipated “Happy Gilmore” sequel.

Julie Bowen "started laughing" when she learned that her character dies in Happy Gilmore 2. The 55-year-old actress has reprised the role of Virginia Venit for the comedy sequel, and Julie has recalled laughing when she discovered her character's fate in the movie.

Spoilers ahead for Happy Gilmore 2. Adam Sandler has a number of beloved movies on his long resume, including Happy Gilmore. The 1996 sports comedy (which is streaming with a Netflix subscription) is arguably one of Sandler's best rom-coms,

Adam Sandler, Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald, Bad Bunny, Oliver Hudson and other "Happy Gilmore 2" cast members attended the film's New York premiere.