George Clooney and Noah Wyle shared a warm and nostalgic reunion, reuniting three decades after their breakout roles on ER while celebrating each other at the AARP Movies for Grownups Awards in Beverly Hills.

The pair, who helped define one of television’s most iconic medical dramas in the 1990s, took turns honouring one another with awards and heartfelt remarks that looked back on their friendship and careers.

While presenting Wyle with the Best TV Actor award for his work on The Pitt, Clooney joked about his longtime friend and suggested a playful new honour for him, saying, “I would nominate Noah Wyle as the first guy” for a hypothetical AARP “Sexiest Man Still Alive” issue.

Clooney praised Wyle not just as a performer but as a person, calling him “the kindest person I ever met” and adding, “I’m very proud to call him a friend, I’m also proud to call him a colleague. When I grow up, I want to be Noah Wyle.” An emotional Wyle responded with gratitude and admiration for Clooney, acknowledging the influence his friend had on his work and mindset early in their careers.

“You got me choked up there buddy,” he said, before crediting Clooney’s work ethos with shaping his approach to work for years.

The reunion didn’t end there; Wyle later presented Clooney with his Best Actor award for Jay Kelly, offering his own praise as the two shared the stage once again.