Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, he was raised in Apple Valley, Minnesota, where he attended Apple Valley High School.
After graduating, he had roles in Stephen King's Sometimes They Come Back and as Mad Dog Coll in Mobsters.
He has had major roles in films including Disclosure, Twister, Scent of a Woman, and Hellraiser: Inferno.
In 1998, Sadler wrote and directed the short film Jesus Tells A Joke.
In 2002, Sadler was the creative consultant for the Ray Romano documentary 95 Miles to Go, directed by Tom Caltabiano (producer of Everybody Loves Raymond).