Julia Roberts Says George Clooney Is 'Best Combination of Gentleman and Playmate': 'He Really Sees Me'

Kevin Dietsch/Getty (2) Julia Roberts; George Clooney

Julia Roberts is giving major kudos to her longtime friend George Clooney.

The actress, 55, was on hand Sunday at the 45th Annual Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C., where she took the stage — wearing a dress covered in photos of Clooney, 61 — to honor him.

"Not only is he handsome and talented in all mediums he chooses to tackle, he is profoundly present and attentive to the world around him," Roberts said of her Ticket to Paradise costar. "He thinks so far outside of himself that, at times, it's hard to imagine when he finds the time to rest."

The Oscar winner went on to say that Clooney's "global interest in people should come as no surprise as he creates such a sense of community on a movie set, making everyone feel seen and heard."

"Now maybe it is the small-town Southern girl in me that responds to the uniquely small-town Southern boy in him. And I've just always felt that I really see George and he really sees me," Roberts added. "He is the best combination of gentleman and playmate."

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Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock Julia Roberts

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Matt Damon also spoke on behalf of Clooney during the event, which honored him and four others for lifetime artistic achievements.

During his remarks, Damon, 52, joked about having made "hits" and "bombs" with Clooney, and enjoying all the career ups and downs together. He also poked fun at Clooney's "movie-star looks."

"George, I know a lot of people think you have movie-star looks, but let's be honest, it takes a village to style the star. PEOPLE Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive — I've been there, those experts can transform anyone," said Damon, who was 2007's Sexiest Man Alive.

"I have worked with George on some of his biggest hits and some of his biggest bombs. We have received rave reviews together, we have been slaughtered by the critics together," continued Damon. "And I have loved every minute of it."

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In addition to Clooney, the evening also honored Amy Grant, Gladys Knight, composer-conductor Tania León and U2.

"Growing up in a small town in Kentucky I could never have imagined that someday I'd be the one sitting in the balcony at the Kennedy Center Honors," the Academy Award winner said, per ABC News.

"To be mentioned in the same breath with the rest of these incredible artists is an honor. This is a genuinely exciting surprise for the whole Clooney family," added Clooney, whose wife Amal Clooney and parents Nick Clooney and Nina Bruce Warren were also there to support him.

The Kennedy Center Honors ceremony will air on CBS Dec. 28.