Blake Shelton Was a ‘Nervous Wreck’ Before Workingwith Adam Sandler (Exclusive)

Blake Shelton has collaborated with more entertainers than he can count over the course of his 25-year career, and he usually plays it cool around them, but he admits to being “nervous” when he worked with Adam Sandler.

“I was such a fan,” he told PEOPLE of the Jay Kelly star. “I didn’t know what he was going to be like, but I wanted him to be like the guy that’s in all these movies, and sure enough, he is. And he literally plays himself, I think, in all of his movies.”

Shelton, now 49, worked with Sandler, now 59, in the 2015 film The Ridiculous 6. Shelton starred as legendary lawman Wyatt Earp. 

“It was just so much fun, but leading up to that, I was a nervous wreck because I had to act, and I never really acted before,” he said. “Everything about it was just like a fish out of water for me, but Adam instantly made me feel comfortable.”

Speaking of Sandler, he said, “You can’t help smile when you’re around that guy.”

More recently, Shelton worked with Post Malone on their song “Pour Me Drink,” which netted the duo a CMA Award for Musical Event of the Year.

“There’s no reason to be nervous around him. If you’re going to be around Post, it’s just going to be a party,” he said of the star, 30. “There’s nothing about him that would make you want to do anything other than just high-five everybody and drink a beer and smoke a cigarette. Even if you don’t smoke, just start smoking and just party. So I was not nervous about working with him. I was excited about the opportunity just to spend time with him.”

Whereas Malone was a songwriter on “Pour Me Drink,” Shelton admits he doesn’t write as much as he once did, but he is currently creating new material. He also has a new Las Vegas residency show at Caesars Palace, which kicked off on Jan. 15.

“I am writing right now,” he told PEOPLE backstage. “I’m probably not in search of what you would think I would be or what my label would hope I would be in search of, which is big runaway hits. I hope to get those, but I’m having more fun just writing with people that are bucket list people or someone that I just love. To have to share music with someone special to me for one reason or another is what I get more excited about.”

Shelton’s remaining dates for the residency run are Jan. 21, 23, 24, 28, 30 and 31.