George Clooney Was in 'Upbeat, Cheeky' Mood as He Filmed with Adam Sandler on His Birthday (Exclusive Source)

George Clooney spent his birthday on set and having a laugh with Adam Sandler.

The actor turned 63 on Monday, May 6, and was busy filming in Italy with costar Sandler, 57, on a movie directed by Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story). On a break from filming, Clooney and Sandler were seen playing a game of basketball on the Tuscany set.

A source tells PEOPLE, "George was in an upbeat, cheeky mood. They were laughing and goofing around on the set. They were both in a great mood."

"George always makes it fun on set," adds the source. "Some of the Italian crew have filmed with him in the past. Everyone loves him."

The movie's cast also includes Laura Dern, Billy Crudup, Riley Keough, Isla Fisher, Patrick Wilson and more.

Prior to this project, Clooney, who directed the recent sports drama The Boys in the Boat, reunited with costar Brad Pitt to film the upcoming movie Wolfs, directed by Jon Watts (Spider-Man: No Way Home). Previously, Pitt, 60, and Clooney costarred in 2008's Burn After Reading, 2002's Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, plus three Ocean's movies from 2001 to 2007.

They are "forever friends," another source previously told PEOPLE. "They like and respect each other no matter how many years in between gigs together. They go way back, and were happy to work together on this film."

Clooney shares twins Ella and Alexander — who turn 7 years old in June — with wife Amal, whom he married in 2014. He spoke about aging in an interview with the Washington Post in 2022.

“Amal and I have had these long conversations about my age. I said, ‘You know, I’m 61, I can still do most things I used to do. But in 20 years I’ll be 81, and things will be different. … So these are the good years, this next 20 or 25.’ I said, ‘Let’s make sure we’re living [life] differently,’ " he said.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

"Which means that I probably won’t be directing, unless it’s something I absolutely have to do. Acting in movies is an easy job. … I certainly get paid a lot more doing that, it’s a lot easier, and I can still have a lot more time with my family.”

Clooney later added in the interview, "Your life is going to be picked apart by everyone else, what they like about it, what they want about it, and all you can do is try to live it as fully as possible."