George Clooney sang the praises of longtime friend Adam Sandler as the two make their big-screen debut together in Jay Kelly.

“I love him. He’s the sweetest man in the world,” Clooney told PEOPLE at the film’s Sept. 29 premiere. “He’s a dear friend, and the fact that I got to work with him—” the actor added with a smile and a shrug.

The Oscar winner also teased his famously casual co-star. 

“I’ve actually been making Adam wear suits,” Clooney joked. “Don’t you think he looks nicer? Instead of those big baggy shorts?”

According to the outlet, Jay Kelly, directed by Noah Baumbach and co-written with Emily Mortimer, follows a movie star on a soul-searching journey across Europe, with Sandler playing his manager. 

The film boasts an ensemble cast including Laura Dern, Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup, and Riley Keough. Clooney even quipped that Crudup “steals the whole show and he’s in one scene,” adding with mock jealousy, “I want to kill him.”

Moreover, Clooney has previously praised Sandler’s dramatic range, calling him “a beautiful, soulful actor” in an August interview. 

At the premiere, Sandler returned the compliment in his signature style, saying Clooney “made me some of the best cups of coffee I ever had—once or twice a week, I got a good George coffee.”

Following its festival debuts in Venice and New York, Jay Kelly hits theaters Nov. 14 and will stream on Netflix beginning Dec. 5.