Sylvester Stallone has praised fellow actor Mickey Rourke’s Oscar nomination: “You deserve it. You’re an incredibly talented man.”

Stallone isn’t surprised about Mickey Rourke’s critically acclaimed role in The Wrestler: “It was just a matter of time…He’s a tough ass guy. He’s old school…Eventually someone was going to do a story that captures his heart, his plight and his biography.”

Rourke has credited Stallone with helping him resurrect his career when he was offered a role in Stallone’s Get Carter. The two will reunite on screen in The Expendables. Sending a message to his co-star, Stallone says: “Mickey, if anybody deserves an Oscar, it’s you. No question about it. You lived it. You earned it. You deserve it. You’re an incredibly talented man. It’s about time everyone says, ‘You know what. Give it to the winner.'”