George Clooney gushes over Adam Sandler: ‘I love him'

George Clooney believes Adam Sandler is his closest friends and collaborators.

“I love him,” Clooney told PEOPLE magazine at the premiere of Jay Kelly, in which he and Sandler, star respectively as a movie star and his manager.

The new film, Jay Kelly, marks the first time the two actors will be working together onscreen.

“He's the sweetest man in the world. He's a dear friend and the fact that I got to work with him —” the Oscar winner said.

“I’ve actually been making Adam wear suits,” Clooney jokes, referencing his costar’s signature casual style. “Don't you think he looks nicer? Instead of those big baggy shorts?”

Jay Kelly (in theaters on Nov. 14 and streaming on Netflix Dec. 5) comes from director and co-writer Noah Baumbach and writer-star Emily Mortimer.

The film also costars Laura Dern, Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup and more and revolves around the titular movie actor who is on a soul-searching journey throughout Europe, with Sandler as one of the many members of his team providing support.

“The cast,” Clooney gushed, is “unbelievable. Billy Crudup steals the whole show and he’s in one scene.”

With a dry smile, he quipped, “I want to kill him.”

Previously, speaking to Vanity Fair, Clooney praised the dramatic skills Sandler has, saying that Jay Kelly “shows what a beautiful, heartfelt, soulful actor he is… I kept telling the cast, ‘Don’t call him Sand Man. Don’t talk to him like he’s just some goofy comedian. He’s actually a really beautiful, wonderful actor.'"

The Happy Gilmore star, Adam Sandler also praised George Clooney, telling PEOPLE at the same movie premiere, “He did make me some of the best cups of coffee I ever had. Once or twice a week, I got a good George coffee.”