NEW YORK (AP) — Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson made many “Zoolander” fans giddy when they closed the Valentino runway show during Paris Fashion Week earlier this month as their model characters from the 2001 comedy.

It was a maneuver to announce a sequel, “Zoolander 2,” due out next year, which Stiller will also direct. The actors were met with cheers and whistles in person as guests hurried to catch the moment on their cellphones.

“I was a little surprised,” Stiller said about the reaction while attending Monday’s premiere of his movie “While We’re Young.” ”I mean it’s been 15 years since the movie came out so we really didn’t know if people remembered or cared, and it was nice to know that there was a little bit of a connection there that people had.”

Their commitment was admirable, as Stiller and Wilson chose to not only take some of the spotlight from a couture fashion house (with its permission, of course) but also to do it during a fashion show. In Paris.

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Stiller said he was “just happy we were able to keep it a surprise and nobody tripped.”

“We thought it would be a fun idea as a way to announce the movie,” said Stiller when asked why they chose Paris Fashion Week to make the announcement. “We sort of had top three designers or brands that we went to and TJ Maxx and Burlington Coat Factory bowed out at the last minute so we went Valentino.”

Besides “Zoolander,” Stiller has had a number of roles that have been memorable and quote-worthy, including his roles in “Meet the Parents,” ”Dodgeball” and “Night at the Museum.”

So which movie is he most recognized for?

“Usually it’s ‘Waterboy,'” joked Stiller, who’s not in it. The star of that film is Adam Sandler.

“While We’re Young” opens Friday.

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Follow Alicia Rancilio online at http://www.twitter.com/aliciar

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Online:

http://while-were-young.com/

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Associated Press writer John Carucci contributed to this report.