Ben Stiller couldn't be happier to be celebrating his longtime friend Adam Sandler on his big night.
Stiller walked the carpet outside the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, where Sandler was honored with the 24th Annual Mark Twain Prize For American Humor.
Before the star-studded ceremony, Stiller stopped to talk with ET's Rachel Smith about why he was there to show Sandler some love, and how close he feels to his fellow comic star.
"I'm just very proud and happy for Adam, I think it's an amazing honor, and he's really deserving, because he's an amazingly talented person," Stiller shared. "He's a great human being."
"I think his his true self comes through in his work and who he is," he continued. "Very honest, and in his comedy and his acting, he reveals himself. And I think people really appreciate that and connect with that."
The pair have been friends for many years, first collaborating on 1996's Happy Gilmore -- in which Stiller has a small but memorable role as a sadistic nursing home orderly -- and then working alongside each other in several subsequent projects.
"We also always get mistaken for each other all the time," Stiller admitted with a laugh. "So, just like, in life, it's always like, 'Yo, Sandler!' So we're like sending each other videos of people like going like, 'Hey, Adam, I love you. Thank you!'"
Looking back at his friendship and long relationship with Sandler, Stiller reflected on some of his friend's best qualities, sharing, "He's very generous. He's very sensitive guy."
"He's also just like, you know, he reaches out so much to his fellow actors and friends. He's very supportive," Stiller added. "It's just who he is, [and] that's one of the things I love about him."
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