Julia Roberts and George Clooney — who was PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive in 1997 and 2006 — joke about him earning the title for a third time

Should George Clooney be named PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive for a record third time? Well, duh.

“Yes! Third time’s a charm,” says Julia Roberts, vouching for her longtime close friend and costar in the new romantic comedy, Ticket to Paradise.

Despite the vote of support for the sexy title hat-trick, both Roberts, 54, and Clooney, 61, have a few caveats.

“I need it a little more specific,” says the Oscar-winning actor, who was the magazine’s honoree in 1997 and 2006. “Sexiest Batman Alive.”

Adds Roberts: “Sexiest Man, once a Batman.”

“Sexiest Man, once a Batman, over 60,” Clooney continues.

“… who still has all his own teeth,” concludes Roberts.

STEVE GRANITZ/FILMMAGIC

Support for his three-peat chances aside, Clooney has had a friend for life in Roberts — and vice versa — since the two met in 2000 ahead of shooting Ocean’s Eleven.

“This was just easy,” recalls Clooney of forging a fast friendship on the Vegas heist film 22 years ago.

“That’s how it felt with George,” says Roberts. “You just kind of go, ‘All right’ … He’s one of my people now.

The superstar duo stayed close over the years and went on to costar in four films together after Oceans.

“We have a similar approach to life,” says the Oscar-winning actress.

Off-screen, they’ve witnessed each other’s sweetest milestones: finding life partners and raising children (Roberts shares 17-year-old twins Hazel and Phinnaeus, and son Henry, 15, with her husband, cinematographer Danny Moder, 53; George and wife Amal, 44, a human rights lawyer, are parents to 5-year-old twins Ella and Alexander).

“Our lives expand in these beautiful ways,” says Roberts, known as “Aunt Juju” to the Clooney kids. Still, she adds: “We are the same goofy nuts we’ve always been.”