Ben Stiller was "always ready" to play Hal L again for 'Happy Gilmore 2'.

The 58-year-old actor returns as the sadistic retirement home orderly alongside Adam Sandler's unlikely golfing superstar Happy Gilmore for the upcoming sequel to the 1996 comedy classic, and Stiller has now stressed he has been patiently waiting to reprise the role since the original came out nearly 30 years ago.

He told Collider: "You don't get the opportunity to play Hal L that often.

"Hal L -- I'm saying this now in retrospect because I just did it -- was so much fun. As we were doing, and I was there with Adam, I was flashing back to whatever it was, however many years ago, and just being so grateful that we're both still here and able to connect."

The 'Zoolander' star added it was his friendship with Sander, also 58, was one of the main driving forces for returning for the follow-up flick.

Stiller shared: "I love Adam. He's a dear friend. And the opportunity to do that guy is just so much fun because he has no redeeming characteristics.

"I think he's [Hal] a good person inside. I think he's misunderstood. It bothers him that everybody loves Happy. You don't have to worry about making him likable, so it's really fun to just go for it. We had the best time."

Earlier this month, a picture of Stiller and Sandler on-set as their characters went viral online, and the 'Night at the Museum' star said it was great to know that "people actually care about Hal L".

He joked: "Yeah, everybody. All of a sudden, I was like, 'Oh, I guess somebody took a picture,' because I saw it everywhere.

"It was great. I was like, 'Oh, this will be fun when it comes out,' but it's nice to know that people actually care about Hal L -- even that they remember his last initial, L. There is a good reveal in the movie having to do with Hal's name that I won't say. There's a good surprise there."

'Happy Gilmore 2' - which will hit Netflix in March 2025 - will follow on from the 1996 original, which told the story of unsuccessful ice hockey player Happy Gilmore (Sandler) who discovers he has a talent for golf and becomes a sensation when he joins the tour.

As well as Stiller, it was previously confirmed Julie Bowen and Christopher McDonald would be reprising their respective parts as Gilmore's love interest Virginia Venit and golfing rival Shooter McGavin.